It’s hard to imagine we would be here, discussing a 4th entry in a long running franchise about a retired assassin seeking revenge on the brat kid who murdered his dog. “John Wick Chapter 4” solidifies once again that we are a very long way from those humble beginnings, and while there is simultaneously too much and not enough to say about this gun-fu action series, one thing is certain: “Chapter 4” is a boundary pushing achievement in stunt and camera work and feels as if Keanu Reeves and series director Chad Stahelski are just showing off at this point.
And by God, do they show off here, with a riveting final hour that begs to be beheld on the big screen and once again raises the bar of the genre. More so than any narrative or story or world building, “John Wick’s” primary goal seems to be elevating action indefinitely, and with every passing entry this seems to be achieved even if the overall vehicle doesn’t quite come together as smoothly as one would like.
Though overly long even with its nonstop, globetrotting pacing, the filmmaking achievements are absolutely astounding, with “John Wick Chapter 4” sporting some of the most dazzling production design, cinematography, choreography, lighting, and scoring of any film in the franchise and maybe any action film in the last decade, including its own predecessors. The bar is raised higher than anything you can imagine, and while it leans into its own ridiculousness of near cartoonish action, it delivers such a bombastic bordello of bodies and bullets that it doesn’t even matter. “John Wick Chapter 4” begs you to throw logic and physics out the window, but unlike the unearned fantasies of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, this latest chapter manages to balance itself out by providing much more to invest in overall. You genuinely care about John Wick, and unlike the “Fast” franchise, Reeves is willing to set aside his ego in his own story and allow the world to manifest around him instead of forcing the universe to revolve around his own ideas.
This latest entry is all about consequences and absolution, but unique to “John Wick Chapter 4” is that the ripple effect of Wick himself takes a more clear shape this time around. Namely, Wick’s own search for peace and freedom devastates the lives of everyone around him, both friend and foe, and the film smartly highlights each of them in ways that feel purposeful and seek to further the world instead Wick’s singular story. This is a very smart move from writers Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, who opt to spend a little more time fleshing out the motivations of the people that fall into Wick’s orbit instead of merely trying to cram in as many cool action scenes as possible without merit. Don’t get me wrong, “Chapter 4” goes full video game god mode in the final act, but this one holds more water as opposed to “Parabellum” which failed to truly capture anyone of interest despite trying to introduce a new slate of characters. Here, the supporting cast all get their shine, and are inbued with distinct personalities and motivations that work to expand the story beyond Wick should he ever fail in his quest.
The “John Wick” franchise has suffered from the acceptance that The Baba Yaga is an unkillable force, so the stakes of his survival are lowered with every new bullet and fall and car ramming he gets. And holy shit does he get a lot of them in this one. Stahelski seems hellbent on trying to kill Reeves in the stunts he asks of him, and there are countless times in “John Wick Chapter 4” where you just want to shout out “DEAD!” If you though the fall he took at the end of “Parabellum” was bad, you haven’t seen anything yet. Wick (and Reeves for that matter) is put through the ringer this time, transcending beyond a simple man and into the literal superhero persona we’ve all kind of come to accept about him. But the intriguing characters that surround him balance out his indestructability, and make the sheer lunacy of Wick’s survivalbility pallatable. You just kind of accept that John Wick is impervious to bullets (suit or no suit) and no matter what roof top you through him off or how many fixtures he hits on the way down or how many times you throw him down 200+ stairs in a single fall, John Wick WILL get back up.
This certainly begs the question: If John Wick Can Never Die, what are the stakes? “Chapter 4’s” answer is everyone else, with the supporting cast given plenty to do and plenty to care about. And, since Wick is the only one we know can’t be stopped, everyone else around him is consistently in danger, be it for him or against him. While “Chapter 4” doesn’t give us the much anticipated look at the High Table, it does deliver its new face in the form of the Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard), a senior member of the High Table who is given unlimited power to eliminate Wick once and for all. He is calculating, ruthless, and ambitious, which proves to be a worthy adversary for the sheer unshakable will of John Wick. Added to the fold also is Caine (Donnie Yen), a blind assassin who is asked (not nicely) to hunt and kill Mr. Wick. Yen is having a blast, fully aware of the kind of action film he’s in and adding the much needed and surprising comedy to just about everything he does. His charm pours out of every scene, and even when he is fighting nameless faces he does so with the arrogance of a lead vs a background extra, as if to wink to the camera and remind us that this is all too easy for him. It’s delightful and I could watch a whole spin off series of Caine rapid punching bad guys.
The film also adds Scott Adkins in a fat suit as Killa, a brash, cartoonish mob boss of sorts that, while the fat suit thing probably won’t age well, shows that Adkins is actually a pretty damn good actor when he lets loose and goes as over the top as he allowed to be. The surprise standouts are Shamier Anderson as Mr. Nobody, a bounty hunter who is tracking John Wick with his own unique motivations and relationship to Wick himself, and Rina Sawayama as Akira, the daughter of long time Wick friend Koji (Manager of the Osaka Continental) played by the always game Hiroyuki Sanada, who also becomes a part of the consequences of John Wick’s actions. These additions to the cast are all served very well, and allow the story of “John Wick Chapter 4” to not feel so centrist to Reeves alone. This chapter is truly trying something new in that it wants us all to recognize that while Wick is the center of his own story, the consequences spread farther and effect those who don’t have his plot armor.
Sadly, Lance Riddick’s final appearance is skipped over and rushed, tying up his arc rather quickly to make room for narrative catalysts and new characters. Even if it wasn’t in the wake of his recent passing, Riddick has been an integral part of the overall story, and while we need to establish upfront that the Marquis is not to messed with, it is unfortunate that Riddick was used for this to occur. It sadly doesn’t feel rewarding or worthy of a send off, and it does put a rather sour taste in your mouth right out of the gate.
We already know that while this may be the last “John Wick” film for a while, it’s not the end of the John Wick world, with multiple spin offs coming later this year. “John Wick Chapter 4” seems to know this, and focuses more on what’s going on around him than him alone. This does stifle Reeves’ performance a bit, as he is relegated to a much more stoic, one word caricature of a lone gunslinger, but it’s not enough to stifle your own enjoyment of him in the role. What matters most is whether or not its entertaining. And on that front, “John Wick Chapter 4” succeeds beyond measure, delivering a tried and true crowd pleaser particularly in its absolutely mind blowing final hour. I cannot stress enough how gorgeous the chaos and carnage looks, with Stahelski pulling out all the stops of action creativity and pushing the boundaries of framing destruction and stunt work. It is as close to a masterpiece in this regard as one can get, demanding that every action film that comes next will be measured by the action set pieces that are captured here.
Even the darkness punctuated by bright neon lights seem to compliment the action in “John Wick Chapter 4,” creating one of the most immersive atmospheres of any of its predecessors and frankly, any film in the genre so far. It’s simply gorgeous, and there are some mind blowing set pieces and camera work that legitimately made me laugh out loud with glee and awe. This is action cinema at its finest, and whether or not it’s your speed or you can’t get over the hump of the fact that Wick continues to get up unscathed time and time again, it’s hard not to be left stunned by what the filmmakers were able to accomplish.
I don’t know that “John Wick 4” is the best of the series, but it makes a strong case for being near the top on sheer filmmaking merit alone. It may not all come together as well to warrant its inflated runtime, and the repetitveness of gun kills (though a bit more varied with new weapons) continues to wane, “John Wick Chapter 4” more than earns its right to exist, and for anyone who’s been waiting for the next great action film, you need not look any further. The king of action has arrived. And it’s going to be a very long time before we see a usurper dethrone the wondrous violence of “John Wick Chapter 4.” This is a new bar, and it doesn’t need to be perfect to be great, nor does it need to all work to be one of the best action films of our generation.
Dragon’s Breath, bitch.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
“John Wick Chapter 4” is now playing in theaters. You can watch the trailer below.
