Amidst Box Office culture wars, the “John Wick” franchise continues to be a pure exercise in cinema enjoyment. I watched this film two days ago in a nearly packed theater, and I can’t remember the last time that happened in the last five years. While ambiguously ended, “John Wick: Chapter 4” is potentially the last in the franchise, so this review will steer clear of major spoilers. But, in its essence, the film is a conglomeration of the action set-pieces that have come before, while trying to inject more story — along with notes of heart — in the right places. Its finale, amidst Paris’ majestic Sacré-Cœur, is testament to this.
John Wick is, of course, reprised by Keanu Reeves, but this time the film also adds a host of other beloved actors which propel the film above — in many ways — the previous film. “John Wick: Chapter 4” adds Hiroyuki Sanada as Shimazu, the manager of the ‘Osaka Continental,’ and the film’s opening with him versus assassins of the ‘High Table’ is wrought with some of the finer parts of this film’s predecessor, with the added martial arts inspiration the series hints at through its many gun battles. This first battle also introduces us to Shimazu’s daughter (Aimée Kwan) and a thoroughly engrossing blind assassin named ‘Caine,’ played with fervor by Donnie Yen.
John Wick is Up to His Usual Tricks
Of course, the film’s premise is built around a final confrontation with the High Table, which the series interjected into its world-building in “Chapter 2” to give John Wick an adversary. (P.S. — I looked it up, and in “John Wick” parts 1-3, the assassin kills 299 people, so it’s arguable if he really even has an adversary). This film introduces a new head of the organization, the ‘Marquis,’ played with a detached arrogance by Bill Skarsgård, who will bring down everyone and everything to kill John Wick. He’s aided — I guess — by Ian McShane’s Winston, who plays both sides after an opening that goes against his favor. Laurence Fishburne is back, too, and the late Lance Reddick and Clancey Brown co-star as various mechanisms of the High Table.
The pièce de résistance of “John Wick: Chapter 4” is, of course, the violence. But while the previous film, “Parabellum,” showed the inventive ways that Wick could kill quarry, “Chapter 4” seems intent on showing just how many people he can kill. The battles are hard-hitting and violent splendor, mostly involving close-combat gun deaths but also utilizing assault rifles, knives, axes, fists, and throws from height to incapacitate foes. Caine’s addition introduces expert swordplay with realistic fatalities, compared to the over-the-top blood spurting of Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” series. In particular, the way that Caine is violently effective in a fight, yet needs to use tools to feel his way around is an extra touch. A super assassin tapping the ground with an open katana blade in lieu of a blind cane will bring more than a few chuckles.
Plentiful, Non-stop Violence
While the violence is plentiful and virtually non-stop (“Chapter 4” clocks in at 2 hours and 49 minutes, and most of that is killing) its shining spot is its locations and the choreography therein. A fight against Caine in a throne room full of stained glass in Osaka mirrors a similar scene in “Parabellum,” but is effective nonetheless. But the real gems are a shootout at the roundabout at Paris’ Arc de Triomphe — which is completely insane — and a gunfight in a run-down building, which, shot mostly in overhead angles, gives the film one of its best bits of cinematography.
Additionally, the finale, where Wick attempts to climb the 122 steps of Sacré-Cœur, attacked the whole way, is an excess in overkill. Watching Wick — and others — tumble down the steps is hysterically violent, and is filmed in a way that makes you feel the heights involved. Kudos to Cinematographer Dan Laustsen for both the impressive shots, and for taking the romance out of Paris and turning it into a killjoy playground.
“John Wick: Chapter 4” doesn’t fall flat, but where it does suffer some is its overuse of certain action tropes. For instance, instead of just armed foes coming for Wick, in this iteration they come with heavy body armor. Even the more elevated guards who wear men’s suits have a ‘kevlar coating’ which deflects bullets. It’s initially intriguing to watch Wick find ways to sneak a blade — or gun — under their helmet for a kill. However, there’s just so many times you can watch deluges of bullets bounce off bodies until it becomes old. It also becomes so hard to kill some of his chief villains that some of the action halts along the way.
An Possibly Ambiguous Ending Gives Way to a Spinoff
There’s also the feeling — at times — that “John Wick: Chapter 4” is too full of antagonists and anti-heroes. Caine and Shimazu are intriguing toward the film’s beginning, but then using Fishburne, McShane, Shimazu’s daughter, and a rouge tracker (Shamier Anderson) — it becomes a bit much. Not only does it take some of the focus off of Wick (which is the reason we come to see these movies), but — especially in the case of Skarsgård — some of the rest of the cast’s elevated acting ability dent’s Reeves’ performance. John Wick is best as a silent, sullen antihero, and he loses a little in translation with more lines trying to make him look tough. However, two scenes — one, as he talks about how he wants to be remembered, and another with the tracker’s dog — are two of the film’s most memorable.
Despite these, however, “John Wick: Chapter 4” is still an exciting movie experience. It’s great to see Reeves back in this role, perhaps dolefully as this is “likely” Wick’s last ride. The final scene has finality and heart, even if it lacks the whomping ending I was expecting. The film is a powerhouse of action, and it was nice to leave NYC for Europe during the film’s third act. The action is choreographed to perfection, the landscapes are immersing and exuberant, and, at the end of the day, we want to follow John Wick’s story. But no spoilers here — you’ll have to watch the film to see what becomes of Baba Yaga. “John Wick” fans will be happy. And, for those who need to see more Wick sooner rather than later, “Ballerina” — a “John Wick” spinoff starring Ana de Armas and Keanu Reeves — will likely have a spring/summer 2024 release.
“John Wick 4” is currently only available to watch in theaters.
