John Wick: Chapter 4 movie review - Aussieboyreviews
IS JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 REALLY THE BEST OUT OF THE THRILLING ACTION SERIES?
It seems like everyone is calling it the action sequel masterpiece, which it’s definitely the best of the sequels, but nothing like the original. John Wick: Chapter 4 is violent, action-packed and surprisingly well-written.
Storyline
When he uncovers a path to defeating The High Table for once and for all, assassin John Wick must confront a new enemy and his strong alliances before he can finally earn his freedom.
Movie Images
Movie details
Director: Chad Stahelski
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, George Georgiou, Lance Reddick, Scott Adkins, Ian McShane
Writer: Shay Hatten, Michael Finch
Release Date (Australia): 23 March 2023
Runtime: 169 minutes/2h 49m
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Language: English
CONTENT GUIDE (warning: May contain spoilers)
The film contains several intense action sequences throughout and features strong themes relating to assassination, crime and revenge. There is also a scene in which two characters are depicted branding themselves.
The film contains strong action violence in the form of lengthy fighting scenes, combat, shootings, stabbings and the use of weapons, often accompanied by depictions of large sprays and spatters of blood. A man’s hand is stabbed and he chooses to pull it free.
The words “ass”, “s**t” and “f**k” are used aggressively throughout the film.
None.
The film contains a lengthy scene in which paintings of nude women with minor breast and buttock detail are briefly viewed.
None.
mpaa rating
R (for pervasive strong violence and some language)
Aussie boy's thoughts
It’s just simply not the sequel to fulfil everyone’s wishes, but after two fairly dull instalments following the original revenge action-thriller model, the fourth chapter in the John Wick series is violent, slick and shocking. However, that’s not to say that this movie comes without its flaws. Because even with its overlong runtime weakening the actual product, there’s still some other issues that block it from ranking higher than the first film.
But if you’ve paid the entry fee with a craving mainly for kick-ass action with Keanu Reeves at the centre, visually striking direction and with a lack of care for sensical plot, you’re in luck. Although each are usually several minutes too long, this film is loaded with the most distinctive and hooking combat fight scenes located throughout the entire franchise. For many, watching John Wick brutally shoot up a bunch of bad guys in a very stylistic fashion is entertaining, but the amount of damage taken by the characters is also where one of the film’s most distracting plot holes roots between.
The reason a lot of the action scenes are all-fun-with-no-suspense-or-excitement is because it seems that damage and brutality doesn’t really apply to John Wick, where everyone else he fights typically dies at the instant. He can go tumbling down a humorously long staircase and get shot or stabbed, but he can always get back up with seemingly no impact from the injuries. The motives presented by the characters is also a sizeable issue, giving the movie what feels like so many convoluted purposes to the point where the whole project could’ve just been thrown away and forgotten.
Some will agree that within the context of a film review, the critic needs to get the positives in first and finish with the flaws. This review doesn’t follow that order because John Wick: Chapter 4 is still a decent action-thriller you’d want to leave off on a good note from. Anyway, this film is definitely the best of the sequels due to the fact that’s it’s entertaining, more distinctive, the writing is much better and there’s surprises along the way to await for. It may have a runtime of nearly 3 hours, but it always feels like the plot is always moving forward, even if it gets a bit ridiculous at times. Performances by Keanu Reeves, Bill Skarsgård, Scott Adkins and Donnie Yen also deliver some of the effect. If this is the finale to the overrun franchise, this is a solid way to come to an end.
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