John Wick Chapter 4 Review: Critics Call Keanu Reeves' Action Film an 'Epic', Praise the Stuntwork and Fight Scenes!

The first reviews for John Wick: Chapter 4 are out and it looks like Chad Stahelski, Keanu Reeves and the team have another hit on their hands. With the film being called an "action epic," the set pieces for the film are receiving immense pace with many sighting them to be some of the best of the series. Lets take a look at what some of the critics are saying. John Wick Chapter 4: Early Reactions Call Keanu Reeves' Film an 'Epic', Say It's One of the 'Finest Action Movies Ever'.

IGN: It seemed like an impossible task, but the Baba Yaga has a history of delivering on those: John Wick: Chapter 4 stands above its predecessors – and the past decade’s worth of action films as a whole – as a modern epic, something Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski have been driving at since 2014. Wick’s world war is bursting at the seams with creative, thrillingly staged action choreography and cinematography, perfectly pitched performances from an outstanding and unforgettable cast of allies and villains heralded by a merciless Bill Skarsgård, all without losing its grip on the sensitivity that keeps John’s struggle for absolution at the heart of every bullet fired and every edged weapon swung. Slide Chapter 4 a gold coin across the table and see what happens when John Wick lands a perfect shot.

Variety: Is “Chapter 4” too long? You bet it is. At moments, it’s like the action film as liturgical church service. Yet the movie is conceived as a knowingly overstuffed gift to “John Wick” fans, and on that level it succeeds. The marquis keeps trying to assassinate Wick before the morning of the duel, and this results in several delectable fight sequences. One is set in the middle of the speeding centrifugal traffic that surrounds the Arc de Triomphe, one is shot thrillingly from an overhead doll’s-house view, and then there’s the spectacular climax, which unfolds on the Rue Foyatier in Montmartre, the 222-step stairway that leads to the Basilica. With Wick spinning into action (and, at one point, rolling down the entire flight), it becomes an exhilarating stairway to hell, one that winds up delivering John Wick to a gratifying karmic destination he has spent this series earning.

Deadline: Reeves truly continues to impress, seemingly getting better at this stuff with each franchise (following four Matrix films where he honed his initial skills). His characters are men of few words, but who needs a lot of dialogue anyway? The casting in this one with two giants of the genre Yen and Sanada really takes the series to new levels, and Skarsgard seems to be having a swell time playing a lethal guy we love to hate. Shout-out as well to new cast member Shamier Anderson as The Tracker, a killer with a faithful Belgian Malinois (this series does seem to employ a lot of dogs) that not only is a faithful companion but also pretty fearsome when the situation calls for it. Rina Sawayama makes an impressive feature debut as Shimazu’s skilled daughter and concierge of his Osaka hotel.

The Hollywood Reporter: Reeves generously shares the spotlight with his co-stars, including Yen, who delivers such a physically witty and charismatic performance that you can’t wait for the inevitable spin-off, and Japanese star Horoyuki Sanada as Shimazu, the manager of the Osaka hotel who battles valiantly alongside Wick. Shimazu’s daughter, Akira (singer Rina Sawayama, making a strong screen debut), will undoubtedly be seen in future editions. And it wouldn’t be a John Wick film without the return of the Bowery King, played so authoritatively by Laurence Fishburne.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 14, 2023 03:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).