John Wick 4 cements landmark franchise

John Wick: Chapter 4 has finally arrived and a whole lot has been written about the film already. I’m not a fan of repeating what everyone else is saying, especially if they say it far better. But I will say, both as a standalone piece of filmmaking and as the latest in a franchise which became something of a surprise underdog hit, it points to an incredible journey and evolution.

I still have a big soft spot for the original 2014 film, mainly it's focused simplicity and emotional driving force. In hindsight, it may now feel smaller and more contained, but as motivation goes, Wick is probably at his most fierce. However, the stakes have now been raised each and every time throughout this journey, from the world building and mythology introduced in the second film, to the expanded world of assassins and impending doom of the third, to the truly international scope and vision of this new entry. Director and stunt veteran Chad Stahelski (proudly featured in my original Life of Action book, among others involved in the series) has helmed what is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious and grand action franchises in modern cinema. A big achievement not only in action design - hugely inventive in its own right - but in vision, myth-making and lore. 

Though 87eleven co-founder, David Leitch, didn’t helm any of the sequels, he is engrained in the John Wick legacy and should be acknowledged for his role. He co-directed the original film back when it was a smaller feature debut for the duo, and he has stayed on exec producing and supporting his business partner since then. Meanwhile, Leitch has been spearheading other blockbuster films as a director, including Atomic Blonde, Fast & Furious spin-off, Hobbs and Shaw, and Bullet Train. It’s clear to me that 87eleven have gone from strength to strength as filmmakers and I do expect many others in their ranks (stunt vets aka emerging storytellers who use action as their canvas) to be coming through the gate. J.J. Perry already made the leap with Netflix’s vampire action-comedy, Day Shift. Larnell Stovall has directed episodes of DC’s Titans, and many more will follow.

Back to the cinematic universe of John Wick, the action needs no introduction and has seamlessly blended the moves and skillset of hand-to-hand combat, judo, jiu jitsu, with tactical firearms, into a signature blend of ‘gun-fu’. We’ve seen weapons and fighting in other films, admittedly, but the JW cocktail is unique. They have also incorporated moving vehicles; cars, bikes, horses, dogs and every environment imaginable with great creativity. This is arguably only possible where action design is so closely infused into the story and characters. When action is the by-product within a regular script, it wouldn’t work in nearly the same way. Sure, there are many examples of action choreographers working well with filmmakers, but in this unique setting those departments are the exact same people, or at least sing from the same hymn sheet. At their peak, these set pieces have become feats of invention, with bold execution. Some action sequences pop more than others, and there is even a tendency to feel a bit repetitious (more so in earlier films), or go a little long and overindulgent, but the video game style aesthetic is almost always entertaining.

Apart from the stunt people tasked to deliver whatever wild action is conceived, Keanu Reeves has famously shown the physical commitment a star can make to a role, through tireless training for months at a time before each film. It’s worth remembering that he could quite easily be doubled, but it’s also a reminder that a physical acting role is an acting role nonetheless, and it simply wouldn’t be the same if this stoic character was played by someone else during difficult fight scenes. Reeves is Wick, and he’s doing it all at the age of 58, which many actors half his age couldn’t or wouldn’t be prepared to do.

In JW4 we’re also treated to a host of roles from some of our current best loved genre stars. For me, this reaffirms the filmmakers’ love of cinema and an obvious vocabulary when it comes to global action cinema and casting, which is not always the case with typical studios. As one of Wick’s main antagonists, Donnie Yen plays blind assassin Caine with grace, humility and poignant backstory. For those who know some of Yen’s disappointing past experiences in Hollywood (since his role in the otherwise great Blade II), it’s nice to see him given a western film character of real depth, who nonetheless gets great action showcases and is treated with respect in terms of his platform. Hiroyuki Sanada (The Last Samurai) also holds down a commanding role as the manager of the Osaka Continental Hotel, and these particular set pieces - boasting elegant but brutal swordplay against striking backdrops - more than pay tribute to the work of Akira Kurosawa, one of many cinematic nods we’re treated to. I’m a huge fan of Sergio Leone and, without giving spoilers, the finale tips its hat in a big way too.

Many have talked about the major transformation of Scott Adkins playing slimy German ‘High Table’ boss, Killa, in one of the best set pieces. His scenes are some of the most fun, lively and over-the-top, and his nightclub fight delivers a stylised backdrop for the chaotic action that follows. It was satisfying to see Adkins not only entering the JW universe, but playing such an unusual and unexpected character, and totally owning it. However, he is clearly underrated for his transformative talents because the Birmingham native known to many as Yuri Boyka disappeared into that very look for the Undisputed films many years ago. The Russian MMA fighter he is closely identified with looks nothing like the man who plays him!

We also see the “Latin Dragon” Marko Zaror in a great role as Chidi, the second-in-command bad guy to arch villain, Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård). Zaror’s work goes right back to the cult classic Kiltro, the first Latin American martial arts film to receive a theatrical release. He followed this by re-teaming with childhood friend and Chilean director Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, working on Mirageman and Mandrill. Their collaborations were significant for Latino action cinema and introducing Zaror to global audiences. Later a friendship formed with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez leading to supporting roles in Machete Kills, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series and Alita: Battle Angel. Again, it’s great to see Stahelski employ him in a memorable role with multiple set pieces, rather than as a minor henchman who is killed quickly.

We also get the final role of the cool, charismatic hotel concierge Charon, played by Lance Reddick, who sadly passed away just as the film was being released. Reddick is well remembered for many roles including The Wire, Bosch and the Horizon and Destiny video game franchises, but I first remember him making a big impact in HBO’s Oz. It’s a very sad and tragic loss and Stahelski has since made changes to the finished film (quite an unusual move) to dedicate the movie to Lance Reddick who was well loved by cast and crew,

As a very vocal fan of Walter Hill’s The Warriors, I also loved JW4’s Paris section in which a radio DJ communicates with the city’s assassins as to Wick’s whereabouts and bounty status through music and song choice. It’s a satisfying nod to another cult classic. To quote the original film, “magic, whole lotta magic.”

Right now it’s unclear whether we’ll see more sequels in the OG John Wick universe. In a way, I feel like this hugely ambitious latest chapter is the perfect finale, and I can’t imagine how they’d possibly top it. Still, with fans eager for the arrival of TV spin-off, The Continental and the Ana de Armas headlined Ballerina, here’s hoping they carry the relay baton boldly forward, ideally on horseback while gripping a firearm in the other hand! With enormous box office returns and a very positive fan and critic reaction, it could be an appropriate and well deserved mic drop moment. Alternatively, there could be many untapped ideas still to explore. And yet, if no longer bound to JW directing duties, it will be exciting to see what Stahelski cooks up next, having built one of the landmark action franchises of modern cinema.