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John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum – Blu-ray 4K Review
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum – 2019
Lionsgate Films | 2019
R | 2hrs 11 mins | Action | Adventure
HD | 1080P | Dolby Atmos | Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Upscaled 4K | 2160P | HDR10 | Dolby Vision | Dolby Atmos | Dolby TrueHD 7.1
2.39:1 Aspect Ratio
Staring: Keanu Reeves | Halle Berry | Laurence Fishburne | Mark Damascus | Asia Kate Dillon | Lance Reddick
Directed by: Chad Stahelski
Ratings & Reviews
Please see here for my comments on reviewing movies.
My ratings are simple being marked out of a maximum of 5+. My reviews are biased towards the technical production aspects of the film with brief comments about the story line. Extras, sorry, that’s just not my ‘bag’.
Not having immersive audio yet, what did the 7.1 soundtrack sound like? Excellent in all respects, and the 4K HDR10 video? Also excellent.
Entertainment: 5
Video: 5
Audio: 5
Technical Review – Upscaled 4K UHD HDR10
John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum was shot digitally in the ARRIRAW codec 3.2K using Arri Alexa Main and SXT Plus cameras. It was finished as a native 2K digital Intermediate, upsampled for this release, and graded for high dynamic range in both HDR10 and Dolby Vision.
It is presented in upscaled (again) 4K UHD, courtesy of Lionsgate Films with a 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. Image quality, clarity and sharpness are generally excellent throughout. Despite a significant part of the movie being filmed in dark and night conditions, the blacks are deep and solid and there is plenty of shadow detail with no crush. There are however several instances where the CGI and midrange shots looks less than stellar and noticeably softer than most of the movie. Colors are well saturated throughout, while the peak whites showed good high level detail with no clipping. This resulted in a few images that at times are 3D in nature. The level of detail in the costumes and props was outstanding bringing them to life and making them almost palpable. Skin tones, textures and details were all very natural. Each filming locale provides its own distinct character and appearance; the NY city night scenes, the dark interiors of the Continental Hotel, sun-soaked Casablanca and the desert. Grain, well on my system, Oppo 205 and JVC RS640, there was virtually none.
Compared to the last two John Wick movies there seems to be more CGI work, the integration of which was generally (with a few exceptions) very good. There were no signs of any up conversion or compression artifacts.
Audio – Dolby TrueHD 7.1
As I do not support any immersive formats I deliberately engaged front height processing in the form of Dolby TrueHD 7.1 + PLIIz for this movie just for a change, something I rarely do.
John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum features a very energetic Dolby TrueHD track that was as equally impressive as the video and starts the way it means to continue, with impact. This is a very dynamic, and at times aggressive mix, with lots of atmospheric effects and very good channel separation. The rear channels being used extensively to convey the feeling of various bustling and rainy city environments, and support directional and atmospheric cues. Low frequency effects are there in bucketfuls. They are extended, powerful and add tremendous weight to the gunfire and explosions. The music soundtrack by Tyler Bates immediately takes you back to the previous two movies. It continues in the same musical vein as the first two scores, using that unique mixture of electronics and a rather gloomy tone to both emphasize the dark character of Wick and get across the very dramatic nature of the film. Supporting both the aggressive and more relaxed scenes equally well. Dialogue was always clear and detailed with solid front-center imaging and prioritization, even during the high action sequences. There is nothing to criticize regarding this soundtrack, providing as it does, a top flight mix.
Story Overview
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum opens up exactly to where John Wick 2 left off and within seconds has ramped up to its usual action packed succession of “kick ass” over the top fight scenes that get bigger and badder, piling action on top of action. John Wick (Keanu Reaves) is on the run for two reasons: there is a 14 million dollar bounty on his head and for taking a life in the Continental Hotel. Several of Johns ‘friends’ to include Winston (Ian McShane) and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) are reprimanded by a messenger of the High Table for having helped John during his last hour before becoming “Excommunicado”. So starts Johns quest to find a way to stay alive and fight his way out of numerous attempts to end his life and that of his friends.
My 2 cents
Well, I am sure that there is going to be a John Wick: Chapter 4. Both John and the Bowery King amazingly survive their onslaughts and as evidenced by the closing moments of the film, are as mad as hell and aren’t going to take any more punishment from the High Table and their assassins.
The video generally looks great and the sound track kicks some “ass” in a few places.
An exhausting 2hrs and 11 minutes of action. If you are looking for a fast, violent, action packed movie, with more action layered on top of that, John Wick 3 continues the saga, dovetailing right into where John Wick 2 left off.
To what action level will John Wick 4 take this war with the ‘High Table’?
