John Wick: Chapter 4 Review – Baba Yaga Strikes Back

In 2014, John Wick was a franchise that nobody saw coming. Yet, with each subsequent film, the franchise’s popularity has grown with its penchant for entertaining balletic action sequences and compelling characters. Surprisingly, each John Wick flick has managed to one-up itself as well. With John Wick: Chapter 4, Chad Stahelski and co. have done the impossible by creating the best film in the franchise. 

Yes, the movie is almost three hours long, and there’s a good reason for that. If you haven’t dug these movies and still giving this movie a shot, then you will probably feel the extra long runtime. Yet, franchise and action fans will appreciate more of the new elements introduced in the film. What elevates this story above the others is the amount of depth writers Shay Hatten and Michael Finch give John Wick. They give Wick’s actions purpose and nuance, which, as a result, lets audiences care more about Wick and his dwindling array of allies. This carefully orchestrated tactic accentuates the fear and anxiety of seeing our heroes go up against one of the most ruthless villains in the franchise.

Bill Skarsgård’s Marquis is a conniving, hammy, and ruthless character. He doesn’t necessarily have the skills to kill himself, but he’s smart enough to outplay his opponents. In other words, he’s Lex Luthor to John Wick’s Superman, and the Marquis has a lot of men and assassins to throw at Wick.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is a high-octane action spectacle that solidifies John Wick as one of the best action franchises ever.

Of course, the film is still violent and over-the-top. However, we get more quiet moments to let audiences breathe a little bit. These moments help build and establish the bevy of new characters introduced in Chapter 4. With the kind of track record that the franchise has in world-building, setting the current and future characters in this franchise is done seamlessly. 

For action cinema fans, Chapter 4 has assembled an Avengers-like super team of action legends. I must say it’s incredibly mind-blowing to see Asian acting legends Donnie Yen and Hiroyuki Sanada on screen together at the same time and doing what they do best: Kicking lots of ass. Yet, they’re not the only ones kicking butt in this film. Chapter 4 has employed the ass-kicking services of Scott Adkins, Marko Zaror, Shamier Anderson, and J-Pop star Rina Sawayama. All actors have their moment to shine and have put them up there in the pantheon of memorable John Wick characters.

Overall, John Wick: Chapter 4 is a high-octane action spectacle with enough moments of peace to let their characters develop and grow. With each John Wick flick, they raise the stakes, expand the world and lore, and heighten the action. It’s challenging to sustain in four films, but John Wick: Chapter 4 handles it with ease. This franchise has quickly become one of the best action franchises ever—no easy task, but well-deserved.

Rating: 5/5 atoms

John Wick: Chapter 4 hits theaters on March 24th.