“John Wick 4” is both stunning and exhausting in its aesthetic action excess

Will John Wick (Keanu Reeves) ever find peace? That is one question in “John Wick: Chapter 4,” the latest installment in the franchise that began in 2014, when the titular ex-hit man, grieving for his late wife, sought revenge on the men who killed his dog and took his car. 

But a better question may be: How cool is “John Wick: Chapter 4”? And the answer is pretty damn cool. There is some stunning cinematography — one shot of the Eiffel Tower surrounded by fog is breathtaking — and the art direction from sleek hotels to a terrific tracking shot through a museum are pretty fabulous. The film just looks incredible.

John Wick is practically indestructible, which perhaps strains credibility, but it also makes him more mythical.

Yet an even better question — and the one most on the mind of fans of the series —is: How is the action? It is kinetic and spectacular, with some truly amazing fight sequences — many of which are bloodless. There most violent moment involves a character removing his hand from a knife (not the other way around).

To recap for those who haven’t seen the previous films, in “Chapter 2” John Wick was ex-communicated by The High Table, a group of underworld bosses. And “Chapter 3 — Parabellum” ended with John shot by Winston (Ian McShane) and falling off a building. That is about all one needs to know as “Chapter 4” opens with John heading out to kill The Elder (Geoge Georgiou) in an effort to gain his freedom from the High Table. Instead, an $18 million (and rising) bounty is placed on his head. Tracker (Shamier Anderson) and his dog hope to collect this fee. 

Meanwhile, a decree from the High Table forces New York Continental hotel — a safe space where no killing can take place — to close. The aggrieved Winston wants his hotel and his position back, so he is motivated to find John Wick to make this happen. However, the Marquis (Bill Skarsgård in dandified mode) wants Wick dead, and gets Caine (Donnie Yen), a blind assassin in the Zatoichi mode, out of retirement to do the deed. 

“John Wick: Chapter 4” spends it first reel setting up all these players so they can fight, fight and fight some more for the next two and a half hours. The first action sequence unfolds in the Osaka Continental Hotel where John is hiding out. Shimazu (Hiroyuki Sanada) and his daughter Akira (Rina Sawayama) and their team go to battle, arrows against guns, and the velocity and the ferocity is kicked into high gear. One moment, where Akira bests a man twice her size by knifing a man who is crawling up a flight of stairs in the back multiple times — like a mountain climber finding purchase on a cliff face — is especially impressive. 

An equally exciting set piece takes place in a glass-filled room where John uses nunchaku when his guns are unavailable. Set to some industrial music, the episode features an almost endless series of men trying to kill John Wick (‘natch) until Caine goes mano a mano with him. 

Of course, John Wick is practically indestructible, which perhaps strains credibility, but it also makes him more mythical. This was evident from his being shot and falling several stories that ended “Chapter 3.” John suffers some painful injuries in this installment, too. A segment where he falls down dozens of flights of stairs outside Sacré Coeur is particularly punishing. 

But much of “Chapter 4” is step and repeat. 

“John Wick: Chapter 4” fills in a bit of plot as John learns he can gain his freedom if he duels the Marquis, but to do that he needs to get the Ruska Roma to sponsor him. To get their assistance, John has to go to Berlin and dispatch Killa (an unrecognizable Scott Adkins) who fights with him in a nightclub with stylish waterfalls. Why throngs of people are dancing as a knock-down, drag-out brawl — John is dragged up a flight of stairs by his tie — as well as gunplay is taking place around them is a mystery. But, as Winston says, “Such is life.” 

John does not get much in the way of development here as he just kills and kills and kills some more.

The film rarely concerns itself with logic, which is great when John is doing donuts while shooting and killing a group of would-be assassins in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe. (It’s both amusing and astounding). But perhaps less so during an extended overhead shot of John going from room to room in an old building killing all comers like a sequence from a video game. This episode may boast great camerawork, but it feels tiresome, and the film can be a bit exhausting, even though it stops for a breather in a church so John and Caine can wax philosophical. 

Keanu Reeves and Donnie Yen in “John Wick 4” (Lionsgate)John does not get much in the way of development here as he just kills and kills and kills some more. (Keanu Reeves doesn’t give much in the way of a performance either, but his stunt double acts overtime.) Even after he arranges the duel at sunrise with the Marquis, who has chosen Caine to be his proxy, John goes out the night before, with a $40 million bounty on his head, so he can kill, kill and kill some more. Sure, it sets up some nifty action sequences, such as an exciting sequence in with John fights all comers in heavy traffic set to some key needle drops. But one has to question — is any of this necessary? 

Donnie Yen (his political controversy aside) is too cool for school here, and Shamier Anderson steals his every scene as the Tracker, a man who is loyal to his dog, but his allegiance to people keeps shifting. The dog is a great character, too, and especially amusing when he attacks Chidi (Marko Zaror), one of the Marquis’ henchmen. Zaror is a great Chilean martial artist, who showed promise in his 2007 film “Mirageman” and it is fun to see him keep popping up to kill John.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

 In support, Ian McShane is wonderfully droll, and franchise characters the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) and Charon (the recently passed Lance Reddick) are reduced mostly to cameo appearances.

But the ultimate question here is: Is more better? “John Wick: Chapter 4” feels a bit bloated at 169 minutes, and while it is never boring, it does not seem to justify all its excess. 

Yet as with any duel, especially one where pistols are drawn at 30 paces at dawn, someone gets satisfaction. Fans of the series are sure to appreciate this action-packed chapter, even it is more, more and more of the same.

“John Wick 4” is currently in theaters nationwide. Watch a trailer via YouTube.

Read more

about Keanu Reeves movie sequels