John Wick: Chapter 4

In something over ten years what seemed like a tossed out to see what sticks film, John Wick has spawned three sequels, developed its own world within a world with its own laws and lore.

Now it looks to be spinning into tv and seems like the world is at its mercy. Whether it will ever really take to the gaming community will be interesting bearing in mind how much this film has taken from that, and other sources.

We find John Wick (Keanu Reeves) life in turmoil (again) as Winston (Ian McShane) has been given his marching orders from the hotel by Maquis (Bill Skarsgård) and it bombed. A meeting with Marquis results in the death of friend and colleague, and a bounty set on Wick’s head that slowly rises as he tours around the world causing turmoil in Jordan, Berlin, Japan and then Paris. Followed by a Nobody (Shamier Anderson) a tracker/bounty hunter and other clans affiliated to The High Table, carnage ensues as the intricacies of this shadowy world are revealed and people killed by the hundreds.

Newcomers aren’t served with much of a backstory though that’s put to one side once the action and hyper-violence begin. The latter is enhanced by many of the guards now wearing body armour so it takes many more bullets or head-shots to stop them. Not to mention, knives, swords, nunchucks, and a dog. So what the viewer is assaulted with is a fury of very fast editing and gun-play with no lingering just a body flopping dead. It’s very clear that the filmmakers have been heavily influenced by gaming technology and play as well as the Hong Kong actioners of years gone by.

These scenes are long and get close to the point of overkill and frankly boredom, when director Chad Stahleski changes camera angles and position during an exhausting sequence in a Paris apartment that is quite brilliant. That and other sequences – the steps to Sacre Coeur – reinforces the gaming mindset and influence.

It’s not all crash, bang, wallop with some serious attempts to bring a sense of humanity and soul searching for the various players who have all lost someone and are perfectly clear on what they are doing. Some remorse may be detected from those who wish to leave for the sake of their family – that was Wick’s original reason for chucking it all in – though not out and sense of guilt for the killing, just their own peace of mind. These bits do flesh out what could have been a very hollow film though these do serve as stepping stones to the next killing spree.

What can’t be denied is the spectacle and the sheer size of the project as in the chase across the deserts then the shoot out around Paris. All the while the filmmakers are having some fun with visual and musical references to other films and tv - Donnie Yen plays a character called Caine. The Warriors one being out of leftfield only to slot in perfectly. It at times feels as if writers Shay Hatten and, Michael Finch had Tarantino in as a consultant.

As to the players, there aren’t any real acting honours here with Reeves being monosyllabic for the most part, the others are dandy, dapper villains, scruffy loners or ready to shred henchmen. A word though for the late Lance Reddick as Charon, not the most high-profile role or by any means his best but it’s an understated performance that serves the film with a steadying beat and dignity.