‘The Continental: From The World Of John Wick’ Review – A Fun Expansion Of The Franchise

There are a few things that The Continental needs to be more well-rounded, but there is a lot that the series does to perfection, so much so that Lionsgate should continue to work in this space. The whole concept of looking at the John Wick world from the perspective of Winston Scott (Colin Woodell) is brilliant, and to set it in the 70s gives so much flavor to the story. That said, some of the dialogue feels a bit cringy and unoriginal at times. The action is crafted perfectly, much like any 87Eleven film, and each character is full of complexity.  The Continental doesn’t just explore how Winton Scott came to earn the titular space. It explores who came before with Commac O’Connor (Mel Gibson); Lou (Jessica Allain) with her finding out secrets about her father; Miles (Hubert Point-Du Jour) with his time in the war and how it connects with Winston’s brother, Frankie (Ben Robinson); and Yen (Nhung Kate) with her being from Korea and the lover of Frankie Scott. We also get the Adjudicator (Katie McGrath), the most hyped-up character in this series. A lot is going on in this three-episode event, so much so that it does feel rushed near the end to wrap everything up.

“Sometimes, you got to make choices you don’t want to protect the people you care about.” – Frankie Scott

The sibling connection in this series does help make it a fantastic story outside of all the incredibly choreographed action, whether between Frankie and Winston or Lou and Miles. Each of their relationships creates something more significant for the show emotionally. Frankie and Winston’s relationship is based on the fact that Frankie left Winston without saying anything; it was a sense of betrayal. Still, even then, Winston did not give up on his hidden brother and tried to find him regardless of his feelings.

With Lou and Miles, you can still see their love for each other, much like Frankie and Miles, but that love feels different. Frankie and Miles’s love is more distant, whereas Lou and Miles’s love is more focused on how close they are to each other. At the same time, you can tell that Miles is keeping secrets from his sister about their father which may or may not change who Lou is a character. This secret does separate them a bit because now Lou feels betrayed by her brother. After all, she is not used to him lying to her.

“With hand-to-hand or any other weapon, you have a choice: life or death. With a gun, there is no choice, only death.” – Lou

There is something about 87eleven using the production design to help them maximize their ability to create fantastic action sequences. It reminds us a lot of how Jackie Chan did with his films, such as Police Story, Drunken Master, and Gorgeous. It’s like the stunt coordinator and production designer worked together nonstop during the whole process of creating The Continental. We can also thank the directors for this, Albert Hughs and Charlotte Brändstörm. Creating an atmosphere where everyone can work together perfectly is impressive on this scale. There is a lot that can go wrong, especially communication, but watching The Continental does not feel that way.

If you have yet to watch the series, the opening action sequence and the last episode are both perfect. Still, they felt very different from each other. The fight in the opening episode creates a sense of claustrophobia and chaos, representing the loneliness Frankie feels. In contrast, the action in the finale feels freer and messy, meaning Winston has people fighting with him with a common goal and earning lasting friendships.

“A suit doesn’t make a man. It’s what’s inside the suit that counts.” – Winston Scott

As mentioned before, the dialogue gets cringy and unoriginal. There are scenes like, “We need guns, lots of guns.” which was excellent in the John Wick film, but bringing it back doesn’t feel right. Understandably, they use the line to attempt to cater to us fans of the franchise, but all it does is make it lose its power when making Winston say it. It also creates this feeling that the writers could not come up with something else to represent the severity of the moment. Some instances like this feel weird but not too much to ruin your enjoyment of the show; if anything, those moments are nitpicking. There are a lot of quotes that resonate on a massive scale that have been included in this review.

“A wolf in sheep’s clothing can’t rely on killer instinct alone. It’s his resourcefulness and perhaps an open heart that can turn garbage into gold and enemy into allies.” – Winston Scott

At the end of the day, The Continental makes you want more, not just a sequel to this series but more John Wick films, getting us more excited for the Ballerina film coming out in 2024 and beyond. If they keep up with this level of energy and love for the series, it should not end at all! This series definitely should have been more than three episodes, giving us a little more time with these characters and the lore of the universe. It is still a great addition to the franchise and is sure to please devoted fans. 

The Continental: From the World of John Wick is currently available to stream on Peacock. 

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