I saw John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum over the weekend, as did a lot of other people. It was the first movie to beat Avengers Endgame since it came out. I’d only seen the second John Wick film prior, but you can pick up the back story in about five minutes. They’re popcorn movies that can seem more like ultra violent video games, but somehow they work. The writing is fresh, funny and has heart and the action scenes are ridiculous and insane. Plus Keanu Reeves brings so much to that role, he’s wonderful. Halle Berry is a natural fit in this one as his reluctant ally, a badass assassin with two loyal dogs. (I thought they were German Shepherds but the breed is called Belgian Malinois.)
The dogs also make this movie highly entertaining and watchable. So much went into training and working with those beautiful animals, you can read more about it here. A team of five dogs was trained to respond to the action playfully instead of attacking the stuntmen. Halle worked personally with the dogs for hours every day, playing with them and training them, so they would know her and respond to her commands. Along with that she worked out twice a day for an hour to an hour and a half and she had extensive firearms training! Here’s a link to her training schedule as explained by her trainer and here’s what she said about it:
“The training was like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my whole career — and I’ve done a few action movies before”
“After I saw John Wick 2, I researched how they did this,” Berry said while promoting the film in New York City. “So, I knew how hard it was. Just being in it was life changing. I don’t think I’ve ever worked harder or longer to prepare for a part in a movie.”
“I learned parts of jiu jitsu,” she said. “I learned how to fire a gun. I had never worked with firearms really in that way before.”
“I became a dog trainer,” she continued. “I don’t have a black belt or anything — I didn’t get any belt from this training. But I will tell you this: if someone thought they were going to snatch my purse on the street, they better think again.”
EW has quotes from director Chad Stahelski praising Halle’s dedication and commitment. She did most of her own stunts too. All the training she put into this shows as she embodies that role. Halle is 52, by the way. If you consider that Keanu Reeves is 54 they’re setting the bar quite high for the rest of us aging GenXers. It’s not my job to be super fit and hot though, I just do that as a hobby. (No I don’t, I had to throw out two pints of ice cream last night. I need to get my ass in gear.)
Look at her trainer!
photos credit: WENN and via Instagram
I just have to say you really should see John Wick 1. I dont like action movies because I care more about good stories and character, action scenes bore me and I have a hard time paying attention to them. Anyway, John Wick 1 was really good, I loved that movie.
Agreed. The first John Wick was miles better than the second. So much so that I wasn’t sure I’d bother seeing the third in the theater…until Halle and her dogs appeared. Now I’m all in.
Of course she had to work with the Malinois for hours every day. They are one of the most notoriously difficult breeds to train, and they can be unpredictable and destructive unless their training is constantly reinforced. I could never own one, much less deal with a pack of five!
Keanu’s interview about the dogs was great. He was told never to look them in the eye 😂
I watched a whole preview special about the movie and the training they both had to do but especially Halle with those dogs is incredible. The dedication, it’s truly amazing what they did for the film.
They are actually fairly easy to train because they are motivated, want to please and want to work. It’s why they are used so often with police departments and they make great companion dogs. The trouble comes in if they are bored, not exercised (body and mind) and left alone too long as they can get destructive, but so can many other breeds (labs!).
Incredibly loyal, but not for the first timer or someone looking for a super affectionate, snuggly companion pet.
I was lucky to be able to rescue a large breed puppy, he’s 4 months and 35 lbs… I’d love to be paid to become dog trainer!!
I wish some of these socially minded celebs would pledge to not do movies with guns. Im sick of their ubiquity and our glorification of them in every movie. I watch a ton of foreign police/action/mystery shows and there’s about 90% less guns in them (they can still be quite violent) and they are still great. Our culture shows us solving every single thing with a gun. Every scene of every show has a gun. It’s quite ridiculous once you begin comparing it to other countries’ cultural productions. The only other country who features guns at such a high rate is Russia. This is my anecdotal experience, but I feel pretty confident about it, as a media scholar. Anyway, Im sick of guns.
i’m sick of guns, too. Seeing her training with the guns did make me recoil. Seems like the hand to hand combat would have been enough…but ‘murica, I guess.
Halle looks incredible. That outfit in the last shot is so badass.
…the horse kicking scenes were good too. The fighting & stunts were a level above JW2. But jeez its brutal & violent. I kinda felt shame watching so much death & deadly assault where theres absolutely no focus on the pain even a simple slap to the face brings.
imho JW needs to go back into quiet retirement…somehow. Loved all the actors btw but theres minimal story that makes an iota of sense. & no Halle if someone snatches your purse, just let them. Fighting back hurts.
Sounds very demanding and wow, look at the results. But it would be different if she was doing it without the guidance of her trainer and while working full time. Until the movie started shooting, this physical aspect was her job and main focus.
Wow, that’s intense. Much rather see these stories of actors and actresses getting in shape the old fashion way than another interview about dieting.
My partner and I went to see JW3 yesterday. We laughingly started a (Diet Pepsi) drinking game tied to body count. We had to abandon the game in the first few minutes!! Lots of people get dead. Lots.
The dogs though! I would have LOST it if they (fake) killed a dog. I was a police officer for 20 years and worked up close and personal with the ‘dog guys.’ Both dog and trainer work really hard, and there is an amazing bond between them. It did seem as though Halle had achieved that bond, and that the dogs were having fun as they helped rack up the body counts.
All in all, a nonsensical and violent romp. Too many deaths by gunfire, check. Too many guys stabbed in the top of the head, check. Too many people thrown through glass, check and check.
I’ll go to the next one, because Keanu. 😀
My husband and I saw JW3 Sunday night before coming home & watching the GOT finale.
jW was sooo much better & we should’ve just watched another episode of Killing Eve, instead of ending the night on that buzz-kill.
Also- The Longshot was so funny & well done I saw it twice. It DEFINITELY should’ve been the movie to dethrone Endgame.
Honestly, the video of them training was incredibly hot.