The Baba Yaga has returned, and this time, all cards are off the table. John Wick: Chapter 4 starring Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Laurence Fishburne, Bill Skarsgård, Ian McShane, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rina Sawayama, and Scott Adkins has the titular character fighting for his freedom from the High Table.
It is absolutely phenomenal to see how this franchise began as a man out for revenge for the death of his dog into the assassin-ematic universe that it is now. I was very excited and jumped at the opportunity of being a part of the early screening. Don’t worry everyone, this will be spoiler-free and so read on!
To start, I would definitely recommend refreshing your John Wick knowledge with a quick video recap of what happened from John Wick 1 to 3. Luckily, Mr. Keanu Reeves has that covered for you in 60 seconds.
This is now the 4th installment of John Wick and when we watch a John Wick film, we expect some edgy fight choreography, and this current film does not disappoint. Especially with the veteran martial arts legend Donnie Yen entering the chat, the action sequences were exceptionally over the top and brutal in every way. WE ARE HERE FOR IT. Not only did Donnie Yen’s Caine shine but Shamier Anderson’s Tracker was able to deliver a credible threat towards Mr. Wick himself. Punch for punch and kick for kick. The fight choreography was well executed, and the background visuals were stunning as well. Keep an eye out for a fight with a certain Mr. Hiroyuki Sanada, which had one of the best background settings and felt as if it was straight out of a video game.
The movie is centered around John Wick but with each installment brings new characters that furthers our growing attachment to this franchise. McShane’s Winston and Fishburne’s Bowery King were great additions to the story but in John Wick: Chapter 4, they continue to create more characters that expands this universe and hopefully will appear in future spin-offs. For example, Sanada’s Shimazu and Sawayama’s Akira had such amazing chemistry as father and daughter that I would love to see a television show or movie that explores their relationship even further. For now, I am stoked to see the future Ballerina film starring Ana de Armas that is set in this same universe.
Overall, John Wick: Chapter 4 continues to bring such a freshness to the franchise and fleshes out this universe with the introduction of brand-new characters and unique storylines. Although this is the fourth installment, I don’t think this train is slowing down anytime soon.
