John Wick's Continental: TV Series Shatters Rotten Tomatoes Records, Leaving Franchise Streak in Dust
The Continental: John Wick TV Show Disrupts Franchise's Streak on Rotten Tomatoes, Failing to Meet High Expectations
Summary
John Wick prequel show The Continental has debuted with 53% on Rotten Tomatoes with 43 reviews, making it the lowest-rated of the franchise by far.
In comparison, John Wick's original film holds an 86% rating, while the second and third installments have received 89%, and the fourth movie impresses with a 94% rating. Critics, however, criticize the show's narrative, absence of visual flair, sluggish pacing, and underwhelming action sequences that fail to match the high standards established by the films.
The Continental, the upcoming three-part TV show set in the John Wick franchise, has received its Rotten Tomatoes score, which unfortunately sets a new record. Despite the success of the previous four films, the reviews for The Continental have been less than positive. With a current score of 53% based on 43 reviews, it is the lowest-rated installment in the franchise thus far (although this could change with more reviews added). In comparison, the original 2014 film holds the second lowest score at 86%, while both John Wick: Chapter 2 and the third film have a score of 89%. The highest-rated film in the franchise is John Wick: Chapter 4, earning an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Why The Continental Falls Short Of The John Wick Movies
The Continental serves as an intriguing experiment, exploring whether the John Wick universe can thrive without the presence of Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski. Unfortunately, their absence is felt, as the show lacks the dynamic partnership they bring.
Reviews criticize various aspects of The Continental, alluding to the absence of vital elements that make the movies successful. The distinct sense of style and streamlined storytelling, for instance, appear to be missing from the series. Instead, the show reportedly incorporates uninteresting and unnecessary additions to its storyline, leading to a frustratingly slow pace.
The action in all the John Wick movies is truly the highlight, but regrettably, numerous critics concur that The Continental's action sequences fall short. Ben Travers of IndieWire describes the show's action as "generic," a sentiment echoed to some extent by other reviewers. The reception from general audiences is yet to be seen, but the critics' feedback undoubtedly raises concerns about the future of the franchise without Stahelski and Reeves.
