I felt Chapter 3 jumped the shark and the entire series was providing diminishing returns. I appreciated the simplicity of the first John Wick film and it's commitment to what it was doing. The natural inclination of sequels to stack more and more on top of each other produced two passable sequels which just felt a bit like pale comparisons to the first. But all that turned around for me with Chapter 4, which arguable might be the best film in the series.
It's not that Chapter 4 returns to the series' roots. No, with a runtime of 169 minutes (compared to the original film's tight 101 minutes) and a sky's the limit budget, Chapter 4 is the biggest of all the Wick films, in every way. It's more about how it manages that size and power. The closest comparison I could think of was The Raid 2, a film which succeeded its predecessor with exquisite world building, rich and pulpy character development, and an obvious love of its genre tropes. While (for me) 2 & 3 felt rather corporately constructed, run of the mill sequel fodder, 4 felt like it was crafted with a different purpose in mind.
Action directors don't get the kind of appreciation they often deserve and here Stahelski crafts his movie like a master. It is a gorgeous film to watch and its narrative structure is superb. There might be some time jumps that make it seem like Wick can teleport around the globe, and people do seem to take far too many hits before they are beat, but generally Stahelski's craftsmanship is impeccable. Yes, not surprisingly, the real mastery is in the staging and framing of the set pieces, but each one feels organic and essential to the story. This is a long movie and there are times, especially near the end, where it feels like "could there really be another crowd of assassins for Wick to fight his way through"? And yes there is and yes you want it! One of the things that make this series so good is just how committed the film makers are to the story, the characters, and the genre and this commitment delivers to its audience.
While the first film was hyper focused on John Wick with some well fleshed out but background remaining characters, Chapter 4 introduces some of the best new characters of the series and develops the established ones even more. Winston and the Bowery King are even more interesting than they've been in the past, while Sawayama, Anderson, Sanada, and especially Yen all craft truly captivating additions to the story. Chapter 4 feels the most like an ensemble of the whole series, something I tend to appreciate, and this fills the runtime with compelling arcs and development.
But to discuss what I truly loved about Chapter 4 I will have to spoil it a bit so be warned *spoiler warning*
I loved that Chapter 4 had the balls to end the story and did so in a way I appreciated. Sure there is an argument that John isn't really dead. The foreshadowing (throughout the series) that John can only find peace through death lead us here and whether that death peace is literal or metaphorical, Chapter 4 ends with John attaining what he's been looking for the whole series.
I also love that some of John's redemptive arc includes him saving a dog...
My preference would be for stories to continue here around the other characters, Mr. Nobody, Akira, the Ballerina, etc. Whether John is alive in hiding somewhere or buried next to his wife, I like the idea that he can have peace. Why drag him back into it? At least not for a while.
John Wick Chapter 4
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Ian McShane, Clancy Brown
Director: Chad Stahelski
Writers: Shay Hatten, Michael Finch
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