THE SETUP
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) faces off against the full power of The High Table to escape the price that has been placed on his head. Old friends and new enemies come together for a final showdown on the streets of Paris. Starring Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, and Ian McShane. Directed by Chad Stahelski.
THE DELIVERY
John Wick isn’t getting older – he’s getting better. John Wick Chapter 4 is a wild ride on an adrenaline highway, a superior action film that’s on par with the original. While other film franchises disappoint with sequels that feel like tired retreads, Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski offer a film that sticks to a winning formula, yet offers a fresh energy.
Stahelski keeps the plot simple for this latest chapter. Chapter 4 is, at its core, a chase film motivated by revenge. Rather than getting bogged down with plot twists and burdensome exposition, it stays focused on goal. John Wick (Reeves) remains on the run (as we saw him at the end of Chapter 3), and is determined to clear the price on his head, issued by The High Table when he was declared excommunicado. That sends Wick on a quest to take down the members of the Table itself, triggering an all-out war that has dire consequences for John’s allies.
The film relies on the fact that you know the returning characters well enough that it doesn’t waste time on backstory. Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne share a great rapport with Reeves, so their interactions feel authentic. Fishburne and Reeves have great screen chemistry (we’ve known that since The Matrix), and the audience buys into these relationships, giving the film a nice emotional pull when they all face the wrath of the High Table.
Add to that, a number of new characters who seamlessly join the narrative without feeling shoehorned in. They include The Marquis (Bill Skarsgård), a High Table member tasked with killing John; Shimazu (Hiroyuki Sanada), a friend of John and the manager of the Osaka Continental; The Harbinger (Clancy Brown), an operative for the High Table; and Caine (Donnie Yen) a blind assassin who seems to be Wick’s equal, if not better.
Sanada and Yen are particularly effective, and feel like they’ve been a part of this story from the beginning. Yen’s fight scenes are fantastic, showing off some clever originality in a genre that has grown increasingly stale. The same can be said about the film as a whole. Too many action films have devolved into soulless, CGI-heavy mash-ups that rely on quick editing and camera angles to pull off decent fight scenes. Chapter 4 does none of that; not only is the fight choreography incredible, the camera work by cinematographer Dan Laustsen captures it all beautifully in long, perfectly-framed shots. That includes an overhead tracking shot that follows Wick as he shoots his way through multiple rooms – all in a long, single shot.
John Wick Chapter 4 is a masterclass in action, and easily one of the best action films in years. Keanu Reeves is a consummate action star who stands apart in a sea of Hollywood pretenders. A fantastic supporting cast includes one of the final roles for the fantastic Lance Reddick, who passed away suddenly earlier this year. Director Chad Stahelski gives us everything we could hope for in an action movie, and then some. It’s nice, and exceedingly rare, to have our expectations exceeded in a movie theater these days. John Wick Chapter 4 does just that.
SIGHT AND SOUND
The video transfer for John Wick Chapter 4 is nothing short of amazing. The deep, rich color, the level of detail, and the image quality is on a level I expect from a 4K disc, but for an HD Blu-ray, it is extremely impressive. A high bit rate certainly helps, especially with so much of the film taking place at night and within darkened sets. A high level of contrast is evident throughout, and although the AVC-encoded 1080p transfer looks great, the night scenes will likely show more detail on the 4K disc (which we did not get to review).
The Dolby Atmos track is a booming, reference-level presentation that is consistent throughout the film. Punches, gunfire, and car crashes all have appropriate oomph, and dialogue is strong through the central channel. A number of songs are featured during the fight scenes, and they sound great, with excellent clarity. Crank up your speakers for a crystal-clear, floor-rattling audio experience.
BONUS FEATURES
A number of behind-the-scenes featurettes make up a healthy special features section of the disc. Among the features included on the disc are:
• “Chad and Keanu: Through Wick and Thin” featurette. The winning partnership between director Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves is explored, from their original collaboration for The Matrix through to the John Wick saga. There are some great interviews included. Running Time: 5:45
• “Train Like a Killer” featurette. Reeves and weapons master Robert “Rock” Galotti discuss the incredible action sequences and the planning and preparation that went into each. There’s a focus on the film’s “gunchucks” scene, detailing how they incorporated two very different weapons into a single fighting style. Running Time: 5:55
• “Making A Killing” featurette. Big sets, anamorphic lenses, and epic vision all play a part in the look of John Wick films. Production Designer Kevin Kavanaugh and other members of the cast and crew discuss the sets, including the “waterfall club” and the various Continentals featured in the films. Running Time: 6:25
• “The Psychology of a Killer” featurette. The psychology of John Wick is explored, as the assassin with a samurai-like code is discussed. His relationship to the killers around him is also featured. Running Time: 4:32
• “The Blind Leading the Fight” featurette. Donnie Yen’s character of Caine, the blind assassin, is discussed, as Yen reveals how the character evolved from a concept to what you saw on the big screen. The unique fight scene between Caine and John is also discussed. Running Time: 9:18
• “Suit Up / Shoot Up” featurette. Costume Designer Paco Delgado shows off the bulletproof suit John Wick wears for this film, which provides an opportunity for some fantastic shootout scenes. In addition, the costume design of the film’s various assassin characters are featured. Running time: 5:41
• “Packing a Punch” featurette. The melding of the film’s fight choreography with special effects is explored, with interviews from Stahelski, Reeves, and Scott Adkins. Visual Effects Supervisor Jonathan Rothbart, Stunt Coordinator Stephen Dunlevy, and Fight Choreographer Jeremy Marinas are also interviewed. Running Time: 4:41
• “One Killer Shot” featurette. John Wick: Chapter 4 features an incredible, single-take shot of a shootout that is easily one of the most unique fight scenes in movie history. Fight Choreographers Jeremy Marinas and Laurent Demianoff, as well as Stunt Coordinator Scott Rogers, discuss how the incredible scene was pulled off. Running Time: 3:09
• “Killing at the Speed of Traffic” featurette. The fantastic “car-fu” sequence at Paris’ Arc de Triomphe did not rely primarily on digital effects. This featurette highlights the practical effects that went into the sequence, as well as Keanu Reeves’ own driving and stunt work. Running Time: 10:10
• “A Shot in the Dark” featurette. Nearly every scene of John Wick Chapter 4 takes place at night. This short focuses on the film’s location shooting and the challenges of filming at night. Behind-the-scenes footage of the staircase fight at the end of the film is featured extensively. Running Time: 5:43
• “In Honor of the Dead” featurette. Director Chad Stahelski referenced and was inspired by a number of classic films. This featurette covers many of the homages featured in John Wick Chapter 4. Running Time: 5:23
• Theatrical Trailers. Two trailers for the film are included.
• The Continental: First Look. A scene from the upcoming John Wick prequel series for Peacock, The Continental, is included. Running Time: 3:10
• Digital Copy. A code for a digital copy of the film, redeemable at either VUDU/Fandango or iTunes, is included.
BLU-RAY SPECS
Release Date: June 13, 2023
Rating: R
Running Time: 169 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English Descriptive Audio, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Spanish, French
Label: Lionsgate
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