The 4th installment in the John Wick saga does many things well and even manages to top things previously done in the series.
With the price on his head ever increasing, legendary hitman John Wick (Keanu Reeves) takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most influential players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Japan to Berlin.
The acting in this film is simplistic and extreme, and the characters you love to just hold on to in the grand scheme of things. It all just works together in this action-packed movie and still manages to create these elements that we have all come to love with a little more meat than some of the other films in this genre.
There is definitely a bit more story-building happening in this one and much more character development than in past films. The 4th chapter starts to expand upon Wick’s background while opening up the floodgates of new characters and tries to help build more of the past. It’s endearing, deeper, and establishes layers to characters that they can expand upon in some form or another. Also, this particular installment has enough moments to help keep things engaging and intense which helps Wick’s story continue to expand into levels that just make you continue to root for this man.
The emotions in this film were surprising because they really pushed into those little divots from the past and extends them creating more engaging character moments. Music, cinematography, and the story are used at great levels and establishes moments that help ground the action. It’s balanced to the point that it only adds to the story and doesn’t take anything away, which gives stakes and care to the action sequences.
For a film like this, you have to make things shine to capture the action and make it really stand out. The sequences in this film have the sounds to capture and bring you into the film. Bullets bouncing, clips discharging, swords clanging, and explosions rattling with the music. But, audio can only go so far if you don’t have the visuals to back it up, and this film has some tricks and trades that make the insanity come to life. It’s all captured with great camera work and editing that doesn’t get lost in shoddy work.
The action sequences are the heart of this film and this 4th installment adds a lot more action than previous films, mainly due to it being the longest film in the franchise. It’s simplistic at first, but then the movie starts to evolve to add to the story elements in each fight, while also adding different styles to them.
Overall, John Wick: Chapter 4 is shaping up to be one of the best action movies in quite some time and probably one of the best films in the series. It has heart, emotion, and depth that was unexpected as the worlds collided and it balanced a lot of things to integrate into the action sequences. The film is visually stunning, a brilliant collaboration of sound and video that gives this action-packed movie the intensity that will have you on the edge of your seat. If you look past all the darkness and violence, this film gives fans more of what they want and actually manages to push the envelope with it. However, this film still has things that need some fine-tuning. The pacing still needs some work to help give the film the bite it wants, along with more character balancing. Nevertheless, John Wick: Chapter 4 definitely still has enough going for it to drag you to the theater.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is now playing in theaters.
What did you think of the film? Let us know in the comments below.
