‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Review: The Best Action Blockbuster Since ‘Fury Road’ – IndieWire
The “John Wick” franchise has developed from a small-scale story of revenge for the killing of a spouse and a canine, to a globetrotting epic that spans continents, dozens of characters, and an intricate mythology. In its fourth chapter, director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves deliver this franchise again to its roots whereas increasing the world and the story to larger and bolder locations. The end result just isn’t solely one of the best film within the franchise, however one of the best American motion blockbuster since George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Highway.”
After going to conflict with primarily the whole world, and inflicting the deaths of a whole bunch of individuals, “Chapter 4” lastly begins pondering the query of simply how far John Wick is prepared to go for revenge, how many individuals near him he’s prepared to hazard, and whether or not it was all value it. At this level, that is now not concerning the killing of his spouse and canine, it’s about burning down a system that all the time resented Wick for abandoning it.
The issue is that now, John Wick’s pals and acquaintances are paying the worth of his little rebellion. This begins with the closure after which destruction of the Continental Resort by the enigmatic Excessive Desk, who’ve now resorted to hiring The Marquis. That is Invoice Skarsgård doing his greatest French Joker, enjoying the Marquis as a ruthless, typically hilarious, all the time chaotic and clever villain.
Like with each movie within the sequence, “John Wick: Chapter 4” provides to its ludicrously complicated mythology, introducing new guidelines to the Excessive Desk’s command, new sections of the franchise’s secret world of assassins, and new distinctive characters. There’s Shamier Anderson’s Mr. No person, a tracker who is aware of precisely the place John Wick will likely be subsequent however waits patiently till his bounty is giant sufficient to be value it to him, and who’s all the time accompanied by a devoted (and scene-stealer) German Shepherd. Whereas the movie goes greater in scope, it additionally manages to remain pretty grounded within the thought of relationships, specializing in John Wick and his allies and pals, resembling Winston — who tackle a bigger position this time round — or Wick’s former good friend, Caine.
Caine is one of the best character within the movie, with Donnie Yen bringing his martial arts superstardom to the “John Wick” universe with an intimidating but charismatic blind murderer with the same backstory to Wick, who’s compelled to hunt him on the request of the Excessive Desk. Even when he’s not combating, Yen steals each scene he’s in, even by simply slurping on noodles whereas his henchmen die throughout him, or when he makes use of Wifi-controlled doorbells to trace his enemies.
Creator Derek Kolstad steps down because the screenwriter of the movie, leaving scribe duties totally to the co-writer of the earlier entry within the franchise, Shay Hatten, in addition to Michael Finch. Regardless of the lengthy runtime, “John Wick: Chapter 4” has impeccable pacing. It by no means drags, however feels tightly targeted, and manages to develop even the brand new supporting forged, like Rina Sawayama’s murderer Akira — a standout — or Scott Adkins having the time of his life as a German murderer coated in heavy prosthetics. It additionally helps that this chapter within the story is nearly continuous motion, having every of the movie’s three acts revolving round breathtaking set piece after breathtaking set piece — every with its personal enemies, weapons, and units.
Certainly, one of the best ways to explain “John Wick: Chapter 4” is that it typically seems like watching “Mad Max: Fury Highway” and marveling at how they pulled that film off with out killing half the crew. As talked about, every set takes benefit of the totally different places and crews to ship wholly distinctive struggle scenes, and like in each film of the franchise, it continues to be a delight to see Keanu Reeves’ John Wick continuously be out of breath, knocked down, after which overwhelmed up earlier than he stands again up. The final arc, particularly, must be positioned within the Louvre, with a struggle in the midst of a transited Arc de Triomphe.
And but, as cool as it’s to see a susceptible John Wick, he nonetheless wants a number of devices. Clear amongst them, nevertheless, is his superpowered magical swimsuit that appears to fully deflect bullets, which turns the characters into superheroes about as really susceptible as a cartoon character. It by no means stops being a bit too ridiculous to see these assassins cowl their face with their fits and simply not take any injury — simply as John Wick is now apparently resistant to ache from being hit by a automobile — however it’s simple to let this slide when the motion scenes are so good.
Returning cinematographer Dan Laustsen continues to actually perceive and make the most of neon blues and reds, however he additionally offers us an unimaginable struggle finished as a one-liner with an overhead shot that makes the scene appear to be the “Hotline Miami” online game.
We’re 4 films in, and about to get spin-offs. This can be a film that appears not ahead towards some cash-grab sequel, however towards the previous and the way we acquired right here. Whether or not he will get out alive or useless, John Wick has to begin occupied with the place this quest leads, the place the street constructed on all of the useless our bodies he’s been laying in entrance of him leads. The reply is surprisingly meditative and poignant, one which makes this essentially the most emotionally resonant film of the franchise.
The “John Wick” saga has modified and developed all through the years, For this movie, there is no such thing as a denying the way it has made Chad Stahelski one in all our greatest motion filmmakers, and the way the franchise gave Keanu one more career-redefining position. It’s been a wild trip, and top-of-the-line and most constant film sequence ever. Irrespective of the place the roads lead, nevertheless, “I’m considering John Wick is again.”
Grade: A
“John Wick: Chapter 4” opens March 24.
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