Review:
"John Wick: Chapter Four"
Release Date: March 24, 2023
Rating: R Running Time: 169 minutes Before Keanu Reeves really gets his hands bloody in John Wick: Chapter 4, his on-the-run hitman is confronted with a question that does not just apply to him but to an unlikely franchise that continues to top itself in terms of action and violence with each installment. “Have you given any thought to where this ends?” asks Hiroyuki Sanada’s Shimazu Koji, the manager of the Osaka Continental Hotel in Japan. John Wick: Chapter 4 seemingly provides a definite answer to a question that has lingered since Reeves donned his trademark black suit and tie for the first sequel to his 2014 lean-and-mean tale of revenge. We already know that Reeves will make a brief appearance in Ballerina, but that spin-off that takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and this new and potentially final sequel. But if Chapter 4 is indeed the final film to feature John Wick front and center, Reeves and franchise director Chad Stahelski go out with a bang loud enough to be heard in all corners of the world. In fact, Chapter 4 requires Wick to hop from one continent to another in his bid to free himself from his obligations to the crime organizations that comprise the High Table. To do so, Wick must challenge a member of the High Table to a duel. Easier said than done considering there is still a bounty on Wick’s head that stems back to his unauthorized killing of a High Table crime lord in Chapter 12. Which mean Wick spends 169 minutes taking on dozens of hired guns who each believe they have what it takes to kill the so-called “Baba Yaga.” If you have watched the first John Wicks, you know how that always works out. Director Chad Stahelski, a former stuntman and stunt coordinator, outdoes himself with each successive set-piece that brings Wick one brawl closer to his duel with Bill Skarsgård’s High Table member Marquis Vincent de Gramont. Stahelski opens Chapter 4 with a Western-style horse chase in the middle of the desert before embarking on a long and meticulously choreographed attack on the Osaka Continental Hotel that features gunplay, swordplay, and mixed martial arts. Other highlights include an extend punch-up in a Berlin nightclub—that just so happens to feature an indoor waterfall—and the stunningly staged fight sequence on the staircase leading up to the Sacré-Cœur in Paris. Oh, and the Arc de Triomphe chase scene needs to be seen to be believed. As usual, Reeves is all action and precious few words, leaving most of the dialogue to Ian McShane’s perpetually eloquent Winston Scott, the manager of the New York Continental Hotel; Bill Skarsgård’s blustery Marquis Vincent de Gramont; and Donnie Yen’s wise Caine, a visually impaired assassin forced to go after his old friend Wick. Yes, Reeves drives both the action and the narrative as Wick. But he is also very selfless in Chapter 4 when it comes to letting his supporting cast enjoy their big moments. He generously treats franchise addition Yen as a true equal, allowing him time after time to show off his exquisite moves as the blind warrior just as comfortable using his fists and feet as he is with employing guns and swords. Newcomer Rina Sawayama impresses as the relentlessly stylish Hiroyuki Sanada’s impressively skilled daughter Akira, the concierge of the Osaka Continental whose vow of vengeance early in Chapter 4 could manifest itself into a potential spin-off costarring Yen. While Chapter 4 debut locally as this year’s SXSW Film & TV Festival’s not-so-secret screening, the presence of both Scott Adkins and Marko Zaror will thrill the longtime attendees of Fantastic Fest who have long enjoyed the bone-cracking antics of both action stars. Their addition to the franchise is recognition on the part of Reeves and director Chad Stahelski that Wicks needs to hold his own against some of today’s biggest badasses in action cinema, even if they are not necessary household names. Wearing a fat suit, Adkins is finally put to good use in a studio film as a Russian mobster with Kingpin-esque strength and prowess. Serving as the Marquis right-hand, Zaror constantly holds his own against both Reeves and Yen. The most essential addition to the franchise is Shamier Anderson, as quiet as he is lethal as Mr. Nobody, a bounty hunter hired to track down Wick. Where Mr. Nobody goes, so does his loyal dog. What, were you expecting Chapter 4 not to feature a canine companion? And, in the same way that Wick’s puppy brought him out of retirement in this first film, this dog factors into Chapter 4’s outcome. Nice job by screenwriters Shay Hatten and Michael Finch bring things full circle. After almost two hours of loud and bloody action, director Chad Stahelski opts for a surprisingly intimate but effective climax that feels very appropriate for a hitman who endured so much violence over the course of four films. If this is the last time we will see Reeves as Wick, as least as the lead, then he has served us well. And Stahelski has raised the bar for action cinema. He could certainly teach Marvel and DC’s directors a thing or two. That said, we know that the compelling and well-defined mythology that this franchise is founded on will continued to be explored in both the upcoming Ballerina, which stars Ana de Armas, as well as the Peacock prequel miniseries The Continental. And the former will also feature the dearly departed Lance Reddick as the New York Continental’s concierge Charon—Reddick’s brief appearance in Chapter 4 will leave you with a lump in your throat. So even if Wick is indeed done dealing death and destruction in the highly stylized criminal world he inhabits, the High Table should continue to intrigue through its very particular ways and rules. Especially if those willing to go against the High Table are as committed and as resourceful as the Baba Yaga. Robert Sims Aired: March 28, 2023. Web sites: https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/john-wick-4 |
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