John Wick: Killing People with all Kinds of Objects 🔫📚
How far will one man go for his dog?
I went to Las Vegas back in March and while there we went to an area called Area 15 which has a John Wick Experience. Unfortunately we did not get a chance to do the John Wick Experience itself, but we were able to go in and have some drinks at The Continental bar and check out the gift shop. They have John Wick’s classic car parked out front as well as the disposal van. Every employee was in character, and it literally felt like you had stepped into the John Wick universe. Suffice to say, I decided the following month to watch the films especially after seeing that all of them had been added to HBO Max. So I did like any sane person would, and I watched one John Wick film every night for five nights in a row. I had only ever seen the first film along with snippets of the others, and boy was I missing out.
Today I want to talk about the films, and why I think the franchise is worth the watch. I will note that I watched in film chronological order and not on release date. This means that Ballerina is to be watched before the fourth film. I have not had the opportunity to watch The Continental show that is on Peacock, but I do believe that I have heard good things about it.
So without further ado let’s discuss the John Wick films.
🚨Spoilers ahead🚨
🎥 John Wick 🎥
🗓️ Release Year: 2014
🍿 MPA Rating: R
⌚ Duration: 101 Minutes
📝 IMDB Description: John Wick is a former hitman grieving the loss of his true love. When his home is broken into, robbed, and his dog killed, he is forced to return to action to exact revenge. See Full IMDB Page
🎬 Letterboxd Review: “Why did you strike my son?”
“He stole John Wick’s car and killed his dog.”
“Oh”
📼 Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5
🥤 IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
✨ My Rating: 4 ⭐
💭 Additional Thoughts: This film sets the precedence and flow of the rest of the franchise. In my opinion it is a well-made revenge film on the surface. Looking deeper, it starts revealing the past life and how the world that John Wick was apart of functions.
🎥 John Wick: Chapter 2 🎥
🗓️ Release Year: 2017
🍿 MPA Rating: R
⌚ Duration: 122 Minutes
📝 IMDB Description: After returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, John Wick discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life. See Full IMDB Page
🎬 Letterboxd Review: I liked the plot and action of this film more than the first. We learned a lot about the world that Wick lives in especially with the Continental Rules, network, currency, etc.
“I think there’s a crack in your windshield”
“I can have it done by December… 2030”
“This must be Christmas. After this we’re going to Applebee’s”
📼 Letterboxd Rating: 3.7/5
🥤 IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
✨ My Rating: 4.5 ⭐
💭 Additional Thoughts: John Wick is back in the game. This film continues the storyline. Here we see the start of the John Wick club scenes. We also meet more of the characters in the realm of John Wick.
🎥 John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum 🎥
🗓️ Release Year: 2019
🍿 MPA Rating: R
⌚ Duration: 130 Minutes
📝 IMDB Description: John Wick is on the run after killing a member of the international assassins’ guild, and with a $14 million price tag on his head, he is the target of hit men and women everywhere. See Full IMDB Page
🎬 Letterboxd Review: Good action, continued learning more about the John Wick Universe
John Wick kills a guy with a book 🤯
📼 Letterboxd Rating: 3.7/5
🥤 IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
✨ My Rating: 4.5 ⭐
💭 Additional Thoughts: There were some brutal death scenes in this film. We see the Casablanca Continental Hotel. Here we see how deep Wick’s network runs. Technically because he was ex-communicado no one is allowed to help him; however, Wick is still able to leverage some connections and favors that people owe him. We also see the ballerinas for the first time when Wick visits the Ruska Roma theater academy. This also gives some more insight into Wick’s past life. The defending of the Continental Hotel was phenomenal. We also see John Wick cut off his ring finger to prove his loyalty to the High Table.
🎥 Ballerina 🎥
🗓️ Release Year: 2025
🍿 MPA Rating: R
⌚ Duration: 124 Minutes
📝 IMDB Description: An assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma organization sets out to seek revenge after her father’s death. See Full IMDB Page
🎬 Letterboxd Review: Next spin on the John Wick franchise
I really enjoyed this. Some of the action was a little over the top, but it wasn’t too crazy for a John Wick movie. There was a lot of pyrotechnics and grenades in this film for sure.
📼 Letterboxd Rating: 3.3/5
🥤 IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
✨ My Rating: 4 ⭐
💭 Additional Thoughts: I liked learning more about the Ruska Roma, and I do wish we learned even more about it. I did like Eve’s character and her revenge-coded journey.
🎥 John Wick: Chapter 4 🎥
🗓️ Release Year: 2023
🍿 MPA Rating: R
⌚ Duration: 169 Minutes
📝 IMDB Description: John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes. See Full IMDB Page
🎬 Letterboxd Review: “You can’t shoot me.”
“Yeah but I can hit you, motherfucker.”
“Last words Winston?”
“Just have fun out there.”
“Ha, You arrogant asshole.”
“What”
“He didn’t shoot.”
😧
“Consequences.”
📼 Letterboxd Rating: 3.9/5
🥤 IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
✨ My Rating: 4 ⭐
💭 Additional Thoughts: Charon dying was tragic and coupled with The Continental imploding was powerful in the franchise. I really liked The Osaka Continental. Again we saw how deep Wick’s web is when he sill is able to receive help from others in the life. The fight scene in the Osaka Continental is really well done, and the entire scene of Wick climbing the stairs is very good. I think this film is a great end to the franchise. It leaves it ambiguous as to whether or not John Wick dies at the end. We see him lay down on the steps, but we never see him take his last breath. We do see his tombstone, but I have doubts that he is actually dead. There are quite a few Reddit threads on this that I found rather interesting which I’ll link below.
Future of the Franchise & Final Thoughts
There is potentially a John Wick: Chapter 5 in the works. In my opinion, I don’t think there should be another film specifically for John Wick. I think the franchise ends on a good note with the ambiguity of Wick’s death. If Wick has to come back, I think it could be in another ballerina as a minor character or something like that. If they truly want to do another film, I think a pre-cursor film would be good. I do genuinely want to learn more about Wick’s training, background, previous kills, etc.
Overall I do think this franchise is well-done, and it’s most certainly worth the watch and re-watches. I look forward to eventually trying the John Wick Experience.
Reddit Post
Screenrant Article
John Wick Sleep Paralysis Demon Video
Thanks for reading, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on the franchise!
Happy watching! 🍿
Until next time,
Spend time with your dog (or any dog)
XOXO 💗 Joe