John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Review

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Directed by Chad Stahelski

Based on Characters by Derek Kolstad

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Laurence Fishburne, Bill Skarsgård, Lance Reddick, Scott Adkins, Rina Sawayama, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Clancy Brown, Ian McShane

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
In the film, John Wick sets out to get revenge on the High Table and those who left him for dead.

My Opinion:

In a Ted ‘Theodore’ Logan voice: “Whoa“.

F^*k Yeah! I loved this! I’ve enjoyed the John Wick films & think they’ve created a thrilling world & character. But, honestly, they aren’t really my type of thing & I’ve only watched them because I’ve been in love with Keanu since my teens. As with most franchises, I’ll always think the 1st one is the best as it brilliantly set up this character but the 4th is now easily my favorite & by far the most fun.

This film looked amazing, especially during the Osaka Continental stuff, which I think was maybe my favorite part of the film. Although there are so many great action sequences that it’s hard to choose just one… Oh yeah, and the Game Of Death-style sequence through the building was kick ass! Plus I was able to watch that whole bit as it was more like watching a video game instead of that close-up squishy violence I can’t take in these films (I’m a wuss). Oh, and the ascent up the stairs! Plus, of course, that final showdown which had me holding my breath. Man, so many brilliant action scenes. Crazy.

Also, so many dark, nighttime scenes but you can actually see what’s going on the whole time! Amazing. See, filmmakers? It’s possible! Speaking of which, I loved Donnie Yen’s character. How is he always so cool? So many of the characters are so damn good in these films: Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, Shamier Anderson, Clancy Brown, every dog in every film, etc etc. All so great. Why is it so hard for other movies to create good characters? And is it just me who thinks this or is Bill Skarsgård adorable? My favorite Skarsgård! Oh, also loved the very few women in this too: Rina Sawayama & that wildling from GoT Natalia Tena. They were cool as hell too. Can we get the hinted-at revenge sequel with Rina Sawayama & Donnie Yen, please?! Oh yeah – and The Warriors-style DJ woman is also groovy. John Wick indeed borrows from many films but you can’t fault that when it does it with so much style.

I just love how ridiculous these films can get away with being. Why were all those people still dancing, surrounded by falling water, while people were being killed all around them?? Why?! Because it looks cool! That’s why! It makes no f^*king sense. It’s silly & insane but entertaining as hell. It’s what action movies should be. But the John Wick films never feel dumb. They know what they’re doing with these films. They get a perfect blend of being slick & cool, having gorgeous settings, and giving us amazing action scenes that would feel too excessive if they hadn’t done such a fantastic job setting up such strong characters & an immersive universe. Plus, I’m always a big fan of revenge films. Who isn’t? Revenge is sweet.

Loved it. Loved it! But, please please please let it be the final John Wick film. Give us new stories with any of the other characters from these films, as they’re all so great that they’d each make for very good separate films of their own. This film is a perfect ending for John Wick’s character & it’s one of those occasions where the final film has made the entire series go up in my estimation.

My Rating: 8.5/10

I haven’t added this to my 2023 movie rankings yet as I’m finding it so difficult to decide if this or Barbie is my number one…