Le Continental : D'après l'univers de John Wick

Being a John Wick fan I've been looking forward to The Continental ever since I first heard about it. Then after seeing the trailers my excitement grew even more. After watching the first few episodes I can absolutely say that The Continental has not only met my expectations but has exceeded them in every way. It's as fast paced and entertaining as the John Wick movies. Even though you'd probably enjoy this more if you've seen the John Wick movies, you don't have to have seen them to like this. The action scenes are as good as anything I've seen on tv. I can't stop watching this and know it's a limited series but I really hope they plan on doing several seasons of this because I'm hooked.

"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.

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.

Don't hate me, but what I enjoyed most about this first season of The Continental was the soundtrack and appropriate use of a song. It may be my age but I loved hearing Gerry Rafferty's "Right Down the Line", Harry Nilsson's "Without You", Santana, and especially Dinah Washington's "What A Difference A Day Made". In fact I am not sure that I have seen a song used as well as "what a difference" and "without you". As someone who listens to lyrics I really appreciated this appropriate usage.

Aesthetically the three episodes were absolutely beautiful with some really great choices made...although I am serious about my mind glitching occasionally between some of the 20's Art Deco style choices intermixed with the 1970's time period of the majority of the show. Overall, the sets were spectacular...I particularly liked the use of an old abandoned theatre. It added an interesting touch of macabre.

The acting was well done and I like the cast of characters that they have assembled...but really question the choice of naming the series The Continental as this is less of an origin story of The Continental Hotel or the High Table (which fans like my husband were really hoping for) and more of an origin story of how Winston came to be the proprietor of The Continental with Charon. Maybe the series should really have been called Winston.

I have always looked at the John Wick franchise as pure escapism with lots of violence and a rough plot where there are players in a game and everyone outside of the game. The Continental fit into this type of escapist entertainment and for that I highly recommend it. As a woman, I really appreciate that there are some strong female characters in a world that seems very male oriented...Mazzy, KD, Lou, Yen, Gretel, the adjudicator. It was nice to see them on both sides of the equation too(good and bad). I liked the circular storyline with KD's character, that gave season one something of a story. I was a little disappointed that Hansel and Gretel were not of a Germanic ethnic background...that would have been appropriate. I was grateful that we got a final glimpse of the adjudicator's face...adding to the victorious climax.

I thought Ray McKinnon was a real scene stealer as Jenkins and I really enjoyed his laidback southern character.

Overall I thought the three part season one was fun and entertaining, with a gorgeous aesthetic and soundtrack and just the right amount of action and story. I would definitely watch more and I recommend it to both John Wick fans and fans of fantasy escapist action series.

Credit where credit is due, they nailed the JW atmosphere. Lighting, sound, fast gun-fu with the camera staying on the action. Good music, with a range of types which helps with the time setting. The opening action scene is a banger. Mel is under used, which is a shame. Winston doesn't feel like Winston, actor is too tall, but I get it, the leading man needs to be tall. The story is passable and builds nicely into the JW world mythos. Don't understand the need for sex scenes. Movies did fine without them. The detective story feels pointless. Just padding run time. The middle dragged because of these filler scenes, the episode would've been better paced without them. If you like JW for its world and action, you'll enjoy it. If not, it might be difficult to get into.