John Wick: Chapter 4
Remember, this all began over a puppy.
Cast of Characters:
Jardani Jovanovich/John Wick – Keanu Reeves
Caine – Donnie Yen
Marquis Vincent de Gramont – Bill Skarsgard
The Bowery King – Laurence Fishburne
Shimazu Koji – Hiroyuki Sanada
The Tracker/Mr. Nobody – Shamier Anderson
Charon – Lance Reddick
Akira – Rina Sawayama
Killa – Scott Adkins
The Harbinger – Clancy Brown
Winston Scott – Ian McShane
Director – Chad Stahelski
Writer – Shay Hatten & Michael Finch
Based on characters created by Derek Kolstad
Producer – Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee & Chad Stahelski
Distributor – Lionsgate
Running Time – 169 minutes
Rated R for pervasive strong violence and some language.
The Rundown: Following the events of the John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) prepares to get revenge against the High Table and end their reign once and for all. Of course, the High Table won’t be going down without a fight either, as their new leader, Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard), unleashes a new army of assassins just itching to score the pricey bounty that’s been placed on Wick’s head.
Initial Thoughts: To think that nearly a decade ago, producer Basil Iwanyk struggled to secure theatrical distributors for the first John Wick film. Many studios showed no interest whatsoever in an action film by first-time directors and a star in Keanu Reeves, who was, understandably, no longer viewed as a box office draw. After finally securing a distribution deal through Lionsgate, the film would be given a hurried release just two months after the studio’s purchase. From there, the marketing team would have to roll up their sleeves and really deliver in order to generate interest in so little time for a film that had little to no audience awareness.
Fast forward to today. Here we are now, four films in, $587.0 million earned on combined production budgets of $140 million, critical and audience acclaim, and, most importantly, the triumphant return of an action star who many once thought was past his prime.
John Wick: Chapter 4 certainly has a tough act to follow. While most franchises, even some of the best ones, tend to start out strong and finish weak (or even if it’s good, it’s still considered the weakest entry), the John Wick franchise has inexplicably gotten better and better over the course of its run. That’s a difficult task for any franchise to accomplish. It’s even harder for one that continually gets bigger, more action-packed and grander in scope with each subsequent film, as it can run the risk of biting off more than it can chew.
Thankfully, that’s not the case here. Chapter 4 not only delivers, it delivers again and again and then delivers some more after that. It may not be a perfect movie (yeah, I know, you can argue there really is no such thing as a perfect movie), but it comes pretty close, and is certainly a perfect John Wick movie that checks off on the box everything that’s required of a great action movie.
The Good: The challenge faced by each of the John Wick sequels has been how it would top its predecessor, and if it would be able to do so without jumping the shark like, say, the Fast & Furious franchise. Chapter 4 pretty much says, “Hold my beer and watch this!”, and pulls off the impressive feat of exceeding the action in its three predecessors that was already top-shelf spectacular. Stahelski and his team’s efforts cannot be understated; this is masterful craftsmanship that provides a non-stop, near 3-hour long thrill ride of Shakespearan ass-kicking.
Sure, at this point, the film might as well be titled John Wick: Chapter 4 – I Shouldn’t Be Alive, and there are times when it flirts dangerously close to breaking that suspension of disbelief. Four films in, though, you should know by now that such is the world of John Wick.
From its beginning, this franchise has significantly raised the bar for staged action set pieces, and Chapter 4 provides some of the most dazzlingly creative sequences you’ll see this year (the Mission: Impossible series comes pretty close, so we’ll see what Dead Reckoning Part One offers later this summer). Stahelski continues the franchise’s trademark action style of long, exquisite takes for the fight sequences. Dan Laustsen’s balletic cinematography and Nathan Orloff’s seamless editing come together in providing a wide, beautifully coherent sense of the entire action that is taking place, all so that viewers can fully appreciate the amazing stunt choreography on display. This is further aided by Alan Rankin’s sound design and both Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard’s score, which lend a vibrant, bombastic punchiness to the visual proceedings.
Stahelski also wisely avoids turning things stagnant and repetitive by keeping each sequence distinguishable from the other, both in terms of the type of fight and setting, as well as the way they’re framed. That latter aspect is best featured during a stunning extended sequence inside an abandoned Parisian building where Stahelski and Laustsen switch to an overhead, bird’s eye view, which briefly has the film taking on a bit of a video game aesthetic. From the moment the pedal first hits the metal during a melee at the Osaka Continental (the highlight of Kevin Kavanaugh’s gorgeous, gussied up production design) to a two-for-one climactic showdown that can best be described as both Frogger on crack and the most exciting race up a stairway since Rocky first ran up those museum steps in Philly, Chapter 4 continually finds ways to keep things fresh and interesting.
Just as the prior two sequels have incrementally done, Chapter 4 continues to expand upon the lore and world of John Wick. New characters and further insight into the inner-workings of the High Table are introduced through a tighter, more focused story that serves as a slight improvement over the previous installment (Shay Hatten and Michael Finch take the writing reins from franchise creator Derek Kolstad, who Hatten first collaborated with on the last film). As the blind assassin Caine, franchise newcomer Donnie Yen steals every scene he is in, not just in the impressive fight sequences he engages in, but also the emotional weight carried through his character’s backstory and connection to Wick. Bill Skarsgard brings restrained menace and delicious arrogance to the villainous Marquis, whose extravagant selection of suits are almost as eye-popping as the action sequences. As the Harbinger, Clancy Brown brings stature and a touch of intimidation to what could’ve been viewed as a thankless, exposition-spouting role. Veteran Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada and Shamier Anderson are also great additions, the former serving as the head of the Osaka Continental and the latter as a mysterious tracker, who shares an extremely likable pairing with a scene-stealing Belgian Malinois.
‘Cause, of course, with John Wick, there’s always a dog, and boy, is that furry son of a bitch an absolute delight.
Fine support is also provided by franchise mainstays Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick (who, sadly, passed away just a week prior to this film’s release). McShane and Reddick bring more of that regal type of elegance and gravitas we’ve come to expect from them in these roles, with McShane playing more of a pivotal role than he has in the previous films. Fishburne’s screen time may be limited, but he oozes swagger and charisma as the Bowery King, the Q to Wick’s James Bond.
And then, of course, there’s Keanu Reeves, who, once again, delivers. It’s hard to believe that 10-15 years ago, Reeves was on the path toward career irrelevancy. This franchise, however, has resurrected it and then some, and he’s earned it. No, this is not thespian performance art, but it doesn’t need to be either. John Wick embodies the adage, “speak softy and carry a big stick”, as well as his fists, an axe, some nunchucks, a katana, a car even, maybe a couple knives too and a shit-load of guns. Much like our eponymous action hero’s 42 Regular suits, this is a role that’s perfectly tailored to Reeve’s acting sensibilities, and for what it requires of him, he’s great here. Plus, the fact that he’s doing a number of his own stunts adds a touch of authenticity and realism to the massive pummeling his character goes through.
The Bad: Admittedly, I was a little worried about the near 3-hour runtime, and it wouldn’t surprise me if that ends up being a turnoff for some viewers. I mean, this film shatters the franchise’s previous runtime record holder, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, by over 30 minutes. To be fair, a film’s runtime should be irrelevant. A well-made film should be as long as its story needs it to be. Gone with the Wind, Schindler’s List, the Lord of the Rings films, Wolf of Wall Street and The Batman are all either near, exactly or over three hours long, but it doesn’t feel that long ’cause their stories keep you engaged. On the flipside, I’ve also sat through many of those horrible Friedberg and Seltzer spoof movies that are barely even 80 minutes (’cause I guess I’m a masochist) and they felt like they would never end.
Thankfully, there was no glancing at my phone to check the time here. Even when Chapter 4 takes a recess from the action, I never once found myself disengaged in what was going on, and that’s a credit to Stahelski keeping the film moving along at a full steam ahead pace.
The Ugly: Brace yourself, ’cause that’s certainly an interesting way to pull out a knife.
Consensus: High running time be damned! John Wick: Chapter 4 brings back all the charismatic performances, swagger, ever-increasing world-building and eye-popping, excellently crafted action sequences we expect from a John Wick film, and raises it to a franchise best level. This masterpiece of its genre is certainly one of 2023’s best, and even if it doesn’t end up being the overall best film of the year, by just pure entertainment spectacle standards, it’s gonna be hard to top the sharply dressed Baba Yaga’s fourth entry.
Silver Screen Fanatic’s Verdict: I give John Wick: Chapter 4 an A+ (★★★★).
About Post Author
