‘The Continental: From the World of John Wick’ Episode 1 Review - Brothers in Arms

While watching the new John Wick prequel spin-off titled The Continental, you don't for a second think that what you are seeing is worthwhile. This is yet another pointless attempt at expanding a franchise that doesn't really need to be expanded. One John Wick movie was more than enough, but we still got four enervating installments. Sure, some of the stunts were mind-blowing, but as far as story-related details are concerned, you struggled to remember anything from the previous movies before sitting for the new ones. But all four films were positively received by many critics and audience members. Naturally, the studios thought it was time to milk the franchise dry. Throw money at a well-known brand, and people will surely hit that play button. Due to such a depressing mindset, we now, unfortunately, have The Continental.

The series will consist of three episodes; the first has a runtime of 1 hour and 27 minutes. It's not an episode. It's a feature film. Like the movies, the "story" merely serves as an excuse to bombard the audience with action scenes. It gives me no pleasure to report that these fight sequences have poor choreography, and the loud noises keep numbing your senses. In this world of assassins, people continue to dance even when bullets are fired in their vicinity. This looked awesome the first time you saw it, but now, it comes across as a cliché. The wow factor is no longer there. In The Continental, when a body falls from a height, and the pleasantries remain in place, you don't smile or admire the moment. You are as unimpressed as the characters, for whom it's all pretty normal.

Consider these words from the IMDb synopsis: "explores the origin of the iconic hotel-for-assassins." The creators were really desperate to make money. Who wants to see a hotel origin story? What's next? Will someone explore the origin of the machine that manufactures the suits for the assassins? The Continental fills you with anger, frustration, and disappointment. If filmmakers nowadays can only stretch fictional universes through soulless exercises, maybe they should stop making shows and films.

The Continental finds room for sex away from the saintly aura of Keanu Reeves. However, these fornications lack sensual powers. The kiss is passionless. The Continental, devoid of fervor, sells sex to hook the audience. This means it's not so different from those cheap erotic Netflix productions, though it should be noted that the sex here is neither explicit nor erotic. The series also tries to make you laugh, but it doesn't have a funny bone in its body. When Yen (Nhung Kate) fights with a man in the presence of a baby, we briefly cut to two strange-looking killers in an elevator, and the moment is meant to be humorous. We notice the joke but don't even chuckle at it. Similarly, you sense potential in a gag involving a car that is covered as soon as it's parked on the street. However, the show has no clue regarding how to use this visual for comedy. The Continental is genuinely a waste of your time. It should have been kept locked inside the rooms of the titular hotel.

Final Score - [2.5/10]