LONDON: The all-action world of the “John Wick” franchise has a (mostly) serene haven at its heart: The Continental — a (mostly) safe place for the world’s top assassins to stay and, in the movies, an important location for many of the plot-driving set pieces that power the misadventures of Keanu Reeves’ titular hit man.
If you’ve ever wondered exactly how the super-discreet hotel came to be in the hands of proprietor Winston (played in the films by Ian McShane) then Prime Video has a show for you. “The Continental: From The World of John Wick” is a three-part miniseries that shows how a young Winston (Colin Woodell) was forced to leave his life in London, becoming embroiled in a world of eccentric assassins, hyper-kinetic shootouts and murky underworld dealings.
When Winston’s brother Frankie (Ben Robson) stages an elaborate heist at The Continental, the hotel’s then-owner Cormac (Mel Gibson) holds both brothers responsible, sending Winston out into 1970s New York to track down his errant sibling. With the pair reunited, the scene is set for a steady stream of stylish shootouts and close-quarter brawls as the brothers try to outrun wave after wave of Cormac’s goons.
Creators Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward and Shawn Simmons have crafted a grungy period piece packed with stylish set pieces and a lived-in alternate New York that oozes menace. Episode one director Albert Hughes (“Alpha”) turns in an impressive introduction — a pitched car battle with staccato editing and some stunning framing is a particular highlight — and fleshes out this new (yet somewhat familiar) world with aplomb. In fact, it’s almost a shame the “John Wick” movies have already set such a high bar for modern gunplay action flicks, or we’d be heralding “The Continental” as something truly new and exciting.
But while it’s well put together, and well-acted (Gibson’s one-note villain aside), it seems reasonable to question whether the “John Wick” franchise really needed a world-building prequel series centered around a supporting character. And there are only two episodes remaining to prove if the gamble was worth it.
