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MOVIE REVIEW
'John Wick: Chapter 4' Is A Must-See Action Movie
By Sal LoCicero | March 29, 2023
John Wick has been killing over a dozen assassins for almost ten years, and with each entry in this franchise, he appears to be even more unstoppable than before. At first, John Wick went on to avenge his puppy, and he succeeded in his own mission. Then, when an old friend betrays him, Wick goes on another mission to take the man down. However, with his patience at the lowest, John Wick decided to kill his friend on Continental grounds. From the end of the second movie, all the way through the entirety of the third film, ‘Parabellum’, John Wick has been “excommunicado” with the price on his head increasing minute by minute.
‘John Wick Chapter 4’ continues where the third movie left off, Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) retrieved John Wick after he got shot off of the Continental balcony, and now, John Wick is up against the “High Table” to acquire his freedom, but in doing so, he gets put to the test with so many trained assassins throughout parts of the world who are determined to execute him.
Unlike the three previous movies, this fourth installment pushes all of the boundaries with its action, its story, its characters, and its lengthy runtime. Chad Stahelski manages to keep this story as fresh and exciting as possible.
Just when you thought that the previous movie, ‘Parabellum’, was the craziest entry, ‘John Wick Chapter 4’ is here to prove otherwise. The action sequences are on par with ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ in that it is truly wild, especially with one scene in particular. The cinematography by Dan Laustsen is spotless, and this is by far the best visual looking John Wick movie.
The structure is different, and while that has to do with the story, the different writers, and the runtime, it helps make for an entertaining movie experience. At 2 hours and 49 minutes, there is never a moment that feels dull. A lot of new characters are introduced and all of them play a pivotal role. Donnie Yen is amazing in every scene that he’s in, Shamier Anderson plays a character who goes by the name of Mr Nobody and he is very interesting. While Mr Nobody does participate in the hunt for John Wick, there is something that he demands to receive in favor of killing Wick. Bill Skarsgard is evil, even without makeup he plays a threatening villain, you hate him and fear him at the same time.
Keanu Reeves has never been better in this role, he kicks ass in the most hardcore ways and it is breathtaking to watch, although some of the fights do eventually get ridiculous in the last act. John Wick will have himself open for many to shoot at him, but many of the assassins start to suffer from stormtrooper aim. Through the majority of this epic long feature everything feels at stake and no one can be trusted, at least that’s what the filmmakers want you to believe, that is until certain characters go from deadly to friendly during the final combat sequence, and it did not seem earned at all.
There is still a chance for a fifth film somewhere along the way, that is only if the cast and crew are up for one last round, but as of right now, ‘John Wick Chapter 4’ is a must-see action movie that delivers all the excitement and thrills that fans and moviegoers want from the genre.
Grade: A-
What are your thoughts?
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