John Wick: Chapter 4 Review

Theatrical review

I don’t review a lot of action movies. I really enjoy a good action set piece and I often find them entertaining, but I also tend to find them utterly forgettable. I love stories, and most action films tend to be light on story. That’s not a dig against action movies, just a bit of insight into why this isn’t a genre that rings my bell. But there are some that have enough cultural impact to push me toward a review, and Chad Stahelski’s fourth entry into the John Wick franchise is certainly one of those movies. So let’s talk about “John Wick: Chapter 4.”

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is trying to defeat the High Table so that he can finally be free both from his need for revenge and the unending pursuit that he must endure. The Marquis (Bill Skarsgard) is looking for John and anyone who is helping him, and he employs Caine (Donnie Yen) to find him and kill him in order to protect Caine’s daughter, who is being used as leverage. 

Winston (Ian McShane) tells John that he can challenge the Marquis to a duel, and that according to the rules of the High Table, if he wins, he can at last be free. But in order to get to the duel, John must first fight scores of mercenaries, including the tracker, Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson).

John Wick remains one of the most mesmerizing action franchises out there. Due to his background in stunt work, Stahelski is able to film some of the best fight sequences, period. Like many movies being released right now, this film runs dark, but there was never a time when I felt like that covered up the actual fight choreography. You could see every brutal headshot, nunchuck bash, or sword slash. No movement is wasted, and rather than constant cuts, there are numerous long shots that allow for amazing set pieces.

The performances are a lot more about the ability to execute the stunts than just about anything else, and they all do that brilliantly. Skarsgard is fun as the Marquis and Keanu brings a certain exhausted menace to his role that is fantastic. I really liked Anderson, but honestly, his character felt like he diluted the potency of Yen as Caine.

My biggest complaint with this movie is the length. It’s closing in on three hours, and while the pacing is really solid, I was definitely feeling a bit fatigued at the end. From my count there are at least 6 different distinct fight scenes, with four back to back at the end before the actual duel, and I found my attention wandering a bit. Each one does have a unique style, which certainly helps with the pacing, but I felt like if even just one fight had been left out, it could have trimmed the run time a bit and worked in its favor. 

Action movies will probably never top my favorites lists, but as this genre goes, “John Wick: Chapter 4” continues in the tradition of making this franchise one to watch.

This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on March 26, 2023.