John Wick faces off against the most powerful organization known as The High Table which controls the assassin world. New foes stand in his way, and old friends become new enemies. Will John earn his freedom?
This chapter received the highest critic and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. I can understand why, but I'm not sure where to rank this one. While I love and appreciate the original "John Wick", it's last for me. The director and writers were discovering what kind of world this could be. By the second film, they had it, and it continued with chapters three and four. The sequels are all action-filled thrill rides with slightly different stories and feels. It's essentially a three-way tie.
What separates this film from others? The action continues to be innovative in this action movie. Many come and go in this genre leaving much to be desired. The only other modern action franchise that still hits is "Mission Impossible."
You really have to see these scenes for yourself, but I'll describe my favorite action sequence. A car chase ends up in a massive roundabout in Paris. John continues to fight the thugs on foot while dodging the oncoming traffic. He doesn't always miss the cars, and the thugs certainly don't either.
Some people complained that the action sequences are too long. My response? Don't go to this epic action movie. Don't watch it if high-octane thrills aren't your thing. You can watch a documentary on the Discovery Channel.
The visuals are another reason this film sits atop its genre. There is some truly beautiful cinematography in this movie including a fascinating one-shot take. It follows John from above as he travels through an apartment building fighting off the henchmen. The film editing is crisp and high-paced keeping people interested.
The new frienemy of John is Caine portrayed by Donnie Yen. He's coerced by Marquis, played by Bill Skarsgard, to hunt John. Caine is an old friend and doesn't want to, but he must protect his daughter. He's an antagonist that your partially rooting for but also want to fail. He's a great addition. Oh ya, he's blind too. That makes for some cool scenes.
The themes really focus on the destruction John has left behind during his revenge. The body count of the good and innocent are added to the list. This leaves him looking for answers on how to do right by all of those who lost their lives.
My film rating is an A+. Go watch the movie. It'll be worth it. Continue on for content that includes spoilers.
I did not expect Charon, the concierge, to die so early or at all. It helped propel the story, so I understand. I'm still a little upset, but that's okay. Unfortunately, the actor, Lance Reddick, died suddenly in 2023.
In a much larger shock, this is the end of John Wick. Chad Stahelski, the director, threw us off the scent by mentioning a possible chapter 5 down the line. John only gained his freedom for a few minutes, but he did something for an old friend. He didn't take the last shot against Caine in the standoff. This freed Caine from The High Table.
Even more importantly, I believe a revolution started because of him. The movie mentions that if Marquis beats Wick, it ends the uprising. If John won, and he did, a revolution would break out. On top of that, the dead become martyrs. I believe John Wick is that martyr, and The High Table will have a war on their hands. In the end, it was all for something.
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