Saturday 25 March 2023

John Wick: Chapter 4 (Movie Review)


The Baba Yaga returns in John Wick: Chapter 4. And as a big fan of the three prior entries in the series, I thought I knew what to expect heading into this latest one. But as I've also come to discover in my many years as a cinephile, more of the same is not necessarily a bad thing. So the question then is does the new John Wick movie match the thrills of its predecessors, or does it perhaps even manage to find new or inventive ways to exceed them?

The film follows the events of the last one, which if you remember had ended with a battered and bruised John Wick vowing to get revenge against the High Table, the organization that controls the criminal underworld he has been dragged back into. But like all things in life, this pursuit does not come without its own share of consequences. So before we know it, John is faced with his greatest challenge yet, one that would test the bounds of old and new friendships alike. And all that while the bounty on his head continues to rise higher in response to the stacks of bodies he leaves in his wake.

The John Wick films have always had a certain B-movie level appeal to them, with their revenge-driven plots, high-octane action scenes, and impressive stuntwork. But what really works to set them apart from other films of that ilk is their excellent world-building. Everything from the operations of the hotel Continental and the various rules and regulations that govern the High Table speaks to a larger-than-life mythology. And all through the series, the writers and director have always strived to shed more light on its world while gunning to outdo their previous effort.

The same is definitely true of John Wick: Chapter 4, a movie that barely ever takes its foot off the pedal over the course of its nearly three hours runtime. From the moment we catch up with the titular assassin preparing for bloody retribution, to the film's highly-kinetic third act, your mind is barely given any room to wander or lose interest. And while that might sound like overkill to some, it is simply true that its filmmakers know precisely what its audience wants, namely some creative action set pieces and a cast of colorful characters worth investing in.

And the new John Wick film delivers all of that in spades. Each new set piece manages to upstage the last, as though the filmmakers had challenged themselves to find increasingly creative ways for John Wick to dispatch his foes before the whole thing eventually culminates in a surprisingly emotional showdown. A few of those set pieces might seem like variations of what came before, but trust me when I say you haven't seen action done quite like this.

And all of it is framed by some of the best cinematography I have seen in the genre. There is one particular shootout that takes place inside an abandoned building that looks like it was ripped straight out of Hotline Miami. The sound design and music that accompany these sequences also deserve mention, though chances are you might be too busy wincing at the bone-crunching stunts to notice that. The whole thing does threaten to become overwhelming before long, but to simply call the action in the movie over-the-top or relentless does a disservice to the level of love and care that has clearly gone into crafting each and every scene.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is the most fun I have had in a cinema in years. It takes the series to new heights as it builds upon everything that came before it. Most other franchises would be in danger of losing steam or becoming repetitive by their fourth entries, but this one shows that it still has more than a few tricks up its sleeves. So if we don't get any further installments following this most recent round of cinematic bloodshed, then I am at least glad that the franchise has been able to go out with one hell of a bang.

6 comments:

  1. It's good to hear that it delivers, for the men in my family's sakes. They'd be bummed if the movies was a dud.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol. I can definitely relate. Hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

      Delete
  2. That they can keep it fresh speaks volumes. Liked the other three but just not enough to sit through almost three hours for another one. I will check it out when it hits streaming - and can pause when I need to!
    Fingers crossed that next week's Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is as fun as the commercials appear. I've not been this excited for a film in years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Totally understandable. And I hope that Dungeons & Dragons delivers too. Early buzz seems to indicate that it is a potentially fun watch.

      Delete
  3. I heard yesterday this is going to stream free on the Roku Channel so maybe I'll stream it then though I didn't like the first one all that much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh. Glad to hear that you'll potentially get to stream it for free eventually. I personally think this new one is the best of the bunch, even though it is more of the same.

      Delete