In under two weeks, John Wick will be back to bruise cinemas with another bout of spectacularly orchestrated operatic violence – starring Keanu Reeves’ near-unstoppable hitman as he takes on an entire world of assassins. It’s the ultimate action set-up, the chance to deliver over two hours of epic, jaw-dropping action as the titular Wick mows down his enemies in hails of bullets, fists, knives, and occasionally pencils. And while that kind of non-stop action is sometimes criticised as giving audiences ‘action fatigue’, that’s exactly the effect director Chad Stahelski wants.
‘I want action fatigue,” he tells Empire in the John Wick 3 issue, on sale now. “I want you to be done and go, ‘Ooof! I was on a ride!’ I want the colors to overwhelm you. I want the weirdness to immerse you. I want you to be Alice and go down that rabbit hole and be a little fucked-up for a minute in this kaleidoscope of aesthetically pleasing things.”
By the looks of things, Stahelski should succeed in that arena – the trailers have teased motorbike-mounted sword-fights, Wick riding through New York on a horse, and showdowns that team Wick up with Halle Berry’s Sofia and her loyal canines.
Read all about John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum in the latest issue of Empire, on sale now and available to order online here{
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