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With: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Ian McShane, Clancy Brown, Natalia Tena
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Written by: Shay Hatten, Michael Finch
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Directed by: Chad Stahelski
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MPAA Rating: R for pervasive strong violence and some language
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Running Time: 169
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Date: 03/24/2023
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John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
Such Is Life
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
Ballooning up to 169 minutes, this fourth Wick spreads its wings and goes full-blown epic, every single shot a dazzler, finding a surefooted pace, and elevating its simple story to mythical status.
In this entry, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is excommunicado, and everyone who ever tried to help him is in trouble with a powerful member of the High Table, known as the Marquis (Bill Skarsgård). The Marquis begins by shutting down the Continental in New York. Wick is currently laying low at the Continental Hotel in Osaka, Japan, thanks to his friend, the manager, Shimazu Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada).
Unfortunately, the Marquis knows he's there and sends an army to dispatch him, including another of Wick's old friends, the blind swordsman Caine (Donnie Yen). Wick escapes and vows revenge against the Marquis, but according to the rules, Wick must challenge him to a duel. Unfortunately, even that much is not going to be easy.
The original John Wick was stripped to the bone, clean and classic at just 101 minutes, but by the time John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum came along, the franchise had become flabby, and exhausting.
But if this series has been inspired by Sergio Leone, then John Wick: Chapter 4 is akin to The Good, the Bad & the Ugly.
The cinematography is consistently luxurious, calling to mind the indelible images of movies like Kill Bill, Skyfall, and Blade Runner 2049. If that's not enough, director Chad Stahelski reaches high and pays homage to Lawrence of Arabia, Taxi Driver, and The Warriors. His pacing is supremely confident, knowing when to rest, when to pour on the clear, vivid action, and when to ramp it up another impossible notch.
Ultimately, John Wick: Chapter 4 is still really about not much more than violence and revenge, but this time Wick and his various layers of ambiguous friends/enemies (including the amazing Donnie Yen and a very good Shamier Anderson as the "Tracker") find themselves wriggling between the concept of ending violence and the worrisome notion that this may not be possible.
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