LONG SHOT : JOHN WICK 3

My two films this weekend were:

                          Box Office        Rotten Tomatoes
                            Weekend       Reviewers  Audiences

John Wick 3   #1  $57 million         88              92

Long Shot      #7  $3.4 million        81              69

John Wick Chapter 3:  Parabellum is the third installment of a killing machine, who does nothing much more than eliminate bad people.  Sort of like Death Wish with Charles Bronson.  They made five of them.

Just the fact that #1 opened in 2014 at $14.4 million, followed by #2 in 2017 at $30.4 million, with $95 million for #3 (includes $38 million overseas--and the production budget was only $20 million) is a worrisome trend about the nature of movie audiences, and I'm one of them.  I never saw the first, thought #2 was over the top too much, but went to #3 to get my mind off my upcoming colonoscopy.  It worked.  Keanu Reaves outdid himself.  Now what do I do about John Wick 4, which will arrive exactly two years from today, 21May2021.

Mark Dacoscos was terrific, and should be back, but I think he was killed.  As this is not anything like the Avengers with time machines, I guess not.

I did not recognize Halle Berry, who partnered with Reaves, and might get her own series going.  There was a scene, however, when one of her two dogs is clearly shot and killed, but the immediate subsequent action shows two dogs.  That must be a blooper, although perhaps that could serve as the premise to return Dacoscos. 

John Wick 1 was only titled John Wick, because who saw a second one coming.  According to this kill count infographic, he killed 77 people in the first film.  In #2, Wick shoots 302 times, with an 80.1% accuracy, killing 128.  These graphics by George Hatzis are worthy of your perusal.  Nice details.

What about kill count in #3.  Here is Keanu Reaves discussing the differences this time.  Other people helped in the killings, like Halle Berry.  He uses knives a lot this time.  There was so much shattered glass.  That clip lasted more than 22 minutes so I'm not sure if he gave the total deaths.  This clip says it was "only" 94 kills by Wick.  Others?  Total? Horses?  Dogs?  Cinemablend says 167 total deaths in #3.

Parabellum means prepare for war in Latin, but also a type of bullet.  According to one reviewer, parabellum refers to #4, where Wick will gain peace by preparing for war.  So will #4 be sub-themed, Who Let the Dogs Out?  Will the High Table be the next victim.  And who is that Adjudicator, anyway?

The Rotten Tomatoes ratings for Long Shot was about right.  For some reason reviewers like it, but not as much so the audience.  

Maybe it was the Charlize Theron - Seth Rogen casting.  Seemed like a long shot that what transpired in the film would happen at all.  But, I guess, that's why the title.

The New Yorker said:  a timid polical rom-com with the politics removed.  Not much more to say except that I was disappointed.  Definitely, too Hollywood.

Appearing this coming weekend are two films with no actors of especial prominence, earning rather surprising 100% Rotten Tomatoes reviewers rating:  

• Booksmart:  R-rated film about two high school academic superstars and best friends, who, on the eve of graduation, realize they should have worked less and played more...so they crammed four years of fun into one night.

• Funny Story:  premiering a year and a half ago, but only now being released, this is a hilarious and heartfelt tragicomedy (whatever this can be) of an aging heartthrob losing his appearance crashing into the life of his estranged adult daughter in a lesbian community.  Film has won all kinds of minor awards.

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