What I Watched in May

When the second John Wick film came out a couple of years ago with action scenes that were just as impressive as the first I was not surprised. Those kinetic set pieces were the film's most electrifying moments so improving on them was the obvious thing to do for the sequel. What was unexpected in that second film was the deepening of the world in which John Wick moves. The dark criminal structure that he escaped from against all odds before we meet him was interesting but just colorful background to the action. The second film decided that the world of Wick needed to be fleshed out. There was a sense of a heightened reality in that movie that the first film had only hinted at. Detail was added, rules elaborated upon and rigid norms explained that made the assassins and their support organizations much more interesting. This Wick world began to take on less of a sense of realism and began to become more of a gritty cinematic fantasy. In Chapter 3 The World of John Wick continues to gain more expansive detail creating a deeper and increasingly weird universe that can no longer be a part of our real world. This is a wonderful accomplishment! We now have a completely alternate universe. Rarely have I seen a series of films stay true to its core goal while at the same time growing and becoming more complex with each subsequent movie. Only the Mad Max original trilogy comes close to matching the level of depth and detail being added to an already well imagined world.

Chapter 3 begins seconds after the fateful choice Wick made in the previous film that has him with one hour to save himself before a multi-million dollar bounty is placed on his head. The journey he takes to preserve his life and the touching reason he gives for not giving up and ending things are the catalysts for an amazing action film that finishes taking this series into it's own beautifully realized fantasy world. Staying just grounded enough to give the fights heft the film zips along showing us just how complicated this world can be and how far some friendships can stretch. It's astonishing to find myself becoming more of a fan of these movies with each new entry rather than feeling tired of the concept. Incredible!

But I was surprised at how hard this movie sets the table for a fourth film. Didn't see that coming. But I can't wait to see the next John Wick film! And as soon as possible, please.

THE LIST 
A STAR IS BORN (1954) - 7

BLACK DOG (1998) - 6

THE MANSTER (1959) - 6 (rewatch on Blu)

THE THIN MAN (1934) - 9 (rewatch)

AFTER THE THIN MAN (1936) - 8 (rewatch)

FUGITIVE WOMEN (1974) - 4 (terrible late period Ed Wood film)

MR. SADONICUS (1961) - 7 (rewatch on Blu)

THE BLOOD DRINKERS (1964) - 6 (rewatch on Blu)

KILLER OF DOLLS (1975) - 6

DEMON WITH THE ATOMIC BRAIN (2017) - 6 (Mihm's affectionate 50's flavored adventure)

ANOTHER THIN MAN (1939) - 7 (rewatch)

GREEN MANSIONS (1959) - 6 (high class jungle girl tale)

MANDY (2018) - 8

SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN (1941) - 7

JOHN WICK CHAPTER 3 (2019) - 8