JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 Review

The Legend Concludes?

Watching a John Wick movie is like watching professional wrestling.  It’s completely scripted, wonderfully violent, and at times hard to watch, but you can rest easy knowing that no one is actually getting hurt.  It comes as no surprise then, that the fourth installment delivers exactly what you would expect: more guns, more headshots, more bodies, and more of Keanu Reeves walking off injuries that would kill most mortal men.  It stays true to form while upping the ante, delivering everything the growing fanbase wanted. With the biggest box office opening of the franchise, all the markers of success have been achieved. 

Mr. Wick is back, still seeking an escape from the murderous underworld that wants him dead.  After killing nearly every assassin sent to take him out and completing a side-quest in exchange for a helping hand, The Boogeyman must win a one-on-one duel to the death.  No matter the outcome, he’ll be free.

I enjoyed the movie thoroughly.  It’s absolutely crazy, requiring a suspension of disbelief that can only be acquired by watching the previous installments.  The level of cool is 10/10.  A macabre sense of humor punctuates the action perfectly.  The “dance” choreography continues to amaze.  The scale is epic, and the cinematography is the best of the franchise.  Of course, I would watch it for the guns alone. 

There are some issues with the movie.  It is ridiculously long and gratuitous.  The plot doesn’t hold up to the highest scrutiny.  Some of the earlier action sequences are sloppy and unnecessary, adding nothing to the story and marred by noticeable glitches in the normally immaculate choreography.  However, the second half of the movie makes up for it.  All I could think during the build-up to the climactic duel was, “How did they do that?”

John’s character is not as motivated as he was in the other films.  As Marquis puts it, John is a ghost with nothing to live, die, or kill for.  Marquis himself, played by Bill Skarsgard, is also sadly unmotivated.  All he does is sport awesome suits and drop a few Quotables, albeit with an incredible screen presence.   The only glue that keeps us hooked to the story is our love for the already established characters, and a new, sympathetic antagonist played by Donnie Yen.  It seems the film exists only for the purpose of wrapping the story up, unless money persuades them to make another. 

To sum up, I would say that it’s a good one to end on.  You can say that about each installment, but John Wick: Chapter 4 delivers a more satisfactory conclusion in the form of a gorgeous finale of violence.  I personally hope they quit while they’re ahead.  There’s only so much more they can do now that they’ve finally begun to reach the limit of the one-upmanship that is a hallmark of the franchise.  The only thing that can kill John Wick is a disappointing entry.  Four out of four isn’t bad, time to stop playing roulette.