Chapter 4 of John Wick is a Fiery Recap of the Series Thus Far
In order to overcome The High Table, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) finds a way to do it. But before he can be set free, Wick will have to battle a new opponent whose global connections are so strong that they may convert allies into enemies.
John Wick Chapter 4 Video Review:
Uesugi Kenshin's adage that "those who cling to life, die and those who reject death, live" is a guiding principle in the John Wick series. The comment from the Japanese military officer encapsulates the overarching themes surrounding John Wick as a former assassin in search of a new life while dealing with bereavement. Despite being an action-packed series, there are hints of emotion other than rage and retribution, providing a multifaceted storyline with sufficient subtlety to make this assassin appear charming. John Wick: Chapter 4 picks off just where Chapter 3 - Parabellum left off, and it's astonishing that the basic ideas behind these John Wick flick become more ambitious with each installment, and that's without even taking into account the lengthier running times. John Wick's high-octane, glamorous, yet introspective journey through the foreign territory as the world's most wanted man with a multimillion-dollar reward contract over his head evokes the feeling of reconnecting with a long-lost friend. John Wick: Chapter 4 is a visually magnificent and humorous action film featuring breathtaking gung-fu battle scenes. While it has a different tone than the other films in the series, it does not let up as it follows John on his daring quest to win back his freedom and his soul.
As the stakes rise in John Wick's (Keanu Reeves) continuing war against a poisonous workplace known as The High Table, he inevitably begins to show signs of exhaustion. John's plight is one that many can relate to; he wants nothing more than to be left alone, but as a notorious killing machine with the moniker "The Boogeyman," this comes at a heavy price. His former colleagues are hesitant to let him go now that he has returned out of spite; they are involved in a shady workplace culture that requires such sacrifices for its existence. This time around, however, John has made the bold choice to take on the poisonous problems head-on, rather than passively avoiding them. It's fascinating to see the mental dynamic at play as his colleagues and "friends" try to lure him back into the shadows so he won't condemn them for the evil deeds they've committed. Despite the surface-level old-school rules and rituals of this underworld, there is rivalry, power-grabbing, and resentment underneath in luxurious hotels and religious institutions, which, one could argue, makes these people indistinguishable from the animalistic behavior they believe disorder accentuates.
Featuring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Ian McShane in Chapter 4 of "John Wick"
This is reminiscent of the isolationist and partisan themes in the Batman films by Christopher Nolan, not least because both protagonists favor bulletproof clothing and monosyllabic speech while maintaining a dark, superhero-like aura of invulnerability in the face of adversity. Both characters' minds reflect the notion of the destiny of mankind lying squarely on the shoulders of a single individual, which, in turn, reflects the essence of a troubled soul. As John Wick leaves a wake of destruction in his wake as he travels outside of the United States, parallels can also be drawn to spy dramas like James Bond and the Mission Impossible films, with their long take captivating fight sequences, impossible feats, and the beginnings of a loyal team establishing John Wick as their figurehead and talisman. The scenes in Jordan further this idea of John as the ultimate savior by embracing gun-toting warfare cliches common in Western films. Even still, the film's lighter moments, particularly those with Reeves on horseback riding over the desert and halting for some gun-slinging action, are certainly entertaining to sit back and watch. The only real complaint that can be made is that Chapter 4 is too lengthy.
Nonetheless, director Chad Stahelski gives a wink to The Matrix with the reuniting of Neo and Morpheus as John and The Bowery King, respectively (Laurence Fishburn). The John Wick movies have a vibe from the 1990s, similar to that of Blade, which helped establish numerous famous fashion trends and character archetypes and is therefore evocative of The Matrix in more ways than one. Several of the most memorable characters, including Bullet Train and the effortlessly cool sunglasses-wearing Donnie Yen, are introduced in Chapter 4. Among them is Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays Shimazu, the proprietor of the Osaka branch of the Continental Hotel. John Wick is still essentially a story of friendship, devotion, and loss.
John Wick, Part 4: Hiroyuki Sanada and Rina Sawayama
Stahelski enables John Wick's character to develop emotionally in chapter 4, which has a fascinating impact. John is at ease in his contemporary environment, and the interplay between the art world and the criminal underground is consistently highlighted. Stahelski, however, keeps the focus on action rather than dialogue by having the electrifying battle scenes and spectacular cinematography speak for themselves in keeping with the storyline established in chapter three.
John Wick, Part 4 (with Donnie Yen)
Bird's eye views add a gaming aspect as John rushes to finish his objective while others race to stop him in plain sight to claim their reward. The theme of John Wick: Chapter 4 is that we should always strive to improve ourselves. The explosive thrills and thrilling action in this film are only one reason why the John Wick series remains popular. Its emotional appeal—aided by the inclusion of another dog and the recent death of Lance Riddick, who played Charon the concierge—enables it to leave a mark that very few blockbusters do.
The Good
John Wick: Chapter 4 maintains the series' reputation for thrilling action sequences that have come to define the franchise. I enjoyed all the varied forms the violence took. It was amazing. It was brilliant to highlight the use of bulletproof jackets since it motivated the protagonists to go all out while fighting their adversaries. This film's battle scenes were elevated by the attention to detail, but their basic physicality was exhilarating in its own right. The "traffic brawl" and the stair sequence are both fantastic, and it's tough to choose a favorite. Both caused me to yell at the TV and wince at the on-screen suffering.
Filmmaker Chad Stahelski did a fantastic job at building tension with his narrative. I never imagined a movie could make its settings seem so alive. No one could have predicted that a flight of stairs would cause such a stir in a John Wick movie. Time, tension, and the difficulty of the steps all contributed to an experience that was both thrilling and exasperating for Wick. Also, it was enjoyable to see the history of the High Table and the numerous governing principles of this universe explored at greater length. I like the emphasis on tradition and the simplicity with which the rules were presented.
John Wick, played by Keanu Reeves, enters its fourth chapter. Murray Close Photographic Works
Stahelski also deserves praise for elevating John Wick: Chapter 4 above and above the genre of an action film. First of all, the movie had fantastic world-building. It expanded the cast without detracting from Wick's plot. The wide variety of personalities was a pleasant surprise. They gave the movie room to expand beyond Wick's tale and included exciting subplots for the viewers to enjoy. Because of this, I believe the stunt actors were able to focus on their craft without worrying about pausing to give a celebrity extra screen time.
If we're talking about actors, Keanu Reeves' performance as John Wick was flawless. Even though Wick isn't a very complicated character, Reeves has as much control over him as he has over Neo in The Matrix. The strength of John Wick: Chapter 4 lies in its supporting cast, in my opinion. Caine, portrayed by Donnie Yen, was the ideal foe for Wick to fight. His history and goals were complex, but Yen brought them to life in a way that made him a cinematic star in his own right. Bill Skarsgard's (The Marquis) portrayal of the antagonist was spot-on; he was neither dull nor one-dimensional, and his villainy made for satisfying rooting interest. Finally, I thought Rina Sawayama (Akira) was fantastic in her first major film role. She did a good job with the battle sequences, and she made the emotional passages believable enough for me.
The Bad
Wait-and-see choreography is something I've seen on more than one occasion. The stunt duplicates would take blows, stand up, and wait for the next scene to begin, particularly in those involving Keanu Reeves. Since the filmmaker is a former stuntman and the series is essentially reinventing the action genre, moments like that can't be fully disregarded, but they can be forgiven in something like The Power Rangers or some B-movie. The director has some of the blame for this since such sequences might have been edited more efficiently or the filmmaker could have found other methods to make the fighting seem more realistic. It's better to kick a person in the balls and make him think twice about attacking than to punch him once and make him wait to be murdered later.
The fourth installment of John Wick's slick action series receives rave reviews.
Even John Wick needs to add a trip to Paris to his itinerary. If you're going to die, you may as well see some of the world's most famous tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Louvre.
In "John Wick: Chapter 4," a sequel that improves upon the original and adds to the scope of the series, the once-retired assassin finally makes his way to the City of Lights. The fourth chapter is even more Parisian in its chic, sophisticated, and wackiness.
Wick had been shot and had fallen many floors from New York's Hotel Continental when we last saw him. He was lying in the gutter, half dead. There was a $14 million reward for his capture. (Even inflation has caught up with this series; by the conclusion of the fourth installment, the prize has ballooned to $40 million.)
Wick, portrayed by Keanu Reeves with his usual monosyllabic and gloomy intensity, leaves his usual path of murder, but something is different this time. When it comes to The High Table, a secretive gathering of criminal lords that preserve order, Wick has always been the target in the previous films. Nevertheless, in the fourth installment, he takes the offensive and goes straight to them with his demands.
The evil guys' light-colored three-piece suits and combat boots are a nice touch, and props to costume designer Paco Delgado for giving the bad executives a touch of fitting elegance with their huge cravat-style ties. The death of Lance Reddick, who portrayed Continental Hotel concierge Charon, on the day of the film's release is a particularly poignant moment.
Where does this lead, exactly? In fact, on a quite disheartening note. The topic of "how this ends" was first posed by Wick's Japanese buddy Shimazu (awesomely portrayed by Hiroyuki Sanada) earlier in the film.
Anyone interested in keeping up with my coverage of the latest in television, film, and gaming may do so by subscribing to this blog Thanks!
0 Comments