John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum – Review

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum – Budget of $55 million – 2 hours and 11 minutes

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John was given 1 hour to get his affairs in order before he is excommunicated and the $14-million bounty is activated. Winston, the manager of the Continental, counts down the moments until John is a man on the run. However, some don’t want to wait and go after John immediately. John runs to the New York Library to get a ticket, a marker, and some gold coins. He sends his dog to Charon (the Continental concierge) and heads to the doctor for stitches. Halfway through the medical procedure, John’s time is up and the doctor can no longer work on him. The doctor knows that helping John would lead to his death, so John has to finish his stitches. John takes his ticket and heads home to the Director. The wants passage to Casablanca, Morocco. He knows someone there who could lead him to the Elder of High Table. He wants to explain his actions and convince them to let him live. Meanwhile, an Adjudicator for the High Table has come to New York to find and punish everyone who helped John before or after he was excommunicated. Vengeance will cut deep.

So let’s be honest, John Wick 3 has about 30 to 45 minutes of dialogue and the rest is all action. And, it’s worth it. Like John Wick and John Wick: Chapter 2, every spoken word is done with necessity. The action sequences are masterfully coordinated and ups the stakes with more weapons, strong and unique fighting styles, and captivating scenery. The audience is given more of John’s background and training. While his underlying assassin history is given, the script only alludes to the history between John and Sophia. The audience should be given more about the relationship and blood oath between them. However, this small plot hole can be filled in John Wick 4. Yes, there will be a 4. John’s has two scores to settle and one person by his side.

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars

Art is pain.  Life is suffering – Director

I get it – John Wick

Long live the king – Bowery King

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Disney’s Aladdin – Review

Disney’s Aladdin – Budget of $183 million – 2 hours and 8 minutes

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Aladdin has been on his own since he was a small child.  He has stolen and ran to survive.  One day he sees a man yelling at a woman and calling her a thief.  The merchant claims she stole is bread and wants her bracelet as payment.  The young woman refuses to give it up.  Aladdin steps in between them and gives the merchant her bracelet.  However, as Aladdin talks to the merchant, Aladdin picks the bracelet out of his pocket.   Aladdin grabs the young woman’s hand and they walk away.  Soon, the merchant realizes what happened and send the guards after them.  They run through the streets, away from the guards, and into Aladdin’s home.  Aladdin knows the young woman is from the palace because she wears fine clothes.  He assumes she is the princess’s handmaid.  The young woman agrees and states her name is Dalia.   She says she works for Princess Jasmine, who has been hidden away since her mother was killed.  They walk back to the palace but Dalia notices her bracelet is missing.  She assumes Aladdin stole it and turns her back on him in disgust.  Aladdin knows he didn’t steal the bracelet … again … so he looks for Abu, his monkey.  Abu hands Aladdin the bracelet and Aladdin sneaks into the palace to give Dalia her bracelet.  She accepts the bracelet and his apology but she has lied to him.  The woman isn’t Dalia the handmaid, she is Jasmine the princess.  Although she likes Aladdin, she can’t marry him.  She must marry a prince and be seen, not heard.  Undiscovered to Aladdin, he is being watched by Jafar.  Jafar has been looking for a diamond in the rough.  A person of these qualities can enter the Cave of Wonders and find a magic lamp.  The lamp will release a Genie to grant that person 3 wishes.  Jafar wishes to be Sultan of Agrabah so he can wage war on other kingdoms and create an empire.  He believes Aladdin is that diamond.  When Aladdin attempts to escape the palace, Jafar and the guards stop him.  Jafar takes him to the Cave of Wonders.  Jafar offers him all the money in the world if he brings back the lamp.  After a betrayal, Aladdin ends up with the lamp and three wishes.  But as the Genie tells him, wishes are a tricky thing.  But Aladdin will risk it all to have Jasmine.

This movie gives you everything in the original animated classic Aladdin while adding a few more songs (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  You get the  Cave of Wonders, Aladdin’s Prince Ali entrance, the Genie’s big number, and a magic carpet.  You also get a new dance sequence a few more songs to express how Jasmine feels.  She is told to be quiet but she won’t be silent.  She wants to be the next Sultan and marry a man she loves.  Now fans, don’t worry, they didn’t change the ending of the movie.  And Will Smith added his own flair to the Genie without diminishing Robin Williams’s legacy.  You will laugh and become a kid again.   This movie is safe for the whole family.  You might have an urge to see the play after viewing this movie.  The dancing choreography and Aladdin’s parkour through the city is smoothly done.  However, with all that work, the Genie’s CGI is a bit off.  It’s easy to see that Will Smith’s head is the only real entity, while his body is all computer.  At times his head is moving in a weird and opposite way from the body.  It becomes very distracting.  Overall, this is a great live-adaptation for the whole family.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

As long as you don’t get caught – Jasmine

Get it yourself. Get your own jam – Genie

Jafar, remember your place – Sultan

This is going to be fun – Iago

You always bring me the rough, never the diamond – Jafar

When you have nothing, you have to act like you own everything – Aladdin

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