Growing up my father always took us to see the latest action movies in the theaters. Whether it was Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson, or Sylvester Stallone, we were there to see what action these guys would get into. As the actors changed and the movies got more exaggerated we slowly stopped going and would just rent some of our favorite movies from the local video store. Remember 3 movies for $5?
As I got older I would still watch some of those older movies and loved how the plots were simple and the action was intense. Every now and then a movie would come about with those simple elements like Die Hard, Leon AKA The Professional and Point Break. What I also loved about those movies was that the main character looked like an every day man. They were not extremely muscular but were toned down in a way that you could relate to them. Ok, I know what you are thinking, “What does this all have to do with John Wick?”. The John Wick movies, to me, remind me of gong to the theaters with my dad and just watching one man go to war with everyone and make it look cool while doing it.
If you have not seen any of the John Wick movies or know the story here is a quick crash course. John Wick is a former assassin living a normal life when his wife dies due to an illness and the dog she sends him is killed by the son of a Russian mob boss. John wants revenge and unleashes hell on the mob until he can kill the son. We are introduced to a world of assassins and codes that they live by while simultaneously living in our world. All of this in only the first movie!
In the sequels, we see the code come into play when John comes out of retirement to assassinate a member of the Camorra Crime Syndicate. This leads to Chapter 3: Parebellum where John is on the run due to his actions from the previous movie. There is a huge bounty on his head and everyone is out to collect that bounty no matter the cost. The action sequences in all of these movies keep leveling up to the point where you can not wait to see what happens next. All of this leads us to John Wick 4.
John Wick 4 starts off with John getting ready to take down the High Table. He finds out that dueling with a member of the High Table can restore his life back to normal. From the opening sequence of John riding a horse the action picks up and does not stop. The movie takes you from New York, to Paris, and Tokyo and showcases the beauty of these locations with some amazing action sequences. When I say amazing, I mean spectacular!
As with the other John Wick movies, we seen John go through a multitude of assassins to get from point A to point B. Just when you think you have seen the most amazing fight scene, the next one just blows that one out of the water. Whether it is riding a horse, driving a car with no doors, or going up a flight of stairs, John Wick is non-stop action!
There are some great new additions in this chapter and Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rina Sawayama and Shamier Anderson are stand outs. Donnie Yen, plays the blind assassin Caine, and he steals every scene that he is in. Shamier Anderson plays the Tracker who is always a step ahead of the High Table and has a dog that anyone would want as their dog. Hioryuki and Rina reside over the Continental Toyko and are superb. I would love to see a spin-off based on their characters and all of the happenings at this location.
We have mentioned a lot about how incredible the action is but the cinematography is on par with all of the action. There are many scenes when you feel like you are in the center of the action. The camera zooms in and out to give you all of the impact of each punch and showcase the incredible fight choreography. There is an over the head scene that looks like it was shot in one take and is something that I have never scene in an action movie. I have seen a shot like this in the horror movie Maglignant before and it works so well here.
I do have one word to end this with, “Fire Breath!”
Final Thoughts: John Wick 4 is a fantastic entry into the John Wick universe. The action is intense, fast-paced, and blows away the action in the previous movies. There are moments that just defy reality but do not seem out of the ordinary in this world. Although this movie has a lot of action in it, the film breaks down into a story about a man trying to find peace after the death of his wife. Make sure you stay after the credits!
Kid-Friendly: If you have seen the other movies with your children you know what you are in for. The action in this movie are brutal and extremely graphic in some moments. Again, if you have seen the other ones with your children and think they can handle it that is on your own discretion.
Violence: The movie is chock full of violence. If you have seen the other John Wick movies this one intensifies the violence and turns it up to eleven.
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.