If you’ve seen any of the movies in the John Wick universe, you have probably already watched 4 in theaters. If you haven’t, now is the perfect time to buy those tickets. John Wick: Chapter 4 delivers on its promise to be a more epic action-packed sequel, but one that brings its charm to the franchise. This time Mr. Wick wages his war against the secret organization behind it all, but will this war finally bring the peace he’s been after?
The story of this movie doesn’t matter, but the film attempts to develop its lore a bit more. Don’t expect deep character development or storytelling. Most of you are watching this movie for the death and destruction Mr. Wick leaves behind. This movie doubles down on its violence, but I will be the first to admit that it could have been shorter. Don’t get me wrong, there are some fantastic action scenes, but some go on for too long. It isn’t enough to ruin the movie, but three hours is a long time to sit in theaters. Don’t be afraid to take breaks between the main characters; you won’t miss anything critical.
John Wick 4 has amazing choreography. This combined with its creative camera works makes for some epic action sequences. You need to watch this movie in theaters at least once to appreciate the work that went into making this movie as epic as it is. I love the colors, the scores, and the costumes that make this a beautifully vibrant and violent fantasy.
What I enjoyed most about this movie are the unique characters it introduces. While it isn’t without its faceless hordes, some villains will stand out and give this movie its charm. My favorite character in the series is Cain, played by the talented Donnie Yen. Cain is a refreshing take on the genre’s villains while also introducing an interesting dilemma for Mr. Wick. I won’t spoil what it is, but it added some of the depth the movie needed. In an interview, Donnie Yen told reporters that he worked hard to make Cain into something that wasn’t a traditional Asian stereotype. This work has paid off, and you need to watch this movie to appreciate it.
I can’t stress this enough, if you haven’t watched this movie, go out and buy the tickets. It may not be perfect, but it is home to some of the most epic action sequences put to film.
John Wick 3: Now with 200% More Dog
If you haven’t seen any of the John Wick movies, why are you reading this? Start watching them now. This series doesn’t fail to entertain and will have you on the edge of your seat as you watch John Wick wreck mayhem across New York. Although the series doesn’t necessarily get better with each instalment, it doesn’t get worse like Taken. This movie starts off fun and will stay fun.
What I particularly like about the series is how each film builds off the other. Each film starts off with John Wick dealing with the consequences brought on by his actions in the previous movie. And this movie does have consequences. John Wick isn’t the typical inhuman badass that is ever present in movies of the same genre. John Wick progressively gets tired. You get to see him get hurt and react accordingly. He will limp and the action will slow down showing his mortality. I particularly like this aspect because it is something different. It was nice to see action scenes that weren’t cut to shit to give the illusion of fighting.
Although this film gets a bit repetitive at times, it is worth the watch. The beautifully choreographed fight scenes make up for the lack of story. Don’t get me wrong, this film has more story than other’s in the genre but the story isn’t terribly complex. Someone shoots his dog and he goes on a full rampage. The way it this was executed however is something you need to experience for yourself. And if at this point you haven’t seen the previous instalments; you don’t really need to see them to enjoy the third movie. I didn’t remember the events of the other movies when I watched it and felt like it does a good job catching you up. Although it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to binge all three in one of the most bad ass sitting you will experience.
And of course the best part, this movie comes with way more dog. I can say, you are not ready for the amount and quality of dog you will get from this movie. That alone should be reason for you to strop reading this and watch what is easily one of the best action flicks I’ve seen this year. Forget your superhero bullshit, forget your repetitive money making action trash and go see this.
In closing, love yourself and watch this!