John Wick: Kapitel 4

Langreview English Version Fakten & Credits

The 21st century is dominated by franchises and sequels in the film industry. Especially in the blockbuster format, we rarely see original, new and creative works anymore. What is particularly striking is that such series are always characterised by changes of director and cast and often the original stars behind and in front of the camera no longer exert any influence in the later works. Quite often this is noticeable in the quality of the films, as they merely try to copy a vision. The JOHN WICK film series, however, is a major exception to this rule, as director and ex-stuntman Chad Stahelski and lead actor Keanu Reeves are also cornerstones of all the films, as are Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick. Parts of this team have already worked together on MATRIX in the last century. It stands to reason that this consistency and the maintenance of a common thread throughout all the works contributes massively to the success of the flicks.

This is what it’s all about

John Wick’s vendetta enters a new round and this time takes on even greater dimensions. After the killer was shot but not killed by the manager of the Continental Hotel, the High Chamber feels compelled to impose a penalty. While Winston mourns his loss, John Wick continues to be hunted. To win his freedom, he relies on his last remaining friends. But when some of them turn against him, the situation seems hopeless and John is left with only one last option. He must turn against the Marquis de Gramont to put an end to the endless killing. But he is chasing him all over the world.

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Review

Bigger, faster, higher, further, louder and more explosive. Sequels are often measured by this standard, but the disappointment is usually great, as many films cannot live up to it. But Chad Stahelski has a clear vision and with the JOHN WICK films has not only created a screen icon, but also built up an exciting and seemingly endless world that is full of secrets. In each new film, the goal is to discover them and to get closer to the big picture of this dubious mystery. The fourth part is in no way inferior to its predecessor and shows us more of the underworld ruled by Laurence Fishburne as Bowery King, but above all about the High Chamber and the intricate structures under its reign. Keanu Reeves’ John Wick also gives us a deeper insight into his past without finally unravelling it.

Basically, we see the all-too-familiar “world tour” that is always a motif in sequels to let a plot expand. But Stahelski makes this move much more clever, as the various locations actually bring relevance and always drive the plot forward. While the focus has so far been almost exclusively on the character John Wick, we now also see parallel developments more frequently, which once again emphasises the significance of the Continental hotels in particular. Nothing seems to have been chosen arbitrarily. At 169 minutes, we get the longest JOHN WICK film to date, but it also needs and savours this time. By means of a well-balanced pacing between fast-paced and perfectionistically staged fight sequences and quiet, often visually impressive story segments, the film never gets boring. The aim is always to offer the audience something new and enriching.

A killer is also a victim of the bourgeoisie

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 is marked by the divergence between rich and poor and between proletarian resistance and aristocratic obsession with power. We learn even more myths and mysteries, get deeper insights into the social structures and the rules and orders associated with them, and it is plausibly revealed to us that we still only know a small section of an intricate parallel reality. All this is hidden under the essential quest for freedom and independence. Fortunately, these actually quite extensive thematic complexes are not captured in eternal monotonous dialogues, but with extremely precisely formulated arguments, which, especially from Reeves, probably only comprise a one-page dialogue book. At times this can seem a little clueless and ridiculous, but it is in keeping with the overall character sketch and shows that highly eloquent conversations are not necessary. Rather, this is even symbolic of the different personalities.

Instead of relying on flat, loose gags and predictable punchlines, the strip itself grows into a cartoonish work of art that carries a crude humour in all its harshness. Stahelski manages to appeal to the most rudimentary desire for violence and awaken the child in every action film fan. If one looked forward with expectant and shining eyes to the steam hammer and smart fighting moves of Hill during Bud Spencer and Terrence Hill’s time, we now experience exactly the same joy when Reeves unpacks an entirely new Old Testament choreography, which is visibly handmade and authentically – if this term can be used in the actually totally overdrawn world – realised.

Double is better

The fights on their own are a tour de force and in the third sequel it continues to be clear that John Wick doesn’t just kill people, he is the person who really finishes it off. Even though everyone involved in the film can take a surprising amount of punches and gun violence throughout (which is acceptable in that this fictional world rigorously enforces this as a basic law), it is Wick who not only shoots someone but also secures an appropriate kill. Known from ZOMBIELAND, the “double tap” rule, which says that if you are not sure whether someone is really dead, you should kill them again, is applied here. But what is really painful are not the seemingly endless fight scenes, but often the quiet elements in which martial ideas are used.

Fans of the series in particular get their money’s worth, because details from earlier films are taken up and now processed, creating an inner connectivity that Marvel has long since lacked. It should be seen as elementary that JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 defines a major end goal and in the meantime repeatedly sets out smaller new stages, each of which exudes a depressing hopelessness. This means that there is always a clear thread along which the audience can shimmy, but without being able to say with certainty what the further course of the story must be.

Germany on the international stage

For the German audience, there are especially many nice elements. Some of the plots are set in Berlin and show tourist places as well as, for example, the popular event location “Kraftwerk Berlin”. Large parts of the plot were also filmed in Babelsberg or even at the disused Tegel airport. As a little crowning touch, Berghain bouncer icon and photographer Sven Marquardt, who was previously portrayed in SCHÖNHEIT & VERGÄNGLICHKEIT (BEAUTY & LATENESS), also makes a small appearance and causes a stir among the viewers. At the German premiere, the audience broke out in cheers several times. Every 15 minutes there was applause for outstanding staging, choreography, cameo appearances or amusing conversations.

As ever, JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 thrives on its fantastic cast. While Reeves, McShane, Reddick and Fishburne manoeuvre through the adversities of this film with their usual aplomb, it is above all action icon and martial artist Donnie Yen who joins the renowned cast. As a blind professional killer, he is convincing on all levels and provides us with a balanced performance between blind helplessness and fighting perfection. Throughout the entire film, the Chinese-born actor tries to cheat his way through the plot by means of acoustic signals, which always seems a little awkward, but also increases the authenticity. The character walks a fine line between friend and foe. Bill Skarsgård also seems a little miscast at first, but over time he develops a disgustingly sadistic manner that makes him a worthy antagonist even without significant fighting skills.

Dog love is back

Shamier Anderson, along with his Belgian Malinois (a Belgian shepherd), brings an I AM LEGEND attitude to the film that once again gives this sequel a whole new character. In general, dogs are known to have an important meaning in the entire film series, which also finds nuanced influence here. This time, too, women are only used for illustrative purposes and are rather pressed into an erotic image instead of acting on an appropriate level. The only female fighter is Rina Sawayama, whose character is somewhere between Marvel’s BLACK WIDOW and Katniss Everdeen from THE HUNGER GAMES. Natalia Tena’s small guest appearance is as brief as it is insignificant, even though she exudes an inspiring power and self-assurance as the Russian ringleader.

The absolute highlight in the 169 minutes, however, are the sets and the camera. While many sequences take place in darkness and yet are so well lit that the picture never seems too gloomy, this time many scenes are also bathed in the light of the rising or setting sun. Neon lights, effect lights and club lasers create a homogeneous, if at times ludicrous illumination that lends the locations a certain sublimity, but at the same time seems out of place. Several choreographies are furthermore presented in short plan sequences, giving the practical effects and stunts massive prominence. This is crowned by a cutless God’s eye shot, which, contrary to the otherwise rather low-positioned camera, introduces a completely new point of view in the meantime. With a rather monotonous and enigmatic score, the audience is hypnotically focused on the on-screen action.

Realism in a caricatural world

What is most remarkable is how Chad Stahelski meticulously ensures that in all the supernatural depictions of reality, certain subtleties are nevertheless always adhered to. There are many scenes in which we see the cast exchanging empty magazines, collecting weapons from the ground, consciously protecting themselves even when there is possibly no direct danger, and above all reacting humanely. Everything makes sense and nothing is left to chance. Scenes like these are usually cut out to save time, while Stahelski holds on to them mercilessly, creating a form of realism all his own.

Conclusion

With possibly an even higher body count than ever before, JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 is the sequel audiences want. Highly professional stunts, inventive fight sequences, varied settings, painstaking camera movements and flights, an engaging and rousing cast, a plot homogeneous with the previous parts and gags that do not conform to the silly US cliché joke but really strain the laugh muscles are all part of this screen phenomenon. Even the eyes don’t stay completely dry while a minimum of emotions are played out. This makes for at least one of the best films in the series, if not the best film. Given the already acclaimed status of these action films, Keanu Reeves, alongside Tom Cruise, mutates into arguably the last great action hero in a world where we will want to know a lot more in the future. Finally, it only remains to mention that fans should definitely stay seated, because only the end credits sequence completely rounds off this brilliant film.

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