The Mosley Review: John Wick Chapter 4
Has it really been that long. Has it really been since 1987's classic buddy cop action film Lethal Weapon that a franchise has survived for 4 films and its sequels enriched and elevated the genre to the next level? I know Lethal and Wick are different in tone, style and many other things, but what they have in common is great central characters evolving with each entry and storytelling that is top notch in between the stylized, well crafted and sometimes personal action sequences. No other franchise in my opinion has done that in so long. Maybe Daniel Craig's run as James Bond may count as well. A fun fact that many don't remember or don't know is that the first film was being buried because the studio didn't believe anyone would like or even care about it. I remember seeing a commercial before even a trailer! What that first film did was refresh and reinvent the action genre in the most ground breaking way. It threw away the overuse of shakey cam and actually painted the frame with beautiful action and storytelling within the action. It was a great revenge tale that spawned a new world with exquisite rules and visuals that were fully realized. Now we have come to the 4th chapter in this franchise and it is the most epic, globe trotting and gorgeous finale of all. The story this time is the most emotionally driven and comes full circle with the themes of the first film and I loved it. The action this time around is that steady rollercoaster climb with every click you hear of the gears churning to the apex. I loved that the lore is even more expansive, but never burst its own bubble by going an obvious direction where most franchises have made that mistake.
Keanu Reeves returns as the titular hero and the charm of the character is still intact. He is fighting for his freedom this time around and it is a hard fought battle to the bloody end to say the least. His physicality in this film reaches a new height and you actually see him get even more beat up and tired this time around. He is human after all and that has been consistent throughout the franchise and it comes to a head here. The amount of empathy in John is explored with his closest friends and that was truly the highlight. Ian McShane was excellent and wise yet again as John's closest friend, adviser and former manager of the New York Continental Hotel, Winston Scott. Winston is taken on an equally emotional journey as he is punished for his involvement in the events of the third chapter and I loved his brilliant path of vengeance. The late and powerhouse actor Lance Reddick gives one last excellent performance as Winston's right hand man and former concierge of the Continental, Charon. I've always loved his conversations and quips when he was with Winston and John and he gets to shine one last time as the fan favorite. Laurence Fishburne returns as the Bowery King and he is as jovial as he was in the last chapter. His respect for John grows ever more in this entry and it was great to see him chewing up the scenery again. The legendary Hiroyuki Sanada joins the franchise as the manager of the Osaka Continental Hotel and an old friend of John, Shimazu Koji. There is so much history there between them and you feel the weight of their bond from the moment they say hello to each other. Rina Sawayama was amazing as his daughter and concierge Akira. She gets to shine in some of the most badass moments of the film and I loved the relationship between her and Shimazu. It was a high point in showing the emotional connection John has with everyone. The consequences of her father's actions were felt and it was a story that highlighted the Japanese influence this series has had over the years. Donnie Yen is a master class in his own right and I'm always delighted to see him on screen. As Caine, you get to see a great and empathetic character come to life through him and I loved his arc with Shimazu. He carries so much respect for his friends even when he has to face them in combat. His chemistry with John was another great highlight of the film and I loved their dialogue. I love the fact that everyone is rooting for John, but of course they have a contract and you see the inner turmoil as they all converse with him before, during and even after the bullets stop flying.
Natalia Tena was awesome as John's adoptive sister Katia and I loved that we got see their families backstory. It is bloody, dark and all the more fun story beat. Shamier Anderson was the fun and teasing wildcard as the Tracker / Mr. Nobody. He came off to me as a younger, ambitious and patient version of John with his canine companion that was just as enthusiastic. The both of them were this constant threat and interesting thread that keeps getting unraveled as the story progresses. Scott Adkins was hilarious and awesome as the heavy yet spry head of the Russian table, Killa. Even as an over weight character, he was still a force to be reckoned with. Clancy Brown brings that level of authority and gravitas as a high ranking operative of the High Table of Assassins, the Harbinger. Bill Skarsgård was excellent and exquisite as the new villain the Marquis Vincent de Gramont. He was so slimey and pompous in his ways and you cannot wait to see him go down. He was viscious in some moments and I loved his slick tongue in negotiating the terms of combat scene. Marko Zaror portrays his right hand man Chidi and he was an amazingly powerful mini boss before you got to Vincent. He was a great challenge and he handled himself well against John and others. This film truly featured some of the best villains the franchise has ever seen and I loved that we got them instead of facing the High Table. These antagonists kept the world grounded and obeyed the rules set from the beginning.
The score by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard was on point yet again and they pull out all the stops in every scene, but my favorite piece came during the best action scene in the film. The locations in the film were a great background and were interactive with the characters which showed how much detail and care was put into this saga. The last hour of the film is a full on homage to one of the greatest 80's survival films of all time, The Warriors. The stairs sequence was the best action sequence in the film and was the crescendo of John's trek through Paris and I loved every second of it. This chapter comes to a satisfying and peaceful close and it is a true blessing that this franchise has continued to deliver this amount of quality storytelling that's perfectly mixed with beautifully shot action that doesn't fall for the standard tropes of the shakey cam or extreme close ups to hide the stunt men or the actors inability to do the work effectively. This is now the blueprint of how to do action films from now on and how to shoot them. Director Chad Stahelski has come from the stunt world and these films have shown his understanding and respect for the craft of stunts and filmmaking. This is by far one of the best films of the year and one of the greatest epic finales I've ever seen. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
