Movie Review: John Wick Chapter 4 (2023)

John Wick Chapter 4 (2023) directed by Chad Stahelski

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is on the run from the High Table, a shadow organization who purpose is not explained in this movie (I haven't seen Chapters 2 or 3, so I probably missed the set-up). He cashes in some favors with friends, including Winston (Ian McShane), the manager of the Continental Hotel in New York. Being friends with John Wick is not good. Winston discovers this when his hotel is destroyed and he is disavowed by the High Table. Wick flees to Japan where he gets the Tokyo Continental Hotel in trouble. In addition to the High Table's thugs (led by the Marquis (Bill Skarsgard) aided by blind Asian assassin Caine (Donnie Yen)), he also has independent bounty hunters after him, including the entertaining Tracker (Shamier Anderson) who has a pet dog who helps out taking down targets. The action ranges all over the Earth, ending climactically in Paris.

The movie has lots of amazing action scenes: gunfights, blade fights, and hand-to-hand combat. Some fights go on too long, though the characters in the movie can shake off pretty much any punishment delivered to them. Also, most of them have bulletproof dress suits, so the blood and gore is minimal. The plot is serviceable, getting from one action sequence to another with at least some minimum of logic (though some scenes are inexplicable except for their cool factor). The drama is overblown, which matches the over-the-top action sequences. I found the movie enjoyable as pure action but it drags on too long. They could have split this fourth movie into two, like in the Twilight or Hunger Games franchises. Maybe they could have thrown in some more character development or pathos beyond the dog being in jeopardy.

Mildly recommended--maybe I should have seen 2 and 3 before watching this. Having seen this, I am not particularly motivated to go back and fill in the gaps.

Movie Review: John Wick (2014)

John Wick (2014) directed by Chad Stahelski

Ex-assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has the worst day ever. His wife (who was his motivation to quit the assassin business) has died. She had a puppy delivered to him so that he would have someone else to love and take care of. Too bad John bought gas on the way home from buying dog food. Some Russian thugs admire his 1969 Mustang and offer to buy it. He refuses. Later that night, the thugs show up at his house, beat him up, kill the dog, and steal the car. The thugs don't know he is John Wick, but as soon as they try to unload the car at a chop shop, the first of many underworld "businessmen" realize John Wick is involved and want no part. Wick shows up at the chop shop later to find out if his car is there and who the thugs are. The head thug is son of a Russian crime boss, who is understandably upset at his son for angering a grieving ex-assassin of Wick's caliber. The revenge trail is long and action-packed as Wick gets drawn back in to the old life.

The underworld Wick runs through is impossibly posh and stylish, though that fits with the rest of the movie. Most action scenes are brutal with a hard-driving sound track. The plot is strictly paint-by-numbers but is executed with great precision and enough humor to lighten the very dark mood. It's just barely believable but that's not the point in a film like this. Raw action and excitement are what's expected and what's delivered.

Recommended for hard action fans.