John Wick 4 - Film Review - Spoilers

 

Hi Dudes 

Went to see the newest and possibly last John Wick movie starring the great Keanu Reeves.  This is the first John Wick film I've seen at the cinema.

Set some time after the third film. After being shot and falling about six floors to the ground, getting badly injured in the process, John has been getting back into fitness and training.  A bounty is still sat on his head.  Once he is ready he takes revenge on the High Table, with the help of the Bowery King (Lawrence Fishburne).

As he exacts his revenge a new leader called the Marchese is introduced played by Bill Skarsgard.  He swiftly punishes those who have helped Wick.  Firstly he destroys the Continental Hotel managed by Winston (Ian Mcshane) and kills his friend Charon (the recently deceased Lance Reddick).

Then the Marchese forces Caine (played by the great Donnie Yen), a blind assassin and old friend of Wick's, to go after him using his daughter as leverage.  Winston finds an old law so Wick can be free of the bounty on his head and retire like he wanted to.  The catch is he has to challenge the Marchese to a duel to the death.  The Marchese has other plans and tries to stop Wick from attending the duel.

Overall - as with the first three John Wick films, the action, stunts and set pieces are fantastic and go one further than the last three movies.  Stand out moments include the nun-chuck fight, the fights on the steps in France near the end and the over view in an abandoned house where Wick blows bad guys to bits.  

It is a better film than John Wick two and three, but because there is so much going on, the story sometimes suffers and the in-world logic sometimes doesn't make sense.  An example would be, in the third film Wick finds it hard to leave New York without being recognised.  Yet in this film he travels all over the world with no problem from France to Berlin and even Japan.  Also he falls great heights and shot at even more yet doesn't seem as injured as previous films.

Another problem I have is the film has the great underrated action star Scott Adkins in, as Killa.  Although he is hardly recognisable in a fat suit.  He pulls off a great fun character though and shows off his traditional kicks.

Spoilers - the ending is fitting though.  He sacrifices himself to save his old friend Caine's daughter and in dying joins his wife in heaven.  Or does he?  There is a small hint at his grave that he may have faked his death and recovered.  Although I think they should finish the franchise on this note.  If they carry on they will weaken the character and films like the Fast and Furious movies have done.

Score  -   9/10