The upcoming John Wick spin-off prequel, The Continental, has had its review screenings ahead of the release on Friday.
the reviews are now in, and the picture is decidedly mixed. It is sitting at 55/100 on Metacritic and 50% (6/10) on Rotten Tomatoes. It is not really a big split either. No extremes. The reviews are mostly all treading the middle line.
Here are the quotes out on the wires:
“As a pure continuation of John Wick lore, The Continental is a worthy watch, one that offers similar bloody mayhem to its predecessors in a new, wide-lapelled outfit. But it’s hard not to feel that the show, with its leaden pacing, convoluted cast of characters, and lack of a nucleus in a powerhouse figure like Reeves, comes up short compared to the film series it desperately wants to evoke.”
Clint Worthington, Consequence
“The Continental feels afraid to go all-out, limiting itself to a few thrilling action sequences whose creativity makes the sparse character motivations and drawn-out plot that much more belabored.”
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture
“It’s fast-paced, ludicrous fun, with Purge-star Woodell full of dapper charm as the young McShane. But, for better or worse, the driving force is Gibson, who puts in his most over-the-top appearance since Mad Max. In the process, he transforms The Continental into a bug-eyed, b-movie cheese-fest hewn in his gonzo image.”
Randy Myers, The Telegraph
“Though it seems more a test of concept than a complete saga, it’s a tentatively successful one — though with one major misstep that’ll be enough to ruin the whole experiment for many.”
Angie Han, THR
“It’s all style at best, and no substance – even for a series that prioritizes bravura and flair over everything else. Ultimately, ‘The Continental’ is an adequate detour; just a linear connection-of-franchise dots explaining how Winston stole the keys to the house.”
Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist
“It’s serviceable. Even with Mel Gibson involved, it’s not bad enough to hurt the John Wick franchise, but it’s also not exciting enough to justify becoming a key part of the canon.”
Sam Barsanti, The AV Club
“Despite being only three episodes long, The Continental is a slog that’s bogged down by poor characterization, brutal pacing, and extended droughts from its shootouts.”
Elijah Gonzalez, Paste Magazine
“Of all the reasons the John Wick prequel frustrates, underwhelms and disappoints, the involvement of Mel Gibson barely manages to rank.”
Alison Herman, Variety
Each of the three movie-length episodes of The Continental will premiere on Peacock every Friday starting tomorrow, the 22nd.
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