AFTER roaring onto the scene with its standout debut film in 2014, the John Wick franchise followed up with two mostly solid, but decidedly not revolutionary sequels. Heading into John Wick: Chapter 4, which boasts a notable 2hr 49min runtime (substantially longer than any other entry), I was admittedly weary. Could the fourth entry in a somewhat stagnant franchise manage to impress in new and inventive ways? Could it do so without letting its heavy runtime weigh it down? Amazingly, it is able to do all of that and more. It turns out John Wick: Chapter 4 is not only the best entry in the John Wick series, but it legitimately sets a new standard for martial arts films moving forward.
John Wick: Chapter 4 opens with John Wick (Keanu Reeves) and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) ominously discussing the onset of John’s new counter-offensive. From there John kills some people, other people get increasingly upset and punish his friends to varying degrees, and ultimately John challenges the new big bad, Marchese de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard), to a duel in order to secure his freedom from the High Table. Admittedly, the plot is a bit thin, even if the list of exotic destinations is not. It serves its purpose well enough, acting as the connective tissue for the real reason you’re watching this and even closes on an emotionally touching note. The acting itself is similarly serviceable. Bill Skarsgard dons a truly insane French accent and Keanu’s struggle with the spoken word continues. That’s not to say the performances take away from the film, for the most part they actually work quite well with the overwhelming style emanating from every frame.
Speaking of exotic destinations, oh boy does this film have a lot of them. New York City, Japan, France, and more turn this entry into a globetrotting epic. Only the quality of one of the first locations, Morocco, feels a bit out of place in the grand scheme of things, especially since it houses the inciting incident of the whole story. Watching John chase a handful of men around on horseback in the empty desert before executing a (very important) man who might as well be at a picnic just feels underdeveloped compared to the brilliance of what quickly follows.
And what follows truly is brilliant. Once you get past that one rushed scene, every frame oozes style. Bright, vivid, neon colors paint the screen. The electrifying soundtrack sets the blood racing. Whereas earlier entries had one or two truly standout sequences, along with some filler duds, each and every scenario here impresses. There is no shortage of sexy, loud, and stylish locations for John and friends to cause absolute mayhem in. Demand to see this on the biggest screen with the loudest speakers possible. The only drawback is the often noticeable CGI backgrounds, but again, they mostly melt into the positively overpowering decadence of the scenes- so they work.
Now let’s address the obvious. The real reason you’re watching John Wick: Chapter 4 isn’t the acting, overarching narrative, or (thankfully) non-existent social commentary. You’re here for the stunts and oh my does John Wick deliver. Throughout the entire film, the fight choreography is truly insane and incredibly inventive at every opportunity. Whether the characters on screen are using guns, knives, katanas, nunchucks, suits, dogs, or pencils it all flows so fluidly and shockingly never feels silly. The film consistently one-ups itself when it comes to the creativity of the deaths as well. Shooting arrows through arms to create human pinwheels, scaling men’s backs with knives, and lighting enemies on fire with dragon breath ammunition are just a few examples of what keeps you fully engrossed in the ever changing action. Director Chad Stahelski even manages to blend humor into the fight choreography itself without undermining the overall tone of the film, which deserves a round of applause. Caine (Donnie Yen) is simply the cherry on top. A former friend of John Wick turned enemy, the blind assassin acts as an inspired creative wrinkle to the numerous deadly dances. You have not seen door bells used like this before.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is the culmination of the entire series and represents the perfection of all of the different ideas and concepts that have been toyed with up until now. The film’s lengthy runtime flies by, with every second of it earned. It not only delivers top notch inventive action sequences, a Hotline Miami inspired climax which will leave you mesmerized, and a satisfying payoff to the earlier entries’ elaborate world building, but it accomplishes all that with such visual and auditory style and finesse that it honestly sets a new standard for martial arts films moving forward. John Wick: Chapter 4 is a crowning achievement for the genre.
