Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Bill Skarsgård, Clancey Brown, Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rina Sawayama, George Georgiou, Marko Zaror, Aimée Kwan, Iryna Fedorova, Marie Pierre Kakoma, Natalia Tena, Sven Marquardt.
It may not be the last we hear of John Wick, but if the series was to end on Chapter 4 then the final instalment of the lone assassin’s revenge/redemption tale is by far and without argument, its masterpiece.
There is a certain, remarkable difference to this film than to its three predecessors, one that is provided by the sense of inevitability in which Keanu Reeves and the rest of the cast subconsciously acknowledge, that of raising the bar so high that it dwarfs the stagnancy to be found in the others, of promoting the absurdity to a point where it becomes absolutely infectious, of playing itself up with sincerity that it becomes a classic of its genre, even when the scenario itself is one of the most outlandish to ever come to fruition.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is a towering inferno, full of a fire, full of action, seismic cinematography, stylish, a film capable of understanding its honour, whilst committing to the realisation that such a premise is almost preposterous, and doing it so well that you cannot but help root for the protagonist as he fights and shoots anything in his path so he can achieve his objective.
The John Wick series will never be accused of being the pinnacle of cinema, but in terms of entertainment, of breathless continuality served in this particular instalment, it has to be acknowledged just how impressive the action adventure is.
There are moments in which the seriousness of the filmed sequences is like a merger between the finest graphic novels and the sheer scope of the computer games, and it is in three remarkable scenes to which the film holds its impressive bounty together. A sequence in a deserted church where the film is shot from above, the terrific, but equally absurd gun fight on the steps that lead to the peak of Montmartre, and the absolute honesty framed by the duel; for these moments alone, the film is deserving of praise.
A franchise can be successful, it can generate cash like the proverbial goose that laid golden eggs, but if it is not sincere it is not worth a damn; but with a tremendous performance by Bill Skarsgård as the Marquis, Ian McShane capturing the essence in which he has always been regarded as a shining example of British acting, and Hiroyuki Sanada given the emotional stance and angle he deserves, John Wick: Chapter 4 is a utterly convincing film in which to draw this particular period to its glorious end…for now.
Ian D. Hall