John Wick - Chapter 4

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©2023 Lions Gate Entertainment

He is still alive

Winston's shot at John Wick in the previous chapter was not really dangerous for the martial artist and pistol enthusiast. Rescued by the Bowery King (photo below), he now trains in New York's underground to confront the high chamber.

 

John's goal is to get his captors to finally let him go and let him walk free. Since one of his aims is a certain revenge action, the Marquis Vincent de Gramont sets an old companion of John's on him: Caine, a blind super fighter.

 

The Continental Hotels have had their day as a shelter

Since Winston and the concierge Charon of the Continental Hotel in New York have often helped and sheltered the excommunicated killer, they are punished by the high chamber and the hotel is made uninhabitable by explosive charges.

 

There are other Continentals, however, for example the one in Tokyo, where Shimazu Koji and his daughter Akira try to help John Wick with a bit of reluctance. But even there, the pursuers are not long in coming. And so another chase ensues with countless battles in Tokyo, Berlin and Paris.

 

A Swedish actor impersonates the chief villain

Bill Skarsgård was given the role of the nasty Marquis Vincent de Gramont in the fourth chapter. Particularly nefarious and far too cowardly to face the hero himself, he sends John's former buddy Caine, of all people, after him by blackmailing the retired blind fighter.

 

So iconic martial artists on both sides take the stage to rake each other over the coals. In addition to Donnie Yuen as Caine, we get to see Marko Zahor as Spanish muscle mountain Chidi, Scott Adkins as spry fat guy Killa as well as Hiroyuki Sanada as samurai fighter Shimazu.

 

The path of devastation

Once again, almost three hours of martial destruction orgy and endlessly dying adversaries, why should you do that to yourself? Well, because it is not only well-coreographed, but there is also a successful climax to admire.

 

At the beginning, John Wick 4 starts quiet, then it gets going leisurely with a few brawls and shootouts, for which the main actor Keanu Reeves has trained in judo, jiu jistu, the use of a nunchaku and drifting with a Ford Mustang.

 

Crazy scene in Paris

As the film progresses, it comes up with breathtaking scenes. A long car chase in the roundabout of Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile in Paris, for which the streets were closed off, is spectacular.

 

Another great fight scene later pans out into an aerial view that could have been inspired by the computer games Alien Breed or Hong Kong Massacre. Of course, this doesn't surpass everything you saw in the three predecessors. Overall, the action remains more than respectable.

 

 

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Sit good dog

Those who expect an animal companion to bite heartily will not be disappointed. This time the dog lady belongs to the mysterious bounty hunter "Nobody".

 

The duo is practically the X factor in the ensemble, because they are a bit on the neutral side. All that matters is that money is paid, but if Nobody's demands are not met, loyalty sinks faster than any bank transfer could happen.

 

 

Music and sound

The musical accompaniment is largely of the highest quality. Some may find the striking placement of classics on the appropriate scenes too flat, but one should not forget that this fantasy film series is very stylised and artificial, so this is absolutely part of it.

 

The sounds have been meticulously chosen as usual. For me, an action film fist bump doesn't necessarily have to sound so over-the-top fat, but some weapon sounds are phenomenal all the same. For example, the explosive ammunition stood out positively.

 

Shortcomings

The enormous length of 169 minutes would not have been necessary, but it is not particularly disturbing. Some fantastic scenes from the first three parts are not topped.

What succeeded?

Clearly filmed fights

Wide range of fighting styles and weapons

Crazy villains with wit (Killa and Klaus)

 

 

Summary

John Wick Chapter 4 is exactly what most expected: exuberant action scenes in beautiful locations

 

The main character John Wick, played by Keanu Reeves, speaks only 380 words during the entire film. That's all it takes, because the fists speak better. The fourth chapter again sets action standards and is a martial arts dream come true.

 

Those who are not yet familiar with the series should bear in mind that this is all about exaggerated style, visual aesthetics and lots of violence. Plot and development are kept to a minimum. And in the end, even the dramatic element remains quite sublimely in the background.

 

If you wonder whether, given the number of dying opponents, a stuntman figuratively had to go over the Jordan several times, yes, that's true. Some sparring partners went down more than 20 times.

 

Actors

Sadly the actor of Charon, Lance Reddick, died from natural causes at age 60 on March 17, 2023, at home in Los Angeles. Posthumously, four more films with the popular star appear, which were still in post-production: "White Men Can't Jump", "Shirley", "Ballerina" and "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial".

 

Infos to John Wick - Chapter 4