O Continental

I'm blown away by how much I enjoyed The Continental. Like most watching this I'm a John Wick fan so I was going to watch this regardless but after the word of mouth on how good it is I couldn't wait. The Continental tells the story of how a young Winston and young Charon came to take over the Continental Hotel. It takes place in the 70's before they were ever even partners. There's also so much more than just these two, there are so many other interesting characters in this to hold your attention. This is show where you can just turn your brain off and get lost in this world. I recommend giving yourself a big block of time before watching this because you're going to want to binge this as quickly as you can. You won't be able to watch just one episode and stop.

The Continental is an intense, Gotham styled dark Action thriller with similar feels we got from John Wick. Was quite good, but a little less than the expectations. Cinematography and the Deep Photography made it look cool.

One thing I liked about the John Wick Universe was no concept of Cops, making this universe more deep. But, The Continental brings the concept of the department of law, other than the uniqueness of 'High Table' only, which would make me deduct a star in the ratings.

Expecting some more kick offs from the Universe, and hope the others will bring more deadly Guns, ballistics and drama like the "Real John Wick Style"!

Loved the world building. Loved Period music. Love Period sets. All Stellar. The writing and plot progression is a problem. The plot suffers from contrived plot armor and plot conveniences in critical plot moments, which is sad as this could have become a GREAT TV experience. Instead of this becoming Wick Canon/Lore -This is "Meh".

The plot needed better story /commonsense/ sequencing interconnects, vs. Script convenience. The big example of this is the McConnor resolution scene where a supporting character appears out of no where without context to complete the main deliverable of the plot. This was "Almost" a great TV. Just because this is an action movie, doesn't mean it should not have a logical, world based plot.

"The Continental: From the World of John Wick" offers a tantalizing peek into the intricate world of the John Wick universe, setting its narrative in the gritty, vibrant 1970s. The series focuses on the early days of Winston Scott (Colin Woodell) and the iconic Continental Hotel, a neutral ground for the criminal underworld. Despite its ambition and intriguing premise, the series struggles to fully capture the magic of its cinematic predecessors.

The show excels in its detailed world-building, recreating the 70s New York aesthetic with impressive production design. The Continental Hotel, a familiar yet mysterious setting from the movies, is brought to life with a gritty charm, highlighting the darker corners of the assassin's world. The action sequences, a hallmark of the John Wick franchise, are choreographed with precision, featuring intense hand-to-hand combat and martial arts that are both thrilling and brutal.

However, the series falls short in several areas. The narrative, while rich with potential, often relies on familiar tropes and lacks the sharp pacing of the John Wick films. Some plot developments feel contrived, and the show occasionally leans too heavily on clichés. The character development, especially of supporting roles, is uneven, with some characters not given enough depth to make their arcs compelling.

The casting of Mel Gibson as Cormac, the Continental's ruthless manager, brings a significant star power but also polarizes the audience due to his controversial off-screen persona. Meanwhile, Katie McGrath's portrayal of The Adjudicator adds an intriguing layer to the power dynamics within the series, although her character's impact is diluted by lackluster dialogue.

One of the series' highlights is its soundtrack, which is filled with well-curated 70s rock tracks that complement the visual style. However, at times, the music overshadows the scenes rather than enhancing them, making the series feel more ordinary than extraordinary.

In conclusion, "The Continental: From the World of John Wick" is a mixed bag. It successfully expands the John Wick universe with its stylish portrayal of the 1970s underworld and delivers on action. Yet, it struggles with pacing and character development, falling short of the franchise's high standards. For fans of the John Wick series, it's a worthwhile watch, but with tempered expectations.

7/10.

It's decent show if watched as intended - prequel to John Wick's movies. Even so, it bizarrely gives John Wick level skills and power to a bunch of random and useless characters (basically everyone in the crew), who somehow almost all make it out alive in the end. The whole idea of this universe is that John is simply superior to a huge variety of enemies. The twins are by far the best characters besides young Winston and Charon and how can they possibly be defeated by irrelevant folks with superhuman resistance who literally pull off magic victories like John's? It was pretty clear the showrunners didn't want to kill them in the show, and for that they shifted the balance of skills which makes the show credible within its universe. Also some storylines were very strange for a show with this purpose (like the "Asian on Black racism"). Overall the 80s setting didn't benefit the ambiance which sufffers from this obsession of lower budget showrunners with playing songs every other minute, in a vibe that was so upbeat that felt like a movie about weed dealers in a nightclub than John Wick's characteristic somber and grandiose feel. All in all, it's not horrendous but you'll catch yourself rolling your eyes more than once during this.