‘John Wick: Chapter 4’

Even four chapters in, John Wick still rocks, even if it’s kinda weird to watch people indiscriminately die.

The “John Wick” franchise is centered around a secret society of assassins that have their own currency and way of doing things. When Wick is excommunicated from the society, he exits knowing all their secrets. In “Chapter 4,” a $40 million bounty is placed on his head.
What amazes me is that Keanu Reeves is 58 and is still making movies with the same vigor. Reeves inserts his own personality into the character. If anything, the vigor has only increased since his days of playing Johnny Utah in “Point Break” (1991). Utah wasn’t doing anything close to John Wick’s stunts.
Wick’s nemesis this time out is Marquis, a member of the High Table, who kills nonchalantly, like swatting a fly on the table. Bill Skarsgård is creepy and total evil as Marquis. He’s not the kind of guy you want to bring home for dinner.
The franchise is helmed by director Chad Stahelski, who has worked with Reeves in the past as a stunt coordinator. With this history in mind, the “Wick” franchise plays like a giant ballet, with a fluidity to the action that isn’t seen in most Western cinema. Like Quentin Tarantino or Christopher Nolan, Stahelski is a master at action sequences. He doesn’t confuse the audience with unnecessary quick cuts. He knows how to make a movie work.
Even the fourth time out, the camera angles are very inventive and visceral. Final duels are common in action-thrillers. Somehow, though, Reeves and Stahelski keep it inventive and fresh every time.
The pacing of “John Wick: Chapter 4” is really fast. The cinematography is amazing, and everyone involved appears to be at the top of their game. Full of action, the almost three-hour run time goes by quickly. It’s not a chore to sit through for the audience at all.
There’s something cathartic about watching evil people die and get their just desserts on the big screen.