John Wick, the iconic Hollywood revenge film franchise, is back after a four-year hiatus with its trademark intense action sequences. John still loves dogs and kills people with the same ease as breathing.
Starring Keanu Reeves, “John Wick 4” is an action-packed blockbuster that tells the story of John Wick’s massive counter-attack against the highest council in his quest for freedom.
Although John speaks less in this installment, his action scenes have increased proportionally with the running time. In fact, The Wall Street Journal counted the number of words John spoke and found that in the first film, which had a running time of 1 hour and 47 minutes, he spoke 484 words, while in this nearly two-hour-long installment, he spoke only 380 words.
The film is full of entertainment. Keanu Reeves’ performance in John’s cool action scenes, along with the distinctive action sequences of new characters, adds to the enjoyment. From Jordan to France, Germany, and Japan, viewers can enjoy diverse locations that were not present in the previous installments.
Above all, the car chase sequence in the latter half of the film is outstanding. John’s action of turning anything into a weapon, including car doors and bikes, reaches its climax. His resilience is even tougher than that of the burglars in “Home Alone.”
However, the portrayal of Asia by the director leaves something to be desired. From cyberpunk to samurai and even cherry blossoms, it is a typical Western perspective of Japan. Perhaps because of the appearance of Hiroyuki Sanada in a similar role, or the influence of director David Leitch, the Japan in “Bullet Train” and the Japan in this installment’s Osaka Continental are too alike.
The legendary blockbuster “John Wick 4” returns after four years and will be released in South Korea on April 12. It is rated R and has a running time of 2 hours and 47 minutes, with one post-credit scene.
As expected from the John Wick series, which breaks box office records with each installment, this film also set a new record. It grossed $73 million on its opening weekend in North America, surpassing the previous record held by the first installment ($14 million) by more than five times.
Due to its success, the investment and distribution company, Lionsgate, hinted at the possibility of a sequel, despite their previous announcement that this installment would be the last. Currently, spin-off films “Ballerina” and a TV series titled “The Continental” are in production.
