When theJohn Wickprequel series,The Continental,was first announced, there was initially a lot of skepticism, as there almost always is with spin-offs nowadays. Some saw the spin-off as a blatant cash grab, while many presumed that the smaller budgets allocated to series over movies would hamper the quality of the show’s action, possibly the most important aspect of anyJohn Wickproduct. However, each trailer has only improved on the last in showcasing the stunning action choreography that will be prevalent throughout the series.
Set nearly 40 years before the firstJohn Wickfilm,The Continentalis set in New Yorkduring the 1970s and tells the story of how Winston (previously played by Ian McShane, now portrayed by Colin Woodell) rose to power and became the manager of the New York branch of the Continental hotel. As well as providing more depth to one of the franchise’s more undervalued characters,The Continental, as shown in its trailers, is set on honoring the unique action choreography and cinematography that helped put theJohn Wickfranchise on the map.
The Continental’s Fight Choreography Is Beautiful
One of the biggest proponents that has contributed to the runaway success of theJohn Wickfranchise is the level of dedication series star Keanu Reeves put into his training, becoming dangerously proficient at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and weapons work to bring the choreography to life. While there haven’t been anybehind-the-scenes revealsfrom the cast ofThe Continentaldiscussing their grueling training regimens, the trailers feature more than enough clips from action scenes to prove that the cast has put their time in on the mats and at gun ranges.
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One of the hardest-hitting clips shown in the newest trailer features Winston’s brother Frankie, played by Ben Robson, taking on armed henchmen in a tight spiraling staircase. This gun-heavy action scene not only draws inspiration from iconic scenes within theJohn Wickfranchise – like the home invasion from the first movie and the assault on Osaka fromJohn Wick 4– but also from otheraction films that took a fresh spinonJohn Wick’s style, most notably in this caseAtomic Blonde.
This external influence is unsurprising, considering David Leitch, who co-directed the firstJohn Wickand then went on to directAtomic Blonde, is serving as an executive producer forThe Continentalalongside ongoingJohn Wickdirector Chad Stahelski.
As well as drawing queues from theJohn Wickfranchise and its successors,The Continentalalso incorporates stylistic elements from'70s martial arts moviesinto its fight choreography. Set to Earth, Wind & Fire’s iconicShining Star, some action scenes within the trailers feature choreography inspired by films likeEnter the Dragonand even pro-wrestling, which began to pick up in popularity in the 70s before booming in the 80s.
A standout moment from the trailers sees Jessica Alain fending off multiple attackers on top of a New York yellow cab. The sequence features tight hand-to-hand choreography before she flips one attacker over her shoulder and drop-kicks the other, leading them to both hit the floor simultaneously.
It’s not just fight choreography that theJohn Wickfranchise is famous for, as the series has long incorporated car stunts into its action-fueled machismo aesthetic, andThe Continentalappears to be doing the same. Alongside the aforementioned fight on top of a cab, the trailers are filled with vehicular mayhem, including shootout chases and multiple car-flipping crashes. On top of this, the iconic 1969 Ford Mustang, whichJohn Wickdrove throughout the quadrilogy, makes multiple appearances across various promotional materials.
The Continental Also Nails the Beautiful Cinematography and Composition
What makes theJohn Wickfranchise unique in the action genre isn’t just its stunt choreography but also how it is shot and edited. As a result of Reeve’s intense dedication to training for the role, Chad Stahelski was able to shoot every action scene in gorgeous wide shots, with minimal cuts in editing, to fully showcase the beautiful choreography and immerse audiences by showing that it was Reeves performing most of the stunts.
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Whilethe trailers forThe Continentaldo feature frequent choppy editing, as is common with most modern trailers, the clips featuring action scenes do appear to show the action similarly framed and composed to match the style of the original films. The fights shown in the previously mentioned stairway scene and the several car chases featured in the trailers utilize similar wide shots to clearly display the full brevity of the choreography and stunt work. Even the stunts that appear to feature some cuts, like the yellow taxi fight, seem to use them as a stylistic enhancement to the choreography rather than to hide any shortcomings in the fight sequence – as many modern action films have come to do.
Despite being set nearly 40 years before the first movie in the franchise and focusing on a (mostly) different cast of characters,The Continentalstill seems to understand and respect what makes theJohn Wickfranchiseso critically acclaimed and popular and incorporates these elements into the fight scenes it has teased audiences with.
