All 4 of Keanu Reeves' 'John Wick' movies, ranked

At the bottom of the bunch is "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum." Yes, it has some of the best fights of the whole franchise — like Wick killing Ernest with a book or the wild throwing knife battle — but the story is a convoluted mess.

The High Table (the seemingly all-powerful criminal organization running the world) marked John "excommunicado" at the end of "Chapter 2," so he's on the run from every single assassin who wants to get rich off of the bounty on his head.

To stay alive, he goes in search of the leader of the High Table itself to pledge fealty and become a full-fledged assassin again. But by the film's finale, he betrays the High Table to stand with his allies.

So what was the point in trekking all the way to the Moroccan desert in the first place? Aside from giving fans that fierce fight with Sofia Al-Azwar (Halle Berry) and her very good dogs, of course.

Another thing that becomes painfully obvious is that when the franchise gets bigger, the stories get messier. There are so many contract killers in this world that it's surprising there's anyone left to hire them.

The film ends with an irritating cliffhanger where Winston (Ian McShane) shoots John off the Continental roof to stay in the High Table's good books. But this is all rendered pointless in "Chapter 4" since the High Table destroys the hotel anyway. Ugh.

Yes, "Chapter 4" takes third place. Sorry, but it's true.

Obviously, the ending to Wick's story is emotional because he finally frees himself from the High Table after a brutal war in Paris. But the rest of the plot is painful.

Bill Skarsgård's Marquis de Gramont is in charge of hunting Wick down once and for all, and he's, unfortunately, a very boring addition to the franchise. Yes, his opulent outfits are great, but they don't make up for the dull writing behind his character.

Thankfully, the berserk action makes up for the tedious villain — the Berlin battle, the uphill brawl on the Rue Foyatier steps, and the dragon's breath shotgun scene are all high points that will leave fans euphoric over the violence on screen.

Although "Chapter 4" seemingly wraps up John's story and gives him closure, there's definitely an air of, "Yeah, he's not really dead."

Don't get us wrong. "Chapter 4" is a thrilling flick for those who love the genre — with plenty of references to classic action movies — but the story lets it down massively.

After the first film teased the wider world of assassins and the High Table that keeps them in check, "Chapter 2" throws audiences right into the mythology of it all as an old ally comes to John looking to collect a debt.

Wick's impossible task is to murder a member of the High Table at her coronation in Rome, and what follows is a vicious display of gun-fu and wild fight scenes.

Director Chad Stahelski makes the audience feel every punch, stab, and gunshot, while also exploring just how determined Wick is when it comes to being betrayed.

Not only that but most of these battles are set against gorgeous backdrops like the Roman catacombs, the fine art of a museum gala, and an immersive mirrored art exhibition. Beauty and blood in tandem.

It also boasts the best climax in the series, as John goes on the run from everyone in New York.

The original will always be the best movie in the "John Wick" franchise because of how simple-yet-perfect the whole thing is.

The opening alone is so well written and directed that it instantly gets audiences invested in Wick's story without needing the extended, gory gun fights — although they're definitely cathartic later on.

John's wife, Helen (Bridget Moynahan), arranges for a puppy to be sent to her husband after her death, only for a group of gangsters to kill the dog when they break into his house to steal his car. Cue a revenge-driven rampage.

It's a motivation that every single audience member can get on board with. (Don't worry, the real puppy is doing just fine!)

From there, Stahelski and his co-director David Leitch let Reeves loose in meticulously crafted stunts and fight scenes that feel gritty and brutal. But they never get in the way of showing Wick's grief over both Helen and Daisy the Beagle.

If all that wasn't enough, the script also finds time to tease the wonderfully mysterious world of the Continental and the numerous contract killers that all work in the shadows.

And the runtime clocks in at an easy 101 minutes, so it doesn't outstay its welcome.