Keanu Reeves is John Wick, and Wick is not only a character but is slowly becoming a brand. That’s not bad for a character that was seen as an archetypal action hero. There was little to no expectations for the first John Wick film as it was merely imagined as a copycat to rival to all the Liam Neeson action thrillers at the time. Instead, John Wick became a massive hit and as of now has spawned a franchise that is soon to introduce spin-offs and television shows. The reason why John Wick was a success? It was mainly because of the intuitive and kinetic stunt work as the series has introduced some new action terminology such as “gun-fu”, “car-fu” and so on. The filmmakers who have spearheaded this series have previously worked as stunt performers and it really does show. The question is though, is this series losing its appeal or is it progressing forward?
Guess what, John Wick: Chapter 4 is as bold, bright and action-packed as ever. What started as a small little action film is now an international action thriller with a lot of heavy-weight actors and actresses lending their talent to the series over its lifetime. This film alone sees Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard, Scott Adkins and Shamier Anderson introduced to the series as adversaries for John Wick, and the mixture of cultural characters makes this film even more diverse and global than it has before. All the supporting roles, from Ian McShane’s Winston and Laurence Fishburne’s the Bowery King all add a particular flavour to the film as well which contribute to the heightened and stylised world that John Wick inhabits. It is this look and feel of the film that makes the series more unique as the vibrancy and the fast-paced music almost consumes you into this world of action and killing.
There is a very minor flaw to the film and that is the length, it is a long film and a lot of characters and stories to juggle too. However, saying that the film rushes along from one character and one location to another to the point that the film moves along swiftly and at a balanced pace, and it never drags. It is a meaty film and a lot to unpack and something that repeat viewings may reward you by reminding you of certain set-pieces and certain moments that you may have missed the first time around. The visuals can be overwhelming and hyper-stylised but that lends to the charm of the film and action film fans will gain more out of this film than the average movie fan, but we are talking about the fourth film in a series so this is to be expected.
The John Wick series has prided itself on pushing the envelope of action cinema and what is made possible, both technically and visually, and is now on par with other action films such as the Mission: Impossible and the James Bond series in terms of becoming a cultural touchstone in cinema itself. The “gun-fu” mentioned earlier is back in full swing in this film and we even get nun-chuck battles, a car chase battle in Paris and a very impressive sequence in a building where the camera views the action in a top-down view which does push the boundaries of what can be achieved in cinema. It is enough to make you glued to your seat and almost makes you need to catch your breathe. It is tense and absolutely astonishing how the filmmakers pulled off some of these stunts which is amazing for the fourth film in the series. There are no signs that this story was forced, this is a film that everyone enjoyed making and it shows while watching on the big screen.
The series wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for Keanu Reeves and his charm, his focus and his charisma. Reeves portrays Wick as a relentless assassin, a man of few words and also as someone who is driven to achieve what he sets out to achieve. He speaks with his bullets not his words, and each bullet is so precise and calculated that the gun fights tell their own story, almost like how a western would play out. There are a lot of influences of western and eastern cinema in this film, from the Tokyo based set-pieces at the start to the stand-off battles with the films villains. Each character feels alive and essential to the story, holding key information or need eliminating in service of pushing the story forwards. The fight between Scott Adkins’ character of Killa and Wick is one of my favourites in the film and in the series. The music pumps you up with adrenaline and the sound effects make the fight sound almost like a boxing match.
There’s just so much to unpack with this film and who knows whether the creatives and the studio will push for a fifth film or not, but the film ends in a way that both surprises and also sets up possible futures with other characters. There is a lot of world-building but it never feels like they’re setting up multiple spin-off’s with these characters. They’re here for John Wick and the mission is to terminate Wick, by any means necessary, and that alone provides us with enough entertainment to match its lengthy runtime.
★★★☆☆
3/5
Final Verdict:
John Wick: Chapter 4 is not only the most impressive film of the series but is also one of the most impressive action films of this decade. Keanu Reeves and filmmaker Chad Stahelski have crafted an unexpected franchise that has re-defined action cinema by focusing more on the stunt-work than of character performance. By mixing elements from other genres John Wick: Chapter 4 feels like a unique experience and one to experience on the biggest screen possible.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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