John Wick: Chapter 4
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 4
The John Wick franchise has always held a very strong parallel to the days of silent cinema. Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 pay significant homage to the work of Buster Keaton, and the poster of 2 directly references the iconic Harold Lloyd publicity still for Two-Gun Gussie. The stunt work of the time is a major source of reason for those homages. However, I’ve always seen the action of John Wick as predicament-centred first and foremost. Much like the silent cinema that it’s bowing down to, Wick is constantly between a rock and a hard place: thrown off buildings, kicked, shot, stabbed, chased, and in the palm of a million different higher powers. I believe this peaked in 2019 with 3; the pedal-to-the-metal ‘excommunicado’ escape adventure-action orchestra entry into the series. High off its fumes, I was ready for more.
I’m pleased to report that John Wick: Chapter 4 retains the franchise’s utterly impeccable action choreography and formal expertise. I’m less pleased to report that 4 lacks the tightness of its predecessors in exchange for an overloaded affair, exchanging the mythology for poorly realised poignancy. That said, it’s still an exhaustingly accomplished behemoth that is loaded with action set-pieces, neon-drenched lights, pulsating sound, and Donnie Yen scaling the almost impossible task of upstaging Reeves in this franchise (if it was going to be anyone, it was going to be Yen though, wasn’t it?).
John Wick is back. This time, he’s looking for a means to an end. It needs to be more than putting a bullet in someone, we all know that he can do that with ease. John needs his freedom from the watchful eye of the high table, and getting that is not going to be easy…
This monster of an action epic sets the stage in delectable style as Wick pounds his bloody fist into a training stump. The cinema rocked with the vibrations of the impact, and it doesn't get much quieter from there. That's to be expected. For 169 minutes, you will be pummelled with outstandingly executed moments of gun-fu as Wick and friends lay waste to baddies from the gorgeously lit interiors of the Osaka Continental, the vehicular chaos encircling the Arc de Triomphe, and the dingy, wet underground nightclubs of Berlin. Pound for pound, John Wick: Chapter 4 offers the most it possibly can. Inevitably, you will find the 'peak' in the form of a Hotline Miami-esque overhead tracking shot moment where John eliminates a horde of assassins with none other than a round of dragon's breath shotgun loads. It is a total massacre, and it absolutely owns.
Other than Wick, we are joined on the ride alongside Mr Nobody (AKA 'The Tracker', a beanie-donning bounty hunter played by Shamier Anderson) and Caine (this universe's answer to Daredevil in the form of Yen). Japanese-British singer Rina Sawayama also makes a small appearance as Akira, a bow-wielding concierge. Sawayama and Anderson are tremendous, but they don't hold a candle to the work of Donnie Yen. Caine steals the show, utilising his senses to silkily dispatch opponents with cat-like precision in hand-to-hand combat, or with deadly blades. It is a joy to behold.
Top-notch action cannot completely offset the feeling of overwhelming indifference I had towards a handful of aspects Chapter 4 becomes enamoured with. I didn't feel overly compelled or threatened by the main antagonist Marquis (Bill Skarsgård), a whiny little rich boy who represents the high table's best interests. Besides, I got the sense very late on that this was, overall, an ending that didn't earn its right to be an ending. Touching elements have never been this franchise's strong suit, so when they try and tie up arcs, the resolution feels misplaced and janky. The writing of the Wick series was at its strongest when it was embracing the mythology of Wick and dazzled him with iconography. Even so, it is possible to possess life-affirming writing AND grandiose speeches on the legendary nature of this character, the former has just never felt all that genuine (except for the first instalment). If you, like I, thought that the oftentimes prophetic mythology of Chapter 3 was one of its strongest suits, you might be let down here.
In what could possibly be the closing chapter of the Wick series, Chapter 4 is somewhat soporific in its gargantuan, stomping nature. You'll be neutralised with its cool-as-you-like eliminations and silly, playful machinations (I almost forgot to mention Scott Adkins as Killa, a gold-toothed cartoon character villain, you'll know when you come across him!) but maybe slightly bummed by its lack of conviction as it fumbles the conclusion. For what it's worth, this is a truthfully entertaining romp that I would more than be happy to sit through again. Despite everything, it's still John fucking Wick.
