‘John Wick: Chapter 4 Review: The Best Action Blockbuster Since ‘Fury Road
The John Wick franchise evolved from a small tale of revenge for the death of a woman and the murder of a house, spanning continents, dozens of characters and a complex mythology. In the fourth installment, director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves return the franchise to its roots, expanding the world and story to bigger and bolder places. The result is not only the best film of the franchise, but also the best American action film, George Miller's Mad Max. After the movie Fury Road.
After practically starting a war with the entire world and causing hundreds of deaths, Chapter 4 finally begins to answer the question of how far John Wick is willing to go for revenge and how far those close to him are willing to go. do it. take the risk and it's worth it. At this point, it's no longer about killing his wife and dog, but burning the system that always resented Wick for leaving him.
The thing is, now John Wick's friends and acquaintances are paying the price for his little rebellion. It begins with the closing and destruction of the Continental Hotel by the mysterious Mesa Alta, who has now turned to El Marquez for the job. This is Bill Skarsgård playing his French Joker at his best, playing the Marquis as a ruthless, often funny, always chaotic, intelligent villain.
As with all the films in the franchise, "John Wick. Chapter 4 adds to his incredibly complicated mythology, introducing new rules for ruling the High Table, new chapters in the secret world of the franchise's killers, and a unique new character. . This is Shamier Anderson's Mr. Nobody, a the detective who knows exactly where the next John Wick will be, but patiently waits until his paycheck is big enough to be worth it, always accompanied by a loyal German shepherd (and scene stealer)....the film is wider, he also manages to stay driven by relationships, focusing on John Wick and his allies and friends, such as Winston, who gets a bigger role this time around, or Wick's former friend Kane.
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Kane is the best character in the film, with Donnie Yen bringing himself as a martial arts star to the John Wick universe as a terrifying but charismatic blind assassin with a Wick-like backstory who is forced to follow him. At the request of the Armenians. Table. Even when he's not fighting, Yen steals every scene he's in, even devouring noodles as his friends die in the vicinity or using a Wi-Fi-controlled doorbell to track his foes.
Creator Derek Kolstad will step down as the film's writer, leaving script duties in the hands of Shay Hatten, who co-wrote the previous installments of the franchise, as well as Michael Finch. Despite its length, “John Wick. Chapter 4” has perfect pacing. It's never boring, but feels very focused and manages to complement the young supporting cast as well, such as Akira's killer Rina Sawayama, who is a standout, or Scott Adkins, who delights as a German assassin with prosthetics. . It also helps that these story chapters are almost continuous action, with each of the film's three acts revolving around impressive environments, each with its own enemies, weapons, and scenery.
In fact, “John Wick. The best way to describe Chapter 4 is that it often feels like you're watching Mad Max. Fury Road” and I wonder how they managed to make that movie without killing half the crew. As mentioned, each set makes use of different locations and equipment to deliver completely unique fight scenes, and as with every film in the series, it's still a pleasure to see Keanu Reeves' John Wick gasping for breath, exasperated. , then press before you get up. The final arch, in particular, is believed to be in the Louvre, with the duel in the center of the Arc de Triomphe.
However, as great as it is to see a vulnerable John Wick, he still needs some props. What stands out among them, however, is his magical superpower suit, which seems to completely dodge bullets, making superhero characters as vulnerable as cartoon characters. It's never too funny to see these assassins cover their faces with their clothes and dodge harm, much in the way that John Wick now seems immune to the pain of being hit by a car, but it's easy to let it slide. when the action scenes are really good.
Returning cinematographer Dan Laustsen continues to really get to grips with and use blue and red neon, but also gives us an amazing fight made up as a joke with an above shot that makes the scene look like the video game Hotline Miami.
We have four films and we will have spin-offs. This is a film that looks not at the continuation of making money, but in the past and how we got here. Whether he emerges alive or dead, John Wick has to start thinking about where this quest is leading, where this path built on all the corpses before him is leading. The answers are surprisingly brooding and poignant, making it the series' most emotionally resonant yet.
The story of "John Wick" has changed and evolved over the years. There's no denying how this film established Chad Stahelski as one of our greatest action directors and how the franchise gave Keanu another career-changing role. It was a wild ride and one of the best and most enduring film series ever. However, wherever his path led, "I thought John Wick was back."
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"John Wick. Chapter 4" premieres at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival. Lionsgate will release it in theaters on Friday, March 24.
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