In Asian culture, there is some taboo regarding the number four, which happens to be a homophone for the word for death. How appropriate that “John Wick: Chapter 4” marks the end of the line for the world’s most dangerous assassin.
It has been quite the trip, with the series pushing the evergreen Keanu Reeves into ever greater heights of fame.
Wick is still on the run after the events of the previous films and, as they say, a desperate man is a dangerous one. The High Table, the ruling council of assassins, is sending everything they have at him, including punishing those who previously aided him.
When his old friend Winston (Ian McShane) proposes a way to end his predicament, Wick jumps at the opportunity. All he has to do is kill a member of the High Table, namely the Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) in a duel to the death.
If Wick lives, he will be left alone. If he dies, he can finally get peace. Either way, he is determined to end this once and for all.
The franchise has garnered a reputation for its outstanding action sequences, and fans who are eagerly awaiting these will not be disappointed as “Chapter 4” delivers glorious gunfights throughout most of its near three-hour runtime.
It’s just not firearms that get a time to shine, though – be prepared for a variety of weapons including fists, knives, swords, and even nunchucks!
The choreography is, as always, top-notch, done in such a way that the audience doesn’t lose track of what is happening on screen.
Adding to the thrill of the fight(s) is that the movie features a large number of interesting set pieces, including galleries, hotels, clubs, and apartments.
One scene near the end, in particular, merits praise: Wick is seen battling his way through a Parisian apartment, and the audience is given a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield.
It is truly a treat to see Wick blasting his way through even as bad guys swarm from every direction.
A great action film is also supported by great characters, and in this regard, “Chapter 4” also does not disappoint.
Reeves’ Wick is portrayed as an exhausted man who hasn’t known peace since the day he was forced out of retirement. He seems to acknowledge that he is at the end of his mortal coil, but he is not one to go out quietly.
Indeed, he puts up the fight of his life.
Meanwhile, audiences might know Skarsgård from his role as Pennywise from the recent pair of “It” films. He was intimidating there, and he is equally as daunting here.
The Marquis is an arrogant and ruthless fellow who pulls out all the stops to bring Wick to his knees. From his first appearance, audiences will fear and hate him, as he (spoiler alert!) murders a fan-favourite character in cold blood simply because he can.
For all his bluster, he is quickly revealed to be a chicken at heart, using every underhanded trick in the book to avoid encountering Wick in person. Hence, it isn’t surprising that viewers will be rooting for Wick to finally confront this dirty coward and put a bullet in him!
Also appearing for the first time is Donnie Yen’s Caine, a blind assassin (no doubt director Chad Stahelski must’ve watched “Rogue One”, where Yen also played a blind warrior-monk).
An old friend of Wick’s, he, too, is threatened out of retirement to hunt down the rogue assassin, and he proves to be a threat on Wick’s level.
Yen never fails at portraying sympathetic characters, and one can’t help but feel bad for him as he is forced to confront his old friend.
In addition to this being the final “John Wick” movie, it also is the final film project of the late Lance Reddick, who sadly died last week at age 60.
While his screen time is relatively short, he clearly made the best of it, and his character – the enigmatic hotel concierge, Charon – is given a truly deserved send-off.
All in all, “Chapter 4” is one of 2023’s best action films thus far, and a love letter to those who have followed Wick’s journey over the years. It is a shame that the saga has drawn to a close, but it is at least ending on a high note instead of overstaying its welcome, which is all any good film franchise can ask for.
And really, there’s no better way for Wick to go out than with a bang!
As of press time, ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.