John Wick: Chapter 4

Two actors who can't believe their luck - they get big paydays and don't even have to show up to promotional events and pretend the movie is not crap. John Wick: Chapter 4 (JW4) is the best of the Wick sequels, not just because it isn't 2 or 3, which we all need to admit were subpar and move on, but because it brings the series to a moderately satisfying conclusion and does so at a good pace.

Let's get one key element of modern day cinematic efforts out of the way right now.  This film runs 170 minutes, which is far too long for any motion picture. The problem of length has nothing to do with Tik Tok attention spans, weak bladders or even the woeful state of Hollywood scriptwriting in the post-Marvel and woke Hollywood.  A medium-sized popcorn cup and drink exhaust themselves before what should be an intermission. If a director is going to force an audience to sit through 3 hours of something, a toilet and restocking break should be provided. 

Nevertheless, JW4 keeps its pace exceedingly well. While it cannot hide the three hour length, it manages to keep the audience engaged throughout.  

Plot: Since departing from JW1 into the fantasy world of The Table and such contrivances to continue the serialisation of the franchise, plot has been one of the weaker Wick traits. That being said, it exists to give a more logical path for Wick to reach a conclusion. So don't think too much about how this entire parallel world manages to exists. 

Wick is trying to achieve his freedom, as the Marquis - appointed by The Table - is hell bent on killing him.  To do this, he issues contracts and designates a primary assassin (a blind Chinese man with a daughter to protect). Laurence Fishburne helps out along the way of course. From the desert to Osaka to NY, Berlin and Paris, Wick battles his way through a bodycount that must finally move Rambo into second place in the all-time kill-count list.

There are many new protagonists, in a cast that is very large - all the better to fill in the time. It makes for varied combat, almost like a Mortal Combat game. Fights in Osaka with swords and bows, in Berlin with kicking, but everywhere with Wick's trademark pistols. 

They every wind in a dog to the plot in a very nice touch to help the plot along in a few places.

You will have noticed that I don't really provide a plot.  That's partially because I don't want to ruin it, and also because I'm struggling to saying anything more than "Wick kills his way to the final boss fight".

Combat: The combat style has always been a Wick strength and doesn't disappoint in JW4. There is even understanding that it needs tweaking and inventive camera angles to provide a fresher feel. There is a lot of suspension of belief during the combat scenes, with assailants noticeably pausing to give Keanu time to reload. It's all forgivable, of course, as there aren't major indiscretions of the scale of JW1's infamous missed shots on his primary target in the bathhouse. 

The Casablanca Connection: At its core, Casablanca was a love story. Rick and Ilsa had their time together, yet were torn apart and not to be reunited in this life.

The Rating: 4 out of 5. I was thinking of giving a 5, but it's too long, despite the good pacing and stylish kevlar suits.