Review: John Wick Chapter 4 Packs A Fast And Furious Punch

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.

John Wick Chapter  4 Video Review:

John Wick Chapter 4 Trailer:

THE GOOD

A John Wick movie is nothing without its defining element of superior action, and John Wick: Chapter 4 doesn’t fail to deliver in that category. The violence is glorious and I loved how it came to us in so many different ways. It was such a great idea to emphasize the usage of bulletproof suits because it forced the characters to really go for the kill whenever they fought their targets. That level of detail took the fights in this film to a different level, but the pure physicality of the situations created was equally invigorating. It’s hard to pick a favorite situation between the “traffic fight” vs the stairs scene. Both had me hooting and hollering at the screen and wincing at all the inflicted pain.

Director Chad Stahelski excelled at creating suspense through storytelling.  I never thought a film like this could make its own setting feel like actual characters. Who would’ve guessed that a John Wick film would evoke reactions to a set of stairs? The combination of time, suspense, and the challenge the stairs brought to Wick was incredibly entertaining and frustrating at the same time. Plus, it was nice to see the lore of the High Table and the many rules in this world get a deeper look. I liked the concept of the old ways and how clear these rules were to follow as a viewer.

Keanu Reeves as John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 4. Photo Credit: Murray Close

Another thing Stahelski did so well was making John Wick: Chapter 4 more than just a typical action movie. For one, the world-building in this movie was outstanding. It introduced new characters that didn’t detract from Wick’s main story. Actually, I quite enjoyed the vast array of characters. They allowed the film to breathe from Wick’s story and entertained audiences with more side battles. I think this worked mainly because it allowed the stunt actors to just go to work and not have to worry about taking breaks for a movie star to get more screen time.

Speaking of characters, obviously Keanu Reeves as John Wick was perfection. Wick is a pretty straightforward and simple character, but Reeves pretty much owns that character just as much as he does with Neo from the Matrix. I think the supporting cast is where John Wick: Chapter 4 truly shines. Donnie Yen (Caine) was the perfect antagonist to face against Wick. His character was so layered given his background and motivations but Yen captured everything about this character to make him worthy of his own movie if it called for it. Bill Skarsgard (The Marquis) was just the right level of a villain where he wasn’t boring, but evil enough to make you happy to root against him. Lastly, I loved Rina Sawayama (Akira) in her first feature film debut. I thought she handled her fight choreography scenes well and the emotional moments were delivered convincingly enough for me too.

THE BAD

One thing I noticed on multiple occasions was the instance of wait-and-see choreography. Often, especially during the scenes with Keanu Reeves, you’d see the stunt doubles get hit, and just stand up and wait their turn to get beat up next. Moments like that can get a pass in something like The Power Rangers or some B-movie, but with the director being a former stuntman, and this franchise practically redefining the action genre, stuff like that can’t be completely ignored. I have to put that on the director because those scenes could be tightened up with better editing, or just figure out better ways to make the fights more believable. If you have to kick some guy in the balls to really give him pause, then just do that, rather than punching him once and have him wait to get killed later on.

Keanu Reeves as John Wick in John Wick 4. Photo Credit: Murray Close

The second issue I had with this movie was just how unrealistic it got when it came to the level of damage people received. John Wick: Chapter 4 came dangerously close to Fast & Furious levels of logic when characters would sustain damage. I almost eye-rolled at how crazy some things got. For instance, if a character falls off a building or gets hit by a car, there’s no way you’re just going to walk that off. I have no idea how John Wick wasn’t dead halfway into the movie.

The Verdict

John Wick: Chapter 4 still reigns supreme by continuously setting the bar for the action genre. The combination of fights, humor, and emotional moments made this film more complete than anyone would anticipate. This was an absolute blast to watch in theaters, especially with a big crowd. My only hope is that in the future IF they decide to make another sequel (which I don’t think is really needed given this ending), they at least get back to making it more grounded. Yes, the action is a must. Yes, the fights can still be crazy. However, this isn’t some video game where the characters don’t suffer real consequences or injuries. 

Lance Reddick as Charon and Ian McShane as Winston in John Wick: Chapter 4. Photo Credit: Murray Close

While John Wick Chapter 4 isn’t my favorite film in the franchise, it certainly wasn’t at the bottom of my list either. I’d probably say John Wick Chapter 2 is at the top because of how much it piqued my interest in the huge world within this universe. Then John Wick Chapter 1 was still such a sweet surprise given the low expectations at first viewing. Third would be John Wick Chapter 4 for the reasons listed above and for giving a seemingly fitting ending to the franchise. Finally, John Wick Chapter 3 is at the bottom of my list. Despite still enjoying the film, I thought it felt a bit filler-ish in that it didn’t really do much for the story or character.

At the time of my viewing, the tragic passing of Lance Reddick hadn’t happened yet, but going back to revisit this film makes his final scene all the more heartbreaking. He will definitely be missed in this franchise among other things as well. Don’t forget to stay tuned until the very end credits for the post-credits scene. John Wick: Chapter 4 is in theaters now and is definitely worth the watch.  

Director: Chad Stahelski
Writer(s):Shay Hatten and Michael Finch
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne,
Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, and Ian McShane
John Wick: Chapter 4 hits theaters March 24, 2023. Be sure to follow E-Man’s Movie Reviews on Facebook, Subscribe on YouTube, or follow me on Twitter/IG @EmansReviews for even more movie news and reviews!