John Wick: Chapter 4

Tonight, I finally got to see “John Wick: Chapter 4,” which came out theatrically in March and on Starz in September. The only problem is I don’t know anyone who has Starz, so I decided to do something I haven’t done since the lockdown: rent this film from the library. I started to watch this on Thanksgiving Day and I got through most of the movie. However, I was able to finish this tonight and now I will let everyone know my thoughts on one of my most wanted-to-watch movies of the year.

John Wick (aka “The Baba Yaga”) has been through a lot since he was conceived in Chad Stahelski’s “John Wick” in 2014. The original film co-directed by David Leitch saw the retired assassin and grieving widower go back to the underworld of the killer elite to revenge the murder of his dog, the last gift from his wife Helen to encourage him to keep living. Nadine Whitney said in her review, “In comparison to the following films in the ever-expanding franchise it was a stripped back affair that gave Keanu Reeves the chance to create another action legend who could dispatch adversaries with a pencil.”

“John Wick” was a decently straightforward revenge story with moving action directed by stuntman and action choreographer Stahelski. It showed his strong eye for the genre and gave memorable set pieces that would go on to larger and sometimes not better things as the series continued. Whitney said, “By the second and third instalments the audience became aware of an international network of assassins controlled by ‘The High Table’ that appeared to mimic an arcane and even quasi-religious society. The lore built up and soon words like ‘consecrated’ and ‘excommunicated’ became part of the John Wick lexicon. Tokens, tickets, blood markers and other bizarre currencies bled into the action – whether this was for good or not is up to the individual viewer.”

What the John Wick franchise did give was an awesome amount for action and martial legends to get their time in a mainstream American franchise. Mark Dacascos was the highlight as Zero in the third film. In “John Wick: Chapter 4” the legendary Donnie Yen is front and center with Hiroyuki Sanada and often overlooked action star Scott Adkins coming along for the enjoyable ride. In terms of honoring the genre of action, Stahelski walks the walk.

Kind of breaking from the traditional closeness of the chapters following each other in real-time, John has been hiding out with the Bowery King, reprised by Laurence Fishburne, long enough for both of their scars and wounds to heal since what transpired in the last film. John is now out for revenge against the High Table. He travels to Morocco and puts a bullet in the head of the Elder, reprised by George Georgiou (the only one who stands above the High Table), who put him in a weak situation in the last film. Meanwhile, the Harbinger (Clancy Jones) desecrates Winston Scott’s (Ian McShane) New York Continental Hotel. He and Charon (Lance Reddick) are brought to meet the Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard in complete 19th-century groovy mode) who has made it clear that it is not only time to get rid of John Wick finally, but to kill the very idea of John Wick. The New York Continental exploded in broad daylight. The Marquis has the backing of the High Table and is not doing things by halves.

“John Wick: Chapter 4” continues its traveling adventures. John is hiding in the Osaka Continental under the protection of his old friend Shimazu Koji, played by Hiroyuki Sanada, who is the manager. His daughter, Akira, played by Rina Sawayam, is the concierge. The Marquis’ team is led by Chidi, played by Marko Zaror, attack. For both John and Shimazu, there is a surprising addition to the Marquis’ team, their once close associate, Caine, played by Donnie Yen, a blind assassin who has been pulled back into the eye of the High Table under the threat of them killing his daughter.

“Rules and consequences” are part of the lore of the franchise. For every act, there is an estimate. Despite the High Table having to stand by a secret set of rules, they also have little problem with bending them as they fit. The rules take John to Berlin where he needs to be reinstated with the Ruska Roma so he can challenge the Maruqis to a single fight. When he arrives, he comes across Killa, played by Scott Adkins in a fat suit and a ridiculous accent. Even though the scenes in Berlin are heavy with action, there is a certain softness that takes over the narrative. Stahelski has realized just how much the franchise looks like a video game and has gone in that direction. Whitney said, “It looks amazing (the films always do) but it feels a little like a cut scene that you have to watch before you can get on with the rest of the game.”

Everything ends up with the final fight in Paris at the Sacre-Coeur, but there are some incredible scenes (one shot entirely from above that is worth seeing the film) to make you realize why the John Wick franchise is the best mainstream action franchise.

Whitney mentioned, “There are numerous call-backs to the previous films, so it is a good idea to be aware of what has come before. Keanu Reeves makes the most of his near monosyllabic hero and utilises everything he has to provide a compelling performance that knows how over the top it is.” Donnie Yen is just excellent, and Ian McShane gets some of the best lines in the film. The supporting cast including Natalia Tena as John’s adoptive sister Katia and especially Shamier Anderson as Mr. Nobody the tracker/bounty hunter (and the man with a dog) give the film both the gravity and humor that keep it going. Bill Skarsgard’s arrogant Marquis is a brilliant addition – the fact that Stahelski’s introductory shot of him is his eye twitching is a certain type of intelligence.

Whitney noted, “We come to John Wick films for the action, and it is high octane and perfectly shot. The fact that most of the actors do their own stunts is one of the major drawcards in the franchise. Keanu has proven his mettle as an action star in The Matrix films (Stahelski was a choreographer and stunt double for Neo – there is a full circle aspect to the franchise) and the inclusion of some of the world’s greatest martial arts/action practitioners as leads and supporting characters makes JW4 the very best of the sequels.” You might have seen some of it before, but it has never been as big and hasty as it is in this sequel.

This is, hands down, the best of the sequels. Despite the fact that this film is nearly three hours long, it is nonstop action at its finest. You will be on the edge of your seat the entire time waiting to see what will happen next. They upped their game in this sequel and you will enjoy it. If you haven’t seen this yet, and you have Starz, see it. This is one of those films that is not to be missed by any fans of the series. I’m so surprised at how Reeves has changed from a boring, one-note character actor into one of the best action stars we have seen. You have to see this film to see where the franchise will go. Especially the ending which may leave you wondering what is going to happen. There is a spin-off film that will come out next year and a fifth film in development.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Stay tuned next month to see what I will end the year off with.