‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Review – A Buffet Of Bullet Casings And Broken Necks
In the span of four films, the John Wick franchise has become a bloody action extravaganza.
And while at this point you already know loosely what to expect of the series’ final entry, Chapter 4 still plays it cool with a stacked supporting cast and a few incredible surprises.
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Written and directed by John Wick franchise mainstays Derek Kolstad and stunt coordinator-turned-director Chad Stahelski with co-writing credits from Shay Hatten (Day Shift, Army of the Dead) and Michael Finch (Predators, The November Man), John Wick: Chapter 4 finds John, still in hiding since the end of the last film, looking for a way to get revenge on the High Table.
Initially traveling the world for sanctuary, John has since found himself motivated by vengeance to finish out his hard-fought path to freedom. However, as the price on his head is only increasing, his surviving long enough to reach that freedom may turn out to be a feat in itself.
Among the members of the High Table spotlighted in this film is Donnie Yen’s Caine, an assassin who shares both a history and mutual friendship with John.
It’s not like Donnie Yen hasn’t portrayed a blind martial arts bad ass before, but his role in Chapter 4 feels like the first time he’s portrayed a supporting character who is equally intriguing and on the same level as the lead.
Having given his eye to the High Table in order to guarantee their protection of his daughter, he, like John, was once retired from the assassination business before being pulled back in because of his family.
As Caine, Yen is able to showcase his spectacular martial arts background while also serving as the film’s main source of comedic relief. It’s the first time he’s really felt like a central and important character in an American film.
Then there’s Scott Adkins, who dives into uncharted territory by donning a fat suit, using an inhaler, and talking with a German accent in his portrayal of the German High Table member Killa Harkan.
Taking inspiration for his performance from Ronald Lacey’s depiction of Toht in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Adkins plays Killa like a delightfully deceptive snake, his mild-mannered behavior being nothing more than a tactic he utilizes to iron out how he’s going to screw over his opponents.
Notably, seeing Adkins fight Keanu Reeves in a club setting at his fat-suit-bolstered size is as impressive as it is exhilarating.
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And finally, pulling the strings to the entire affair with a heartless demeanor is Bill Skarsgård’s Marquis Vincent de Gramont.
His position as a member of the High Table having allowed him to live the life of a luxurious god, Marquis’ power lies not only within the crazy amount of money he can and will throw around at a moment’s notice, but also his skills as a cunning manipulator.
John may use weapons and his fists to fight, but Marquis would challenge someone to a duel and quote-unquote, ‘Murder them with words’. He’s a pretentious prick and you love to hate him.
Coming in with a run time just shy of three hours, Chapter 4 is the longest John Wick film to date. While it certainly feels drawn out in some places, the film is mostly one seamless and fantastic action sequence from beginning to end.
However, the last hour is where the film truly shines. In particular this is a roundabout sequence that is out of this world insanity, as what begins as a car chase through oncoming traffic evolves into a car-dodging fight in the middle of the street – all of which looks like it was done mostly with practical effects.
There’s also a top-down action sequence, colloquially referred to as the ‘god’s eye fight’, where the camera seems to be placed on a high ceiling while traveling from room to room to mind-blowing effect.
Not only is the perspective a unique one in the cinematic landscape (and apparently borrowed, according to Stahelski, from the 2019 video game Hong Kong Massacre), but during the fight John uses a modified shotgun that fires Dragon’s Breath, a type of ammunition that basically explodes fire onto enemies.
The staircase sequence before the final battle also deserves to be discussed.
Forced to survive the night before being allowed to make the final challenge for his freedom, John’s last task is to climb a staircase of some 200-odd stairs where everyone in the franchise who hasn’t been killed returns one last time to try and cash in on John’s bounty.
The sequence has some spectacular action, but what makes it so memorable is the sheer amount of times John is kicked back down the stairs.
Speaking of the final battle, the most upsetting aspect of the entire film is the fact that they filmed its climax in front of a green screen.
The sequence hops from Osaka to New York to Berlin and finally to Paris, with each respective breathtaking shot being filmed on location and amplified by a visually orgasmic kaleidoscope of club lighting, only for its final sequence to be totally bogged down with CGI.
The fact that the sunrise factors into the fight and the inherent difficulty in capturing that moment in real life are the most likely culprits as to why the film went this route, but in the end, it leaves the moment feeling a little mediocre.
Nobody wants the John Wick franchise to end and while we will very likely get an eventual sequel, John Wick: Chapter 4 feels final.
The franchise absolutely could continue, but it could also end right here and be totally satisfying.
The story may be basic and the dialogue a little cringe at times, but when the jaw-dropping stunts and brutally mesmerizing action choreography are this entertaining, what does it matter?
At the end of the day, John Wick: Chapter 4 is explosive, nunchuck-bashing, bone-crunching cinematic ecstasy that allows action junkies to gorge on a buffet of bullet casings and broken necks.
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