Review: John Wick Chapter 4

John Wick: Chapter 4
Cert: 15 / 169 mins / Dir. Chad Stahelski / Trailer

Much like the Mission:Impossible series, I always seem to forget quite how much I enjoy John Wick movies until I'm watching one. Keanu Reeves returns for a another outing in Chad Stahelski's needless-yet-welcome fourquel about the put-upon hitman who hoped he was out, but no he's still back in again. No, again-again.

And, as one would hope and expect, it works well, a sort of live-action cartoon and brutal ballet which embraces overtly comic violence to rival classic Tom & Jerry. The film spends an admirable amount of time lining up its plot points, considering the audience are really here just here for the lensflare, blood-plumes and shell casings.

HANDLE

A fine and rounded supporting cast*¹ handle the bulk of the exposition, with the series learning from its past misdemeanours as good ol' Keanu only seems to have around 90 words of dialogue throughout the entire movie, which helps everyone immeasurably. Along with Neo and Morpheus in attendance, sly nods to The Matrix continue to trickle in*², with grandiose staircases, slow-mo nightclub scenes*³ and Bill Skarsgård channelling an adolescently pouting Merovingian.

At a tad under three hours, there's an overall steadiness of pace which doesn't feel so much like padding, but it's definitely an earned self-indulgence. Many have accused the film of being too long, but in all honesty this is just Stahelski enjoying atmospheric breathers between the violence. There is nothing in John Wick: Chapter 4 without beauty or purpose.

MAKE A STAND

Yet once again, the real stars of the movie are the cinematography*⁴ and fight choreography. A pleasing number of cut-free sequences of the former allow the latter to flourish, and just watching this is an exhausting experience in the best possible way. There are few belly laughs in the script, but chuckles aplenty.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is enormously satisfyingly fun. Sure it's More Of The Same, but when The Same is this well executed, is that such a bad thing?

*¹ As much as I enjoyed this, every scene with Hiroyuki Sanada made me wish I was watching Bullet Train again, and every scene with Donny Yen made me want to revisit Rogue One. But then, I am incredibly suggestible. ^{[ BACK ]}

*² I like how Laurence Fishburne will keep coming back for walk-on roles in John Wick, but apparently won't touch The Matrix< with a sh!tty broom handle. ^{[ BACK ]}

*³ Although Scott Adkins' performance as rent-a-villain nightclub owner Killa feels like Steve Coogan playing Rick Waller in a Bond parody. There, I said it. ^{[ BACK ]}

*⁴ Seriously, the only thing more dazzling than the lighting in this film is Ian McShane's veneers. Good lord. ^{[ BACK ]}

DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
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