John Wick: Chapter 4

 

John Wick: Chapter 4 (6.5/10)
Genre: Action
Director: Chad Stahelski
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård
Country: USA
Language: English
Year: 2023

John Wick franchise has achieved a landmark in the action genre in the previous films, and the fourth film justifies the bar set by the creators and the action designers. It is still one of the best action film series to hail from Hollywood.

I saw Chapter 4 a couple of days ago, and the action scenes were running through my head while I was trying to recover from a mild fever, and since now I'm feeling better, I am trying to share my honest opinion about the film. I love John Wick, Keanu Reeves, and everyone involved in creating this breathtaking action epic.

When we talk about John Wick, we mean action. Yes, this film has plenty to make hardcore fans happy with the addition of global action stars such as Donnie Yen, in perhaps one of his most important roles since he started his career in Hollywood, and Scott Adkins, as the main highlight of the film. Marko Zaror and Hiroyuki Sanada add more power to the action but lesser than I hoped. Shamier Anderson and Rina Sawayama add some fresh fury to the mayhem. Despite the star-studded action cast and crazy action, I feel Chapter 4 is at par with the previous films in action design but never goes beyond it.

There is an action setpiece with nun-chucks, which is violent and realistic, unlike what we are used to watching in movies. A shooting sequence from a high angle in a stunning 'oner' adds one more memorabilia to the series. The climax action in the middle of heavy traffic is another brilliant example of action design. The best fight is between Wick and Killa (Scott Adkins). Donnie Yen brings his usual Hong Kong charm to his action, looking cool as ever. Marko Zaror was not used to his potential. Hiroyuki Sanada vs. Donnie Yen is another good action setpiece, and there is plenty in this film. From the first film till the third, John Wick broke every anticipation along with the bad guys, but Chapter Four never does. It maintains its reputation and doesn't fall below or go beyond. I recently saw Kensuke Sonomura's Bad City, and it can easily compete with JW4 in action, I even consider it better because the choreography focuses on real fight situations instead of screen fighting. In my defense, it is unfair comparing these films and their action choreography.

With a runtime nearing three hours, John Wick: Chapter 4 got some pacing issues between the action set pieces. Also, one has to ignore the logical parts - for example, when there's sheer mayhem on the streets, not a single cop turns up. Is John Wick even human? Everything happens, and we don't know why. When the action starts, one tends to forget about these flaws. Honestly, I don't care. I never expected it to be a 'Breaking Bad' story but breaking bones of the bad guys for no reason.

Lance Reddick's final appearance as Charon is emotional. Ian McShane, one of the series regulars, brings his usual charm and sarcastic humor. Laurence Fishburne complements him pretty well. Clancy Brown and Natalia Tena have minor but impactful characters. Bill Skarsgård plays the best villain in the series so far, but sad to see the makers didn't offer him a fighting role. He's more of a boss guy who orders his minions to do his fight. I suppose we need politicians among assassins. 

John Wick and Keanu Reeves are inseparable now, and Reeves is crossing boundaries in each film. His dedication and respect for the genre is a lesson for every actor turned action star or just action star. His charm is death-defying, and so are his stunts. I can't wait to see him return before he loses his prime.

I suppose the film's box office performance will determine whether there will be a fifth part soon or whether it will be an indefinite break till the next part is released because the film teases closure for now, but one can never trust the greedy producers. Until then, sit back and enjoy the mayhem of John Wick Chapter 4.

Plot: John Wick figures out a way to turn the table against the High Table with the help of new allies and fighting new enemies.