2 out of 5

Directed by: Chad Stahelski

With the trajectory of the Wick films going bigger and weightier and equally more cartoonish, I suppose I should’ve figured we would cross a threshold at some point beyond which I would no longer find my preferred Wickian mode. The comparatively grounded, less lore-laden first and second movies were that sweet spot; the third movie definitely jumped the line, but it zig-zagged back to qualities I enjoyed at key points of the flick, keeping me in the game. Chapter 4, however, has gone all in, to the extent that I found myself bored more often than not, and – while appreciating the effort behind and creativity of the fight scenes, which are certainly always the main draw – also not seeing anything in the action that necessarily felt like I was watching a one-of-a-kind movie, but rather a studio hodge-podge. It was inevitable, to an extent, due to the above mentioned trajectory and also the widening budget and expectations of these flicks, but this is the most indulgent one: where whole sequences – long sequences – are crafted just for, say, an easter egg casting gag, or a specific movie reference. The JW team is so into what they’re doing at this point that they assume the thin world-building can carry the majority of the movie, and that we’re hungry for these references, enjoying the fan service nods perhaps more than the on-screen fisticuffs.

To rewind a bit on that, while I was admittedly miffed at how digital looking these movies have become, either in the details of the gun and blood effects seeming like afterthoughts (though accepting that, as the DP / lighting work has gotten more surreal, it’s harder to make those effects “fit”), or in how sequences are feeling more and more like videogames (to the extent that I’m pretty sure one section was a tribute to Hotline Miami), there’s still no denying the intense choreography work and scene blocking and planning. On one level, I’m entertained. On another, though, it’s like a horror movie that supposes that all we care about is the gore, when… it’s nice if there’s a plot and characters: director Chad Stahelski has gained so much confidence in his style that the fight scenes no longer necessarily feel like storytelling, just straight spectacle. And between the two main spectacles of this 170 minute movie are plot points we’ve already covered in the previous movies (the High Table is after John; John fights his way to a particular big bad who promises him an out; at some point an all-hands-on contract is placed on Wick), and groan-worthy mantras quoted in all seriousness by Keanu Reeves or Donnie Yen or Ian McShane, looking glumly at a CGI-painted horizon of garish colors. Here and there, more nonsense about the Table’s ceremonies are needlessly dropped in by “the Harbinger” (Clancy Brown) or “the Marquis” (Bill Skarsgård). I realize the film isn’t taking itself seriously, but it kinda sorta fucking is, with that runtime and the amount of room and gravitas they give these mantras.

But again, I get that this film has evolved past what I was looking for. I pooh-poohed on the motorcycle scene from JW 3 for stepping wholly into a kind of Marvel-esque take on the JW world; I hated that movie’s Adjudicator, and worried how there was more focus on the illogic of the story. Chapter 4 is… more of that stuff. Stepping back, the scene composition is stunning; the lighting and design are gorgeous. The continual reimagining of how to keep scenes looking different is appreciated. And I did laugh at that easter egg, once finding out about it, in the same way I was looking forward to seeing what Yen brought to the movie (spoiler: Yen stuff).

In the trenches of watching the thing, though, I was just like – wow, I feel like I’ve seen this before, and without the extra 90 minutes of downtime.