The Continental: Total Battle for Hotel ‘John Wick’ Ends | Review | Review | Review | Summary | Streaming | Keanu Reeves | Video | Prime Video | Peacock | Skip – Enter

Although it is not one of the most successful film stories in history, “John Wick” certainly resonated with millions of viewers around the world. It doesn’t because it’s based on a brilliant script, well established and capable of passing the time. No one can deny that the story of a murderer who suddenly takes revenge after his dead girlfriend kills the dog that left him is weak. But that matters little, because a film is always about what, but how. In that way, each of the four installments starring Keanu Reeves was a real spectacle to engage with.

Therefore, we are not talking about any art of lights, bullets and somersaults. Each film in the “John Wick” saga has shown an upswing, leading viewers to grit their teeth or clench their fists, as their protagonist – in his usual and elegant dark suit – defies or fails to die, despite knowing the boundless and invincible nature of this evil force. Tried to clear the entire height chart.

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Living in an era of sequels, prequels and spin-offs, many unsustainable from the looks of them, it’s no surprise that Lionsgate has announced the expansion of the ‘John Wick Universe’. “Ballerina,” starring Ana de Armas, is set to hit theaters soon, and will be joined by a prequel mini-series centered around the place that packed the action throughout the saga starring Reeves: Hotel. Continental.

Characterized by its classic architecture, the Continental is a space run by John Wick’s friend/protege, Winston Scott. Fans of the ‘universe’ in question will remember entering and leaving the shelter (with his unique style) quite easily. They will mainly remember three details about the latter: They will not serve you unless you provide a special gold coin. No one can be killed inside the premises. Finally, when you arrive, you’re always greeted by a guard, Sharon (Lance Reddick), who can provide you with powerful weapons to help you achieve your goals or take care of your dog while you’re out killing bad guys. .

Maybe take it Continental The central element of the first production connected to the ‘John Wick universe’ (even without the hitman on screen, of course) is to take the figure of its main leader: the manager Winston. Because Winston is Continental and Continental is Winston. In that line, Ian McShane gets all the credit. We are talking about an actor who was able to carry his character on par with Vic. Film by film, but without overshadowing him, the 81-year-old English artist remained in our memory as the only subject capable of ‘guiding’ the much-feared hitman. But in addition to guiding him, Winston also protected him, putting himself forward to protect “Jonathan,” as he alone had the luxury of calling him.

Almost like an unwritten law, the past is always knocking at the door if the premise is presented with a character on the brink of senility. If so, we have an asset that we always seem to have and a manager that you know a lot about. In that case, “Continental”—premiered three weeks ago and broadcast in hour-and-a-half episodes on Fridays on Peacock in the United States and Prime Video in Latin America—presented a clear proposition: to reveal how Winston came to his work, but, above all, in what context he did it. Circumstances are important and evident from the first minutes of Episode 1.

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But let’s quickly recap the plot: Young Winston Scott is personally called by Cormac O’Connor (Mel Gibson) to confess the whereabouts of his unpredictable brother Frankie, who the Continental manager has accused of stealing a press capable of producing coins. Used in the ‘John Wick Universe’. After seeing his everyday life changed, our protagonist searches for his brother, but everything spirals out of control when Cormac’s attackers kill him after a determined chase. Here young Winston vows – implicitly – revenge, for which he decides to arm himself to the teeth and summons a group of people who might share his maddened obsession: of course taking over a hotel that looks like a military fortress.

Considering a prequel series without John Wick opened up two alternatives. The first is to completely follow the path of the character played by Keanu Reeves and refer to him – or his ancestors – in any way possible. The second, finally followed, consisted of an almost complete opening. So, saving only the figures of the hotel and three or four (notes) of the saga, “The Continental” was correct when the filmmakers focused their episodes on 1) the presentation of characters, 2) the development of connections, attitudes and/or definition. accentuation of differences and 3) total war for the hotel.

When we talk about references to figures from the saga, we first, obviously, mention Winston. There were younger versions of Sharon’s right-hand man, the Adjudicator (Katie McGrath), and we were even given a kind of pre-Bowery King in the skin of Mazie (Zainab Jha), a woman with the ability to summon an army. Beggars are the basis for Winston’s interests, and there is no obedience to a higher table. Beyond all these characters, perhaps the most attention-grabbing are the additions. The lead here is the highly questionable Mel Gibson as Cormac. Only his character and description can write a full review. But while it certainly started out decent, it began to wane in the third episode – “The Theater of Pain” – where it became a caricature of a villain of sorts, capable of taking drugs we don’t know about. What to “gain strength” and fight for continental defense.

Setting aside Gibson’s work for Cormac, “Continental” does not reduce additions. Frankie (Ben Robson) – Winston’s older brother, killed by Cormac’s murderers (Hansel and Gretel / Mark Musashi and Marina Mazeba) – joins his wife Yen (Nung Kate). A youth battalion also appeared with moderately acceptable performances (a la ‘La casa de papel’). They, in the script, already accept Winston’s offer to take over the old property. Without necessarily being blameless citizens, they all become kind of on the good side, as a group of hitmen paid by Cormack face off to find a printing press that produces coins.

Although it implies a larger plot work than the film saga, it inspires, “Continental” also presents several disadvantages that cannot be ignored. Frankie’s character is good, but after his death the significance of his character dissolves into two and three. A commando subplot created by Miles (Hubert Point-Du Jour), Lou (Jessica Allain), Lemi (Adam Shapiro) and Ken Jenkins (Ray McKinnon) may have given more than a hint of their problems as smugglers. And then, even though we’re set in New York without the rule of law, two cops — Mayhew (Jeremy Popp) and Cady (Michelle Prada) — are out of order, to say the least. Because they both started off as a kind of loving couple, but soon, happily, she opened up and set her sights straight on her targets: first Winston and then Cormac. Here, in homage to the truth, the weight Prada had in promoting the series is explained. The 23-year-old actress creates scene after scene at an unstoppable pace, and already in the epilogue of episode 3, she manages to fight for the role of Winston, thanks not only to her defensive movements, but basically to her dramatic movements. Development.

If you want to see this last paragraph as an example of irregular casting, “”Continental”. Peter Greene shines with his own light playing Uncle Charlie in the childhood lives of Frankie and Winston. Adam Shapiro goes unnoticed for much of the story, almost magically, as he must fight for his life in the ‘theatre of pain’. Yen, along with ‘Gretal’, may have one of the best fight scenes in the entire mini-series. Pure karate and explosion inside a pool.

Just because Keanu Reeves is completely out of the project doesn’t mean that the people behind it have ignored the fact that it’s a story naturally embedded in the action genre. Thus, “The Continental” presents its best moments when it embraces its essence: hand-to-hand combat, silencer and non-existent scenes or reverberating explosions. Sure, the aforementioned Yen scene stands out, but Cormac, Winston, Charon, and the underdogs from both sides have to face each other in a room in total darkness. A gunshot sounds as the viewer guesses the outcome.

Considering each of the points included in this note, in addition to the larger questions of Mel Gibson, a Mel Gibson, and Colin Woodall happily following the opposite path, in addition to the larger questions of bringing the young Iomite Adegan to life as the guard Charon, it’s time to question whetherContinental” deserves another episode or two. With an open ending, if we continue with the idea of ​​living in an era of prequels, sequels and spin offs, everything points to something more to come. Filmmakers will need to refine the flaws and emphasize the more well-managed aspects like action choreography and special effects. Since both components are at the same level, the effect of potential part two will undoubtedly be better.