out-Asian Asians when it comes to
martial arts. The unfortunate cul-
tural dynamic of John Wick 3 be-
comes even more uncomfortable
when Wick teams up with Halle
Berry’s leather clad assassin Sofia
to mow down dozens of Arabs in a
sequence that plays like the fanta-
sy of a Stormfront forum member.
That said dispensable Arabs are
led by a white man (played byJe-
rome Flynn of Robson and Jerome
fame!!!) who is spared such bru-
tal treatment by Wick and Sofia
makes it all the more unpalatable.
The fact that a John Wick sequel
makes you think about its politics
tells you a lot about how uninter-
esting it is on every other level. Its
immediate predecessor, the stylish
and witty John Wick: Chapter Two,
embraced the silliness of its sce-
nario and dialed up the campness
without ever winking at the audi-
ence. Its followup annoyingly adds
a meta level with a stuffy admin-
istrative figure (Asia Kate Dillon)
who calls out how ridiculous the
rules of the franchise’s guild of as-
sassins are. The series reaches its
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