Directed by Chad Stahelski
Starring Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, and Ian McShane
MPAA rating: R for pervasive strong violence, and some language
Running time: 2 hours and 10 minutes

by Dan Scully

The downside of the John Wick trilogy is that each film is so impeccably crafted that it’s hard not to develop resentment toward the glut of poorly shot, hyper-cut action schlock that passes for mainstream cinema these days. No, I’m not about to be one of those “they don’t make them like they used to” types but we have reached a point where, unless a film is expressly interested in showcasing stuntwork, we can assume that much of it will be unintelligible, merely suggesting an action sequence while hiding the fact the one hasn’t occurred. In things like Captain America: Civil War — perhaps the most recent example of action which has been cut to indecipherable pieces — the factory farmed nature of the Marvel machine is to blame. With that much star power to corral for a film that has a strict deadline, there’s simply not much time for rehearsal. Especially not when it comes to the action. Better to get the footage and worry about how it looks later, right?