‘John Wick’ sticks to sublime action, style
The nearly three-hour fairy tale of firearms that is “John Wick: Chapter 4” is a sprawling, Shakespearean orgy of violence, a salute to stunt choreographers and a return to the original film’s roots — at the heart of the matter, it is the fundamentally the story of a duel and a dog.
For four bloody installments, Keanu Reeves has played the sorrowful, taciturn assassin John Wick, directed by his former stunt double Chad Stahelski, who has proven to be quite the cinematic stylist. Together, these two have offered up a completely unique blockbuster action franchise, one that dares to be somber, centering the doleful Reeves as the grieving John Wick. It also dares to embrace bold aesthetics — color, style, production design and location shooting — which feels downright revolutionary in the age of endless greenscreen and computer-generated landscapes.
These films are long on style, but narrative complexity is not on the menu here — the “John Wick” films are merely conduits for long dream ballets of stunning fight choreography set amongst richly production-designed scenery. Reeves seems aware that he is merely a vessel for violence here, and though the script, by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, is laden with lore surrounding the Continental Hotel for assassins (gamely delivered by Clancy Brown), feel free to simply let it wash over you.
All you need to know is that John Wick is fighting for his freedom, that the governing body of assassins, the High Table, doesn’t want to grant it, and he’s going to duel to the death for it. The new leader of the High Table, the preening, poncy Marquis (an excellent Bill Skarsgard) hasn’t just put out a huge bounty on Wick’s head, he’s also compelled the Zatoichi-like blind swordsman Caine (an even more excellent Donnie Yen) to kill John Wick in exchange for protecting his daughter.
There are moments both insipid and sublime. The attempts at comedy ultimately fail; one wishes the filmmakers would realize that the humor in “John Wick” works when they keep a straight face — Reeves knows this — and not try to force it.
But when
it’s sublime, it’s positively transcendent, such as Yen’s incredible turn delivering one of the best physical performances of all time as the blind assassin. The supporting cast brings the color and the heat, and Shamier Anderson is also fantastic as a tracker trying to run up John Wick’s contract.
John Wick is a man of few words, but a lot of action, and when all is said and done, it’s simply a treat to watch him move about these spaces. We like to watch him work — a skill he employs almost regretfully — and “John Wick: Chapter 4” is a stunningly beautiful, if a bit narratively sludgy, climax for America’s favorite assassin.