The day has finally come – John Wick: Chapter 4 has hit theaters with a vengeance and is already breaking franchise records. It’s pretty amazing that the first film came close to being dumped as a limited release/VOD movie, only for it to blow the roof off of Fantastic Fest and become a modest sleeper hit. Its trajectory is unique because each subsequent film made more money than the last. Usually, sequels play to diminishing returns, but for this franchise, it’s been anything but.
Our own JimmyO raved about John Wick: Chapter 4, even comparing it to Mad Max: Fury Road. I caught the film myself at a press screening a few weeks ago and was pretty impressed. While I’m not sure I would put it up with the greatest action films of all time, it’s certainly one of the best recent action movies and seems poised to become a genre classic. I’d rank it as the best of the John Wick series, although curiously, I found the movie was totally stolen by Donnie Yen, who plays the movie’s antihero, Caine. Yen’s character is amazing, with him being a blind assassin with a cynical edge that’s forced into hunting a man he respects. I was blown away by some of his action sequences and I was impressed by the vulnerability he shows on screen, such as a great moment where Wick has him in his crosshairs and recognizes how helpless he can be in the wrong situation due to his blindness. It’s all pretty damn impressive, plus you have some action movie faves like Scott Adkins (who agrees with Jimmy that it’s one of the all-time best action movies) and Marko Zaror in as bad guys, plus a touching swan song for the late Lance Reddick – it adds up to a pretty stunning action flick. While I still think it was a shade too long, I had a blast from beginning to end.
But enough of what we think here at JoBlo. The time has come for you, dear reader, to weigh in. A lot of you likely saw it at the preview screenings last night, and even more will be checking it out this weekend. Once you get the chance, let us know what you think in the comments below – but those of you who haven’t seen it – beware. There will be spoilers.
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