Action-Adventure John Wick: Chapter 4

[Drizzle]

And word yet on when this is out for digital purchase?

They just announced a June 13th release date for the Blu-ray so I'd imagine it'll be available for purchase on digital a few weeks before then.

John Wick: Chapter 4 4K Blu-ray

 

[Gothamsknight]

I can't wait to finally have the 4k in my hands. multiple repeat viewings incoming, and this is easily still my favorite film of the year.

 

[Iceman]

I buy very few new films these days but this one was a bit special.

 

[The Caped Knight]

 

[OnLeatherWings]

I love Chapter 4 - and I've crowned it my favourite of the series. That said, I've got a few nitpicks.

John's Plot Armor - The moment that really did it for me was John's fall out of the window, during the Paris segment. Then the staircase fall.

I mean, wow. I understand this series has evolved to being a heightened reality, and I'm cool with that. But John was more vulnerable in previous films. His fall at the end of Chapter 3 was painful - but we now know he had time to recover and with his fall being slowed down on the way - I bought he survived that.

But this one - no. At least he's visibly in pain, which is effective. But he gets right up. They should've just made him jump from the second floor and land on the van.

Instead, this moment really took me out of the film, at that point.

Same with the stairs fall. Not a dislocated shoulder? Nor a broken bone? It just got to be a bit much more than even I'm used to with John Wick.

If a henchman wouldn't survive - John shouldn't. If a criminal would've been injured, John should be, too.

Visible Damage - In Chapter 2 - John is pursued through New York by criminals and assassins aggressively. And he is cut up, beat-up, and worn out. He looks awful. Same thing with the opening of Chapter 3.

In Chapter 4, by the time he reaches the top of the steps for the finale, he barely has a scratch on him. I really missed his visible damage in this film. He really should've been cut up, bleeding somewhere, etc. But he looked...just fine, really.

He should've shown visible damage from the stairs fall, for sure.

Chapter 3's Lost Story Beats - At the end of Chapter 3, the Bowery King and John are both very pissed off. It felt as if they were working towards the King coming back with a vengeance and collaborate John to mess some stuff up.

And in Chapter 4 - he's quite calm. Doing his own thing. He provides John with a suit and gun - and that's about it. It's obvious he provided John with medical care and a place to train his body back to shape after the fall of the third film, but we get nothing of the angry Bowery King.

It feels like they aimed for that hint at the end of the third film, and then realized that's not the direction they wanted to go.

Also, one of the big things of the third film that we all were eager to see addressed is Winston's betrayal of John by shooting him off the roof.

There's no resolution, no moment of mutual understanding between them, no discussion, etc. I don't need a whole lot - but that was a big deal left unresolved that many of us were excited to see how that relationship had changed.

And nothing changed.

Plus, the finale of 3, we see Winston get control back of the Continental - even sacrificing John to do so. And he loses control of it anyway in the first ten minutes of Chapter 4.

Creative Kills - Maybe I got spoiled by Chapter 3, but man - I miss kills like the horse kick to the face, the knife to the eye, or the brutality of the shotgun.

Funny enough, Chapter 4 seems to be the most tame since the original gore-wise. There's a lack of blood with this new one, which seems odd.

 

[OnLeatherWings]

Even though Chapter 4 is my favourite of the series, in a franchise that's among my Top 5 - I can say with 100% confidence that Chapter 4 should be the last one.

I don't see them topping the 4th film, which yes - that's just me, but the series just critically peaked at a fourth entry, near unheard of.

We are at the point where diminishing returns is inevitable. It has to happen at some point - and this is the farthest it should go. Sometimes, you have to know when to quit and this series is one of those where less is likely more.

On top of that, this ending was the best possible one we could've gotten. Not only is it ambiguous - but narratively, either interpretation the audience left with is fitting and a fitting end to the series and the arc of John's character.

If they do a 5th one - both interpretations of the ending would be undone and undermined, as well as John's victory in Chapter 4. Why harm this film's point by continuing?

It's a bit like what happened to the ending of Toy Story 3 in light of the events in Toy Story 4.

What they've accomplished and the style of film will have worn out its welcome if they push it.

Leave it be. And its legacy will be intact.

And sure, the series is profitable - but each entry isn't making that much more than the last - so I can see LionsGate letting it rest. It's not like it's a $1B franchise.

Spin-Offs? Sure.

But leave John Wick as a 4-part masterpiece that it now is.

And besides, mystique/mystery is what gives this franchise its colour and style. We don't need to see what happened before John's retirement - and we don't need every question answered of what happened after.

Wick is Exhibit A that the legend is always better than the truth.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I love Chapter 4 - and I've crowned it my favourite of the series. That said, I've got a few nitpicks.

John's Plot Armor - The moment that really did it for me was John's fall out of the window, during the Paris segment. Then the staircase fall.

I mean, wow. I understand this series has evolved to being a heightened reality, and I'm cool with that. But John was more vulnerable in previous films. His fall at the end of Chapter 3 was painful - but we now know he had time to recover and with his fall being slowed down on the way - I bought he survived that.

But this one - no. At least he's visibly in pain, which is effective. But he gets right up. They should've just made him jump from the second floor and land on the van.

Instead, this moment really took me out of the film, at that point.

Same with the stairs fall. Not a dislocated shoulder? Nor a broken bone? It just got to be a bit much more than even I'm used to with John Wick.

If a henchman wouldn't survive - John shouldn't. If a criminal would've been injured, John should be, too.

Visible Damage - In Chapter 2 - John is pursued through New York by criminals and assassins aggressively. And he is cut up, beat-up, and worn out. He looks awful. Same thing with the opening of Chapter 3.

In Chapter 4, by the time he reaches the top of the steps for the finale, he barely has a scratch on him. I really missed his visible damage in this film. He really should've been cut up, bleeding somewhere, etc. But he looked...just fine, really.

He should've shown visible damage from the stairs fall, for sure.

Chapter 3's Lost Story Beats - At the end of Chapter 3, the Bowery King and John are both very pissed off. It felt as if they were working towards the King coming back with a vengeance and collaborate John to mess some stuff up.

And in Chapter 4 - he's quite calm. Doing his own thing. He provides John with a suit and gun - and that's about it. It's obvious he provided John with medical care and a place to train his body back to shape after the fall of the third film, but we get nothing of the angry Bowery King.

It feels like they aimed for that hint at the end of the third film, and then realized that's not the direction they wanted to go.

Also, one of the big things of the third film that we all were eager to see addressed is Winston's betrayal of John by shooting him off the roof.

There's no resolution, no moment of mutual understanding between them, no discussion, etc. I don't need a whole lot - but that was a big deal left unresolved that many of us were excited to see how that relationship had changed.

And nothing changed.

Plus, the finale of 3, we see Winston get control back of the Continental - even sacrificing John to do so. And he loses control of it anyway in the first ten minutes of Chapter 4.

Creative Kills - Maybe I got spoiled by Chapter 3, but man - I miss kills like the horse kick to the face, the knife to the eye, or the brutality of the shotgun.

Funny enough, Chapter 4 seems to be the most tame since the original gore-wise. There's a lack of blood with this new one, which seems odd.

I loved 4, it's best since the first one for me. But I agree with these criticisms.

In the first movie a drop from a 1st floor balcony onto a dance floor slowed him down. Now he is jumping 3 times that, getting up and fighting a load of goons afterwards.

 

[Gothamsknight]

I'm gonna be honest, that doesn't bother me at all haha. Mainly because everything else is so well done and perfect that any nitpicks are pretty much non existent to me. Obviously, that's not the same for everybody and I get why it would take some people out, but for me I didn't mind it.

 

[OnLeatherWings]

I loved 4, it's best since the first one for me. But I agree with these criticisms.

In the first movie a drop from a 1st floor balcony onto a dance floor slowed him down. Now he is jumping 3 times that, getting up and fighting a load of goons afterwards.

Right? I just wish they'd eliminated that jump out the window - wasn't needed.

I get adrenaline is a thing, but still.

Then again, there was a viral story about a guy who fell 19 floors onto a car, got up - and walked away.

 

[OnLeatherWings]

One little thing I love at the end of this film is when John walks down the steps, and he pulls off his belt and all of his magazine-holsters and such fall on the steps. That it's no longer who he is, again.

It's almost as if he's shedding a skin.

 

[Iceman]

Those things don’t bother me. In real life even if John Wick had extremely unusual abilities and enhanced speed and agility, he’d get unlucky at some point and move into the path of some random bullet that was missing. Then the story would end in half an hour.

 

[henzINNIT]

Chapter 3's Lost Story Beats - At the end of Chapter 3, the Bowery King and John are both very pissed off. It felt as if they were working towards the King coming back with a vengeance and collaborate John to mess some stuff up.

And in Chapter 4 - he's quite calm. Doing his own thing. He provides John with a suit and gun - and that's about it. It's obvious he provided John with medical care and a place to train his body back to shape after the fall of the third film, but we get nothing of the angry Bowery King.

It feels like they aimed for that hint at the end of the third film, and then realized that's not the direction they wanted to go.

Also, one of the big things of the third film that we all were eager to see addressed is Winston's betrayal of John by shooting him off the roof.

There's no resolution, no moment of mutual understanding between them, no discussion, etc. I don't need a whole lot - but that was a big deal left unresolved that many of us were excited to see how that relationship had changed.

And nothing changed.

Plus, the finale of 3, we see Winston get control back of the Continental - even sacrificing John to do so. And he loses control of it anyway in the first ten minutes of Chapter 4.

I agree with all your points but this is what bothered me the most. I felt a pretty jarring lack of continuity between 3 and 4. The big twists at the end of 3 amounted to nothing, the status quo didn't really change, there are just new elements introduced to 'reboot' the plot. The hotel stuff was the most egregious; last time there was an 'adjudicator' who came in to 'deconsecrate'; this time there was a 'harbinger' who came to 'condemn' it instead. The lore was always goofy, but not so repetitive.

 

[OnLeatherWings]

The world building/lore is one of the biggest reasons I love this series. It's just so damn creative and fun - it's the secret ingredient that gives this franchise one of its most important distinctions in its genre.

Also, the Adjudicator was sent because the High Table wanted to assess Winston's (and everyone else's) guilt and to oversee an appointment of his successor. The Adjudicator only deconsecrated The Continental after Winston/Wick blocked this process.

The Harbinger was sent because the High Table already decided New York's Continental itself was a problem they were no longer willing to deal with and that they were going to not only oust Winston this time - but pull the Table out of NYC entirely.

Thus, the difference between the role of the Adjudicator and Harbinger.

 

[TheVileOne]

I agree with all your points but this is what bothered me the most. I felt a pretty jarring lack of continuity between 3 and 4. The big twists at the end of 3 amounted to nothing, the status quo didn't really change, there are just new elements introduced to 'reboot' the plot. The hotel stuff was the most egregious; last time there was an 'adjudicator' who came in to 'deconsecrate'; this time there was a 'harbinger' who came to 'condemn' it instead. The lore was always goofy, but not so repetitive.

The thing that bothered me the most about Part 4 is the setup teased at the end of the third movie was kind of jettisoned. Kind of a bit and switch.

Also, why did John even go to Japan? His trip there really served no purpose. What happened to the previous Elder and the previous Adjudicator?

 

[henzINNIT]

The world building/lore is one of the biggest reasons I love this series. It's just so damn creative and fun - it's the secret ingredient that gives this franchise one of its most important distinctions in its genre.

Also, the Adjudicator was sent because the High Table wanted to assess Winston's (and everyone else's) guilt and to oversee an appointment of his successor. The Adjudicator only deconsecrated The Continental after Winston/Wick blocked this process.

The Harbinger was sent because the High Table already decided New York's Continental itself was a problem they were no longer willing to deal with and that they were going to not only oust Winston this time - but pull the Table out of NYC entirely.

Thus, the difference between the role of the Adjudicator and Harbinger.

The Harbinger's role and authority is so similar to the Adjudicator's that it makes the latter seem redundant.
And opening pt. 4 with the hotel being condemned renders Winston's choice to betray John to keep his position under the table entirely redundant. 3 might as well have ended with Winston defying them and being loyal to John instead, as the next film plays out as if he did anyway. That ending is meaningless now, Winston's relationship with John is unchanged, and his relationship with the high table is worse than ever.

I enjoy the convoluted systems in place in this world, however this time around it felt more arbitrary, confused and repetitive than before. As mentioned above, it was weird seeing the man above the table being randomly replaced. John's relationship with his old family too. His 'ticket' was torn... no bother. Just get a 'crest' instead.

 

[Gothamsknight]

I honestly believe the osaka sequence is one of the most intense, and explosive first 45 minutes of a film that I've ever seen.

 

[kguillou]

Even though Chapter 4 is my favourite of the series, in a franchise that's among my Top 5 - I can say with 100% confidence that Chapter 4 should be the last one.

I don't see them topping the 4th film, which yes - that's just me, but the series just critically peaked at a fourth entry, near unheard of.

We are at the point where diminishing returns is inevitable. It has to happen at some point - and this is the farthest it should go. Sometimes, you have to know when to quit and this series is one of those where less is likely more.

On top of that, this ending was the best possible one we could've gotten. Not only is it ambiguous - but narratively, either interpretation the audience left with is fitting and a fitting end to the series and the arc of John's character.

If they do a 5th one - both interpretations of the ending would be undone and undermined, as well as John's victory in Chapter 4. Why harm this film's point by continuing?

It's a bit like what happened to the ending of Toy Story 3 in light of the events in Toy Story 4.

What they've accomplished and the style of film will have worn out its welcome if they push it.

Leave it be. And its legacy will be intact.

And sure, the series is profitable - but each entry isn't making that much more than the last - so I can see LionsGate letting it rest. It's not like it's a $1B franchise.

Spin-Offs? Sure.

But leave John Wick as a 4-part masterpiece that it now is.

And besides, mystique/mystery is what gives this franchise its colour and style. We don't need to see what happened before John's retirement - and we don't need every question answered of what happened after.

Wick is Exhibit A that the legend is always better than the truth.

I agree wholeheartedly. This is a perfect case of “leave well enough alone.” I would legit be irate if they announced a JW5 with Keanu back. Lets leave this perfect ending alone.

What i WOULDNT be opposed to if Lionsgate is really that money hungry is a prequel movie with Keanu where we see John go through the “impossible mission” and leads up to JW 1. But even that I would rather we just kept that whole part of John’s story a mystery.

 

[kguillou]

I honestly believe the osaka sequence is one of the most intense, and explosive first 45 minutes of a film that I've ever seen.

F**kin’ A, it is.

 

[squeekness]

Saw this is up for digital purchase on the 23rd. So excited to buy this and finally get to see it.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

The Harbinger's role and authority is so similar to the Adjudicator's that it makes the latter seem redundant.
And opening pt. 4 with the hotel being condemned renders Winston's choice to betray John to keep his position under the table entirely redundant. 3 might as well have ended with Winston defying them and being loyal to John instead, as the next film plays out as if he did anyway. That ending is meaningless now, Winston's relationship with John is unchanged, and his relationship with the high table is worse than ever.

I enjoy the convoluted systems in place in this world, however this time around it felt more arbitrary, confused and repetitive than before. As mentioned above, it was weird seeing the man above the table being randomly replaced. John's relationship with his old family too. His 'ticket' was torn... no bother. Just get a 'crest' instead.

Yeah, I wasn’t even a huge fan of 3, it’s probably the worst one for me, but seeing that ending and some important parts of the 3rd movie just ignored or retconned was a bit jarring. We’re all here for the action, but it would be nice if the story followed naturally as well.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Saw it a few weeks ago but never got around to commenting. I thought it was a suitably grand scale finale to the series, some of the action went on a bit long at times but the core of the sequences were outstanding, the highlight for me was at the Continental in Japan with John, Koji and Akira taking on modernised S.W.A.T samurai leading to the oldschool showdown between Koji and Caine. The scenes here between John and Koji were excellent and had real soul to them, Hiroyuki Sanada is class.

For creativity and inventive action I'd have to give the nod to the Arc de Triomphe sequence, from the 360 gun play in the Barracuda to John battling numerous enemies in oncoming traffic! This was the martial arts equivalent of the car chase in "To Live and Die in L.A.'

Donnie Yen was absolutely brilliant as Caine, creating an instant classic character, his mix of style, humour, honor and empathy saw him steal pretty much every scene he was in, and the way Donnie Yen moved in the fight scenes as a blind combatant was masterful. I also though Adkins was entertaining stepping way outside his usual character, his acting was spot on in the tense card game scene and he was great in the fight with John in spite of the cumbersome fat suit. Was Mr. Nobody added because they wanted more of that cool Malinois action and Halle wasn't available to play Sofia?

The Marquis was a suitably unredeemable snake-like villain "John Wick is a ghost in search of a graveyard" is my favourite line of the year and I felt this film had the best script in the series, the way the musket showdown was set up was very creative and the clever twists in the execution were great, there was something very Alexandre Dumas about this part of the film with John, Caine and the Marquis, and it provided a cathartic and satisfying conclusion to the series.

9/10

 

[Slick]

Preordered the John Wick Chapter 4 4K Steelbook and I’ll be able to go in and pick it up on release day at my local Best Buy. Probably on one of my off days I’m going to do a marathon of all 4 films. I have the other 3 films 4K Steelbook as well so a pretty nice collection only the box art of 4 doesn’t match the other 3 films Steelbooks but not that big of a deal.

 

[Ninjablade]

Congratulations, Mr. Wick.

 

[Kane52630]

Congrats for being in the same league and status as Twilight, Shrek, Transformers, and Despicable Me.

 

[Gothamsknight]

Congratulations, Mr. Wick.

well deserved!