Review of John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) by Jumpier — 25 Mar 2023

Ever since John Wick came out in theaters in 2014, unknown to general audiences, as a niche action-thriller film with R-rated action, its success has catapulted the character and its franchise into stardom. Many critics now hail it as "a work of pop cinema so blissfully, albeit brutally, entertaining that you come out of it feeling even more resentful of its multiplex neighbors for not making a similar effort." with some even comparing it to the Mad Max franchise, another critically-acclaimed action franchise. As always, due to the high bar set by its predecessors, it is always certain that one may harbor doubts if another sequel(a fourth one!) would be able to live up to the anticipation. It is especially true in an era of sequels, remakes, or spin-offs that fall short of the mark, to devastating consequences to the franchise.

I can say that JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, has not only lived but exceeded expectations(both personally and generally) in all aspects, especially its story. The continuation to John Wick 3, where John was found wounded and seeking revenge against his foes, the way how the story travels not only throughout the world but with also the characters, who are with complex personalities and motives that make you understand and even sympathize with the characters. Of course, there is the recurring cast of Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, and the late Lance Reddick(R.I.P). They once again seamlessly fit into their characters and continue to provide Oscar-worthy performances. This is a brief review(for now, the characters). I will be re-editing this with more about the cinematography, setting, and more details about the plot. Ps: This is for now not a spoilers review.