MOVIE REVIEW: JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

 

With the price on his head ever increasing, legendary hit man John Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Japan to Berlin.

Director: Chad Stahelski

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Ian McShane

Release Date: March 24, 2023

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Rated R for pervasive strong violence and some language

Runtime: 2h 49m

Review:

John Wick: Chapter 4, possibly the final entry in the main series, throws everything it has in this ludicrous but insanely entertaining entry.  It’s a rare thing to watch a director grow in real time but Chad Stahelski has shown an impressive evolution over the span of his signature series.  What started as a pulpy bit of well choregraphed gunsplotion slowly morphed into something more stylized complete with an ever expanding mythos.  Stahelski once again ups the ante by delivering three distinctive and massive action set pieces with each bringing a very specific type of kinetic energy.  The first act plays like a live action anime with the second bringing a more standard euro vibe and the third coming through as an homage to 1979's The Warriors with a Parisian demolition derby thrown in for good measure.  The sheer creativity of the bloody ballet that's played out onscreen is impressive on multiple fronts.  Even as some of the sequences start to boarder on self indulgent, there such a large variety of action that it rarely grows stale.  At the center of it is all is Keanu Reeves and his particular brand of acting which fits this series perfectly, so much so that the supporting cast match is tone and tenor.  Donnie Yen brings a fresh sense of energy as a blind frienemy assassin that echoes his Star Wars Rogue One character.  Its a fun performance that becomes more enjoyable as the film goes on.  Bill Skarsgård is the central villain for this entry, chewing up every bit of scenery with impressive aplomb even with a shaky French accent.  Shamier Anderson character is literally called Nobody and the script doesn't do him any favors by giving him very little depth outside of having a faithful German Shepard.  Rina Sawayama and Hiroyuki Sanada have some solid chemistry as father and daughter early on with hints that one might show up again in the future. Returning players like Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne and Lance Reddick give the film a bit of franchise flavor even if they aren't given anything substantial to do.  John Wick is the strange kind of series that manages to overcome its light characterization and basic storytelling with truly impressive action spectacle.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: BOOKSMART

Academic overachievers Amy and Molly thought keeping their noses to the grindstone gave them a leg up on their high school peers. But on the eve of graduation, the best friends suddenly realize that they may have missed out on the special moments of their teenage years. Determined to make up for lost time, the girls decide to cram four years of not-to-be missed fun into one night -- a chaotic adventure that no amount of book smarts could prepare them for.

Director: Olivia Wilde

Cast: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams, Will Forte, Lisa Kudrow, Jason Sudeikis

Release Date: May 24, 2019

Genres: Comedy

Rated R for strong sexual content and language throughout, drug use and drinking - all involving teens

Runtime: 1h 42min

Review:

Booksmart can easily be written off as a female version of Superbad but it’s actually much more than just that.  Oliva Wilde directorial debut is a smart and funny even if feels familiar.  The coming of age story is well worn and it can be difficult to bring something new to the table.  Wilde brings a nice bit of visual flair along with likable characters.  The central duo of Kaitlyn Dever & Beanie Feldstein share great chemistry and strong comedic timing.  The supporting cast is made up of a steady stream of familiar faces who all make the film better though I do wish we’d gotten a bit more of Jason Sudeikis.  Billie Lourde does stand out as a recurring character that’s constantly everywhere.  Overall, the story has a strong sense of inclusiveness and heart at its center adding depth to the raunchy romp.  It’s likely to join the list of the great coming of age movies much like Superbad.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM

After gunning down a member of the High Table -- the shadowy international assassin's guild -- legendary hit man John Wick finds himself stripped of the organization's protective services. Now stuck with a $14 million bounty on his head, Wick must fight his way through the streets of New York as he becomes the target of the world's most ruthless killers.

Director: Chad Stahelski

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane

Release Date: May 17, 2019

Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller

Rated R for pervasive strong violence, and some language

Runtime: 2 h 10min

Review:

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum somehow finds a way to up the ante on the action franchise.  It’s dance like choreography of the action sequences are truly something to behold.  Here director Chad Stahelski delivers a bevy of action set pieces that are just as jaw dropping and as they are audacious.  It’s a cornucopia of variety as well which keeps the sequences from becoming stale or repetitive.  Keanu Reeves is at the center of the whole thing of course and in his usual Reeves way he moves the film along even with the barebones plot.  The plot itself is strangely complicated and simplistic at the same time.  The story does open up the world and mythology but rarely gets bogged down too much keeping the focus on the action that everyone has come to expect from the franchise.  If there is a slight issue, it’s that this entry seems slightly more tongue in cheek than the previous entries.  The villain is an interesting take which may or may not work depending on how serious you prefer your big bad.  Ultimately, it’s not a major miscalculation because the film as a whole is just a load of mindless fun.  The visuals and choreography are the stuff of popcorn fueled dreams.  The door is left open for another sequel which would have a high mile marker to surpass.    

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2

Legendary hitman John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is once again called out of retirement, this time by a former colleague (Riccardo Scamarcio) who wants him to repay a debt by killing an Italian crime lord (Claudia Gerini). But when the attempted assassination goes awry, Wick finds himself hunted by an international cabal of killers, and his only hope for survival might be a shadowy figure known as the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne). Director Chad Stahelski and screenwriter Derek Kolstad return for this sequel to their 2014 cult action hit. Ian McShane, Ruby Rose, John Leguizamo, Common, Lance Reddick, and Bridget Moynahan co-star. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

Director: Chad Stahelski

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Common, John Leguizamo, Bridget Moynahan, Laurence Fishburne

Release Date: Feb 10, 2017

Rated R for Strong Violence Throughout, Some Language and Brief Nudity

Runtime: 2 hr. 2 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

John Wick: Chapter 2 does everything a sequel should do by upping the action and expanding the world from the first film.  Chad Stahelski seems to have a firm understanding of what worked from the first film.  As such, we are treated to a virtual ballet of bullets during some impressively choreographed sequences.  The story opens up the network of hitmen and support system which is fun even though it’s ludicrous anyway you cut it.  Still, it’s a fun bit of world building that gives the story a neat frame work which introduces us to a wide variety of characters.  Keanu Reeves does his best work during the action sequences which is hardly a surprise.  Reeves has never been an acting powerhouse so it’s the film benefit that he’s got limited requirements as Wick.  The supporting players like Ian McShane, Common and Laurence Fishburne give the film a bit more body than it probably deserves.  The biggest stretch for the film is Ruby Rose who never really fits in.  It might have something to do with the fact that she looks more like a female Justin Bieber than any sort of menacing badass.  It’s not a major drawback because there are so many people trying to kill John Wick, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle especially since nearly 90% of the population of New York is trained hitmen.  At certain points, the film does begin to suffer from attrition simply because there’s so much going on in the final act.  John Wick: Chapter 2 sets up the 3^rd entry nicely which should make for a fun capper to the series.  

B