It can’t be too hard to play John Wick, right? In the three previous films and now, in “John Wick: Chapter 4,” Keanu Reeves barely says anything.
He lets the stunt men do the talking.
In what’s supposed to wrap up the story of a high-level assassin, Wick is dispatched to Japan and France, where he takes on members of the High Table and squares off with an extremely wealthy European (Bill Skarsgard) who wears expensive clothes and lolls in castle-like settings. He’s a James Bond-level villain who loves to torture and is arrogant enough to put his own life on the line. In the meantime, he’s behind a bounty on Wick’s head. It starts at $20 million and quickly doubles.
That means many people are on the quiet killer’s trail.
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in a scene from “John Wick 4.”
Old helpers (like Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne) are here; a lethal friend (Donnie Yen as Caine) is, too. Every stuntman working last year must have been employed here. There are so many fight scenes, it’s easy to see why “John Wick 4” edges near a three-hour running time.
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To be honest, some of those fights (especially ones in what most would think is a museum) carry on longer than they need to. Director Chad Stahelski does a great job positioning his troops. But, often, you think more killers should be dropping considering all the gunfire.
The plot boils down to a Hamilton vs. Burr duel (that might have given Hamilton an out) that requires plenty of interlopers looking for that $40 million. Wick – wearing a Kevlar suit – makes it past them until he gets to the 222 steps needed to square off. Then, assassins jump out of the bushes. Two steps up, five back. It’s an amazing feat of choreography but it does account for the film’s long running time. Because many of the killers are masked, this could be recreated in a number of settings (with the same stuntmen). Reeves, meanwhile, works his way through the gauntlet, then faces his future.
Clancy Brown plays the High Table’s operative who gathers representatives from the two sides, sets the ground rules and lets the game play out. What’s fascinating: No one breaks the code and just outright kills the lone gunman.
Before he plays with the dueling pistols, Wick has plenty of opportunity to demonstrate his skills with swords, guns and nunchucks. Because you can see his face in those scenes, Reeves had to develop a flair for the weaponry dramatics. He makes the most of his bow-legged walk, too, and could possibly have a relationship with any number of women, but doesn’t have time.
A dog shows up here, too, (shades of the first film) and offers support just at the right time.
While Reeves and Stahelski say this episode puts an end to the story, it certainly isn’t a finish to the franchise. There’s a stinger during the end credits that gives certain characters an opportunity.
For Reeves, “John Wick: Chapter 4” is proof he’s a movie star who shouldn’t be dismissed or underrated.
Everyone in the film works hard. But he works just a little bit harder.
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