REVIEW: John Wick: Chapter 4

Sometimes a trilogy is just not enough

Director: Chad Stahelski
Writers: Shay Hatten (written by), Michael Finch (written by), Derek Kolstad (based on characters created by)
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, George Georgiou
Runtime: 169 mins
MPAA Rating: R

      What originally seemed like a tight one-off Keanu Reeves action vehicle was merely a harbinger for an expansive film franchise with increasingly intricate world building. Growing in runtime with each release, the fourth entry in the franchise clocks in just south of three hours. Is there possibly enough excessively choreographed fight scenes, eccentric villains, raw vengeance, and Keanu grimacing to sustain such a sprawling length? Going into my viewing, I was prepared to copy-and-paste my John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum review as the prominent action and story elements reliably transfer entry to entry. However, I was pleasantly surprised that John Wick: Chapter 4 manages to set itself apart primarily by dealing with weightier implications for its main character, lending the presentation heightened tension and gravitas, while still delivering everything the franchise has already proven to do really well.

      Set immediately after the previous film, the plot continues with John Wick’s attempt to escape the wrath of and exact vengeance upon the so-called High Table, the shadowy leadership of the underground world of assassins, while possibly gaining his freedom at the end of it all. If you do not remember where the story left off or this entry is your first foray into the franchise, it is enough to know that a bunch of very strange, powerful, and violent people want to kill John Wick and anyone aiding and abetting him. I was prepared for another single-layer plot where external forces have Mr. Wick go from Location 1 to Location 2 to transition the story from contrived Plot Point A to Plot Point B and so on and so forth. Instead, the writers give considerable weighting to both internal and external motivations of the main character and naturally structure the plot elements around his arc.

      The franchise’s best entry up to this point is the eponymous first film because John Wick is doggedly motivated (excuse the pun) in his personal quest for vengeance and becomes more than a surface-level stoic and burdened fighter with whom the audience can deeply empathize; the simple story satisfies the human desire to see proportionate justice carried out for horrific crimes by having John Wick be the human vessel of retribution. While still fine action films, the second and third entries have John Wick be primarily reactive in all his motivations and the character changes minimally from beginning to end. Consequently, those two admittedly more complicated plots are fuzzier in my memory; the stories are less memorable than the action set pieces. Upon reaching this fourth entry John Wick is a character who has outlived a definite purpose and, surprisingly, the writers acknowledge that there is no logical meaningful endpoint to this character in his current state even if he stays alive through his present circumstances. Consequently, the thematic core of this film is about a man with a purely negative definition grappling with his mortal limits, a refreshing example of intelligent screenwriting. John Wick is completely defined by those against whom he is seeking vengeance and struggles with who he has become in the shadow of death. Excellent scenes reinforce John’s existential pondering including an honest conversation with an old friend who reminds him that “no one can kill everyone” and “a good death can only come after a good life”. The central antagonist taunts him face-to-face that John Wick is a killer with no other purpose. Later in the film, he sits in a church contemplating the life he once had with his deceased wife amidst a violent game rigged against him in every conceivable way; John realizes he is incapable of carrying out vengeance against all the forces of evil and making the conscious decision to do only what is necessary to achieve freedom from his past life. He is now fighting against the person into which he has been made. Chapter 4 succeeds by restoring a genuine human connection to its protagonist.

      With the film supporting its serious tone and grandiose presentation with a strong character foundation, director Chad Stahelski is able to effectively build and maintain tension and not have the film devolve into silly schlock or crumble under its own weight. That being said, plenty of levity enters the film primarily through eccentric secondary characters and playful dialogue delivered straight-faced. Of nearly equal prominence to John Wick in this film are its villains. Main antagonist Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) is an extravagantly wealthy and elegantly spoken aristocratic member of the High Table with limitless resources at his disposal to eliminate John; he is a volatile personality with a penchant for unhinged displays of violence, making him easy to root against. Secondary villain Killa Harkan (Scott Adkins) steals the spotlight during a subplot in Berlin as a maniacal, duplicitous card-playing crime boss who laughs and smiles through gold-plated teeth. Ancillary characters Winston Scott (Ian McShane), Charon (Lance Reddick, RIP), and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) appear yet again and all the actors are serviceable in their reprised roles.

      The action set piece eye candy that everyone has come to know and love from this franchise is alive and well. Thrilling multi-part action sequences surpassing twenty minutes in length include an all-out brawl in an Osaka hotel and a street shootout involving numerous assailants and vehicles around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. As always, Stahelski, a former stuntman, films every fight with abundant clarity and a creative style peculiar to the characters and setting involved. In particular, the action choreography cleverly integrates two new characters Caine (Donnie Yen), an elite blind assassin who has history with John, and Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson), a mysterious bounty hunter with ambiguous loyalty and an emotional support dog. Overall, little changes stylistically with regards to the visual presentation from previous entries. Dark environments abound accented by precisely chosen colors and shapes of light. Outdoor locations in cities near public landmarks often have no pedestrians present creating an imposing barren feel to the surroundings. All of the proceedings have a smooth modern look to them making Chapter 4 an overall pleasant viewing experience.

      While the film could possibly use an editing trim, every aspect of the film is purposeful and looks really cool. The extended runtime does not wear you down. Finding out the fate of John Wick at the end of this story is a genuinely rewarding. As expected, the seriousness of the film is hard-limited by how ridiculous the premise fundamentally is, but the film leans in to its ridiculous nature to creatively yield maximum excitement. The filmmakers deliver on the John Wick action essentials with a superior script that naturally fleshes out the hero of its franchise. I have come back to this film wanting to rewatch it from start to finish while I only revisit specific action scenes from the previous two films. I am uncertain if it surpasses the original 2014 film, but Chapter 4 is nonetheless of considerable quality and should be enjoyed by all action movie fans.

RATING: ★★★★