John Wick Chapter 4 Review!

John Wick chapter 4, John Wick, Keanu Rives

        As expected, the fourth John Wick movie had the highest opening in franchise history at the US box office with more than $73 million, while it grossed $137.5 million worldwide, and that's just from its premiere last weekend.

      Director Chad Stahelski and creative actor Keanu Reeves are back in theaters with “John Wick: Chapter 4,” a movie that was supposed to hit theaters almost two years ago. Trust me. It was worth the wait. Stahelski and writers Shay Hatten and Michael Finch distill the mythology-rich approach of the final two chapters with the simplistic action of the first film, resulting in a final hour here that ranks among the best in the genre.

“John Wick: Chapter 4” begins with its main character (Reeves) once again on the run as the villainous forces known as the High Table stand in his way. The main villain of the series is the Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård), the leader of the High Table who continues to mount the bounty on Wick's head while cleaning up the mess left behind, including the possible elimination of Winston Scott (Ian McShane) and his part of this nefarious organization.

        The opening scenes take Wick to Japan, where he enlists the help of the Osaka Continental's leader, (Hiroyuki Sanada), and encounters a mindless high-table killer named Ken (tough guy Donnie Yen). Laurence Fishburne occasionally appears as Wick's Q when a killer needs help. A new suit is bulletproof, and Shamir Anderson plays an assassin who appears to be waiting for the price on Wick's head to level up for him to get paid.

        More so than in the last two films, the plot here, despite its epic running time (169 minutes), once again feels refreshingly focused.

        Stahelski and his team craft action sequences in a way that feels both compelling and artistically designed. Over-the-top filmmakers often land on a tone that seems far-fetched and risk-free, feeling more elegant than substantial. Great action directors figure out how to film combat in a way that doesn't sacrifice tension for drama. The action sequences in "John Wick: Chapter 4" are long, gunfights between John and dozens of people who belittle him, but they have so much momentum that they don't overstay their welcome.

        The movie contains many innovative action scenes that are not boring at all, and whoever watches it will not feel its duration, which ranges from about three hours, and will wish to watch it again.

        I loved how often the world revolved around Wick and his hapless fighters. In a sequence that would be nearly the best in any other modern action movie (but it's like part three or four here), Wick must face off against a make-up-clad Scott Adkins and his army of hapless goons in a crowded nightclub.

       Dancers hardly notice it. Sometimes they move a little to let them pass, but they don't stop and look. As the water flows into the cabaret, the writhing and dancing bodies create an innovative visual backdrop.

       Later, in one of my all-time favorite action sequences, Wick and his predators fight in the roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe. Cars don't stop. In fact, it seems to be accelerating. With gunshots raging in the streets in this movie, no one opens the window to see what's going on. 

      The world outside of Wick and the legends of this world seem like they can't even see the legendary killer and the hundreds of people he ends up killing.

       It's an amazing and eye-catching choice. The world outside of Wick and the legends of this world seem like they can't even see the legendary killer and the hundreds of people he ends up killing. It's an amazing and eye-catching choice. The world outside of Wick and the legends of this world seem like they can't even see the legendary killer and the hundreds of people he ends up killing. It's an amazing and eye-catching choice.

       Of course I have to dwell on the lighting, which helped a lot to make this work stand out. Incredible cinematographer Dan Laustsen (a regular collaborator with Guillermo del Toro on “The Shape of Water”, “Nightmare Alley” etc.) works with Stahelski to ensure that the work Here it's clean and brutal, never overwhelming. The acrobatic action is exceptional, and again, the gunfights have a dance feel to them. The dancing is more than the bland plot of many studio films. There is so much grace and creativity every time Wick works.

       The only drawback to Wick's Shield here is a bit of a narrative immersion. There are some scenes, especially at the beginning, when it feels like the beat is a little too long, and I think there's a tighter version (if you can tell 150 minutes is going to be tight) of this movie that's perfect.