It all started with a puppy. The deceased dog that kicked off the original John Wick had a cascading effect that resulted in a whole universe of movies that grew increasingly gargantuan in scope. While the first Wick concerned largely just backrooms and shabby abandoned factories, John Wick 3 and 4 were all about fight scenes set in lavish New York or Paris, France locales. The John Wick saga has become so expansive that it’s even produced a spin-off, From The Book of John Wick: Ballerina. Now the stylish violence and revenge-fueled storytelling that’s propelled this franchise is infecting other characters.
But what’s the very best John Wick movie? Across over a decade of action movie storytelling, there have been evident peaks and valleys in the quality of various John Wick features and its sole spin-off. Ranking all the John Wick titles (including Ballerina) from worst to best reflects the weaker elements of this saga. However, it also allows one to appreciate just what a gargantuan accomplishment the greatest moments in this franchise are. Protect your puppies and get your weapons ready, it’s time to rank the big screen John Wick universe.
5) From The Book of John Wick: Ballerina
The first spin-off in the John Wick saga, From The World of John Wick: Ballerina, at least has enough splashy action sequences to avoid being a disaster. However, narratively and emotionally, it’s a drastic step down from the four previous John Wick movies that it insists on constantly reminding audiences about. Not even the immensely talented Ana de Armas and her assuredness in action sequences can erase how Ballerina is too narratively crowded for its own good. The lack of especially memorable villains or side characters also makes this one easily the weakest entry in the franchise.
4) John Wick
In the John Wick making-of book, They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, one of the original John Wick producers recalls how how everyone involved with the movie was aware that wrapping up the film with a duel between Wick (Keanu Reeves) and an older Russian gangster, Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), wasn’t super satisfying. This was before the franchise could afford the likes of Donnie Yen to be formidable Wick opponents, which means the original John Wick does end on a bit of a whimper. However, until then, this inaugural installment is an absolute treat. Moving like a bullet with an only-101 minute runtime, John Wick radiates with a firmly unique personality and a fun mixture of bone-crunching carnage and dark humor. No wonder audiences latched onto this material so profoundly despite what its creators admit isn’t an ideal finale.
[RELATED: Ballerina Early Reactions Have John Wick Fans Hyped for Ana de Armas’ Spinoff]
3) John Wick: Chapter 2
By the time John Wick: Chapter 2 rolled around in February 2017, the titular assassin’s prowess was so well established that even a close-up shot of a pencil could inspire audiences to burst into anticipatory applause. In the hands of Wick, any object is lethal and any backdrop can house carnage. Exciting imagination courses throughout the veins of this saga’s first sequel and that inspires some truly delightful action set pieces. Plus, Wick’s new pit bull companion is incredibly adorable and steals the show anytime he’s on-screen.
2) John Wick: Chapter 4
John Wick: Chapter 4 immediately begins with these deafening rumbling sounds of John Wick beating a punching bag accompanied by Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King grandly reciting Bible passages. It’s an uber-theatrical kick-off to John Wick’s swan song (for now) that beautifully establishes what a maximalist, bombastic exercise audiences are in for. From here, three hours of relentless, staggeringly creative carnage ensues. New characters played by the likes of Donnie Yen leave a tremendous impression, while visually engrossing action sequences like a gunfight captured from God’s POV are similarly impactful. John Wick: Chapter 4 is nothing short of a grandiose epic, a 170-minute treatise on how Wick’s desire for revenge has endless ripple effects. There are one or two sequences in the proceedings (namely a skirmish with a heavily-disguised Scott Adkins) that could’ve used a trim, but John Wick: Chapter 4 is otherwise action movie cinema heaven.
1) John Wick- Chapter 3: Parabellum
Until Ballerina rolled around, John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum had the absolute worst title in the franchise. It’s just so cumbersome and wordy. Otherwise, though, the third John Wick outing is the pinnacle of the franchise. Its extended string of New York City action sequences alone cements it as a masterpiece. The library duel! The motorcycle chase that’s also a swordfight! John Wick using horses to fight assassins! The knife store showdown! It’s all so fun and delivers so much action cinema goodness to audiences in a brief burst of time. Even after that great kick-off, John Wick: Chapter 3 keeps the good times coming with elements like Asia Kate Dillon’s great new antagonist, Mark Dacascos as a John Wick fan who also has to fight his hero, plus Halle Berry’s two lethal doggos.
Everywhere you look in John Wick: Chapter 3, this feature delivers on all the potential of this franchise while weaving in interesting thoughts on the cost of vengeance. Stylishly filmed, ceaselessly fun, and even featuring a brief Jason Mantzoukas appearance, John Wick: Chapter 3 is a gift. Except for that crummy title.
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