Third chapter of the ever-impressive John Wick film series expands the universe without sacrificing the full throttle, intense filled action scenes that brought new life to the American action movie.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum should have been titled “John Wick vs The World”. All comers from all factions take on the grossly outmatched Wick, who with innovative and deadly means dispatches with his dispatchers. Continuing from the events of John Wick 2, the long haired, black suited Wick (played once again by the immortal Keanu Reeves) is on the run as the clock ticks down on his excommunication from all facets and perks of being a super assassin. Add that to a bounty of $14 million with everyone looking to cash in.

With such a set-up, it only makes sense that the bodies hit the floor at a frantic pace and boy they ever do! The way which director Chad Stahelski does so is both a throwback to a time when action choreography was visible and digestible, and a promising transition away from the “shaky cam” theatrics that ruined the genre.

As a martial artist and former stuntman, Stahelski knows and appreciates the art in the violence. Taking cues from The Raid films, Stahelski cleverly utilises all matter of prop to create exciting and innovative action sequences. Motorbikes, books, and even horses are used alongside the franchise favourites of guns and (of course) dogs to mount a pile of bodies so high that Rambo would be envious.

Amidst it all is Keanu Reeves, who at 55 years old literally rolls with the punches in the delivery of some of the best hand-to hand action film fighting to be seen on screen. While Reeves has indeed proven his ability with such action film acting in the previous John Wick films and The Matrix, the scope and mass of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is something else entirely. This is a film that will exhaust its audience in the best way possible, a marathon of action filmmaking presented within an ever-expanding world of assassins, mobsters and crime lords.

While some of the raw emotional intimacy of the first movie is missing, the epic nature of this third entry in one of the best action film franchises makes up for it. With a fourth film announced, one can only wonder what Stahelski and Reeves have planned next.