Even after being a classic assassin story, John Wick (2014) brought a lot of new things to the table. The Gun-Fu action style it showcased became a USP of John Wick and so did Keanu Reeves’ portrayal of the character. Well, as expected the tremendous success of the film launched a franchise which debuted John Wick: Chapter 2 in 2017, JW: Chapter 3 – Parabellum in 2019, and John Wick: Chapter 4 in 2023. Now, John Wick is further expanding its world with two planned spin offs – Ballerina and The Continental. While Ballerina is quite ahead in the production stages itself, The Continental is now ready and all set to debut tomorrow. As it happens the reviews are now in, so read on to find out more!
The Continental Reviews Roundup – Fails to Deliver!
Well, the first trailer of The Continental was very well received and fans are quite hype about the series and the world building it promises to offer. But now is the moment of truth as the actual reviews are now in and the embargo has lifted. The mini-series has debuted with a rotten score of 52% of Rotten Tomatoes which has now based on 42 reviews. Here’s what the top critics have to say.
Hollywood Reporter (Angie Han) – Though it seems more a test of concept than a complete saga, it’s a tentatively successful one — though with one major misstep that’ll be enough to ruin the whole experiment for many.
New York Magazine/Vulture (Roxana Hadadi) – Erodes itself by committing to actual historical events, to questions of sexism and racism, and to thin commentary on the gap between NYC’s wealthy and poor, all of which are rigidly mundane compared with the franchise’s established eccentricity.
Rolling Stone (Alan Sepinwall) – The Continental seems to exist on the assumption that John Wick fans will gobble up anything even tangentially related to the adventures of a man who just loved his dog.
AV Club (Sam Barsanti) – Even with Mel Gibson involved, it’s not bad enough to hurt the John Wick franchise, but it’s also not exciting enough to justify becoming a key part of the canon.
Empire Magazine (James Dyer) – A satisfying three-night stay at a luxurious four-star lodging. Stunning views, accommodating staff, and amenities to die for. Now under new management.
indieWire (Ben Travers) – “The Continental” soon crumbles under its impossible burdens. The action is plentiful, yet can’t compare, the storytelling is careless, beyond repair, and the realization of vaunted myths, well, buyer beware.
TheWrap (Gregory Lawrence) – It too often confuses effort with execution, confusion with intrigue, posturing with purity, the love of the game with a game well played.
Variety (Alison Herman) – “The Continental”… comes off like a grave misunderstanding of what enthusiasts might want from a “John Wick” without John Wick.
ComicBook.com (Charlie Ridgely) – It’s good enough, but if it’s John Wick you’re looking for, Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski must have taken all the magic with them, because they sure didn’t leave it at the Continental.
The Continental is slated to release to on 22nd September 2023 only on Peacock!
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