by John Wick: Chapter 4 is still over a week away from hitting theaters, but the first reviews of the action sequel are starting to arrive.
It has been four years since the release of the third installment which ended with the titular assassin being shot down by his friend Winston and deciding to join forces with The Bowery King against the high table.
To know more: Everything we know about John Wick 4
Chapter 4 sees Wick trying to get past the high table and the large bounty on his head as friends turn into enemies and new adversaries emerge.
Keanu Reeves once again plays John Wick while Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick reprise their roles from the previous films.
New additions to the cast include Donnie Yen as Caine, a high-ranking assassin, Bill Skarsgard as a member of the High Table, Hiroyuki Sanada as an old friend of John Wick, Scott Adkins as the head of the German Table, and pop star Rina Sawayama like Akira.
With John Wick: Chapter 4 releasing on March 24, let’s take a look at some of the reviews already there.
In a positive four-star review, the BBC said: ‘The twist in Chapter 4 is that John Wick becomes a true James Bond, globe-trotting and shooting through fascinating cities, with action that’s beautifully staged yet more spectacular.
“At 2 hours and 49 minutes, it’s bigger than the previous films in every respect, no better, no worse, just more.”
Empire Magazine also said, “If you’re going to watch it, the action is what you want, and as far as it goes, you can’t knock it. It’s incredibly tactile – it hurts. You can see that Reeves is really making a huge amount of it.” alone, and it counts.
You feel it. He’s treated like a rag doll in this one, towards the end reminiscent of Buster Keaton – the end is funny, on purpose. He is knocked down, but gets back up. And again and again and again. Pray for his bones.”
To know more: Who would win in a fight between John Wick and Neo?
IGN also praised the sequel: “It seemed like an impossible task, but Baba Yaga has a history of making it over those: John Wick: Chapter 4 stands above and beyond its predecessors – and last year’s action movie value.” decade as a whole – like a modern epic, something Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski have been leading since 2014.”
The Hollywood Reporter also appreciated the sheer amount of action: “Bigger, badder, bolder, longer, and with almost more spectacular set pieces than one movie can comfortably handle, this action epic practically redefines the ante.” at stake.
“While it’s sometimes hard to avoid the feeling that too much chaos is dangerously close to too much, it seems fitting for a series of films with more deaths than some wars.”
Conversely, The Guardian gave the film two stars and said: “The staunchest faction of the Wick fandom will no doubt be pleased to see their belief that too good a thing cannot be done.
“Those who appreciated the original for its brutish, muscular agility have one more thing to come: an awkward, oppressive gargantua from a movie willing to kill everything but his loved ones.”
John Wick: Chapter 4 is in theaters March 24.
Watch a trailer below:
