A brutal, action-packed film that honors the style of the franchise. 
It's nice to go back and play in the same timeline and sandbox as the original series. Essentially, it's like replaying your favorite video game but choosing to play as a different character. This is a terrific approach and a welcome change from taking the easy way out and just doing an origin story of John Wick. 
However, that original premise is slightly derailed by the lack of a strong emotional anchor like the John Wick films had. They opt for a highly unoriginal catalyst to set our protagonist on their journey. The first act feels devoid of agency. Even with a classic action movie training montage, it drags. Midway through the second act we finally get what we came for, action!
Fans of the franchise will get the jaw-dropping fight scenes they were looking for. Newcomers will have no problems following along as the script does a good job of explaining the rules of the universe and doesn't rely heavily on weaving previous storylines in. 
A slightly above-average action film thanks to the acting and action set pieces.