John Wick 4 (film)

[MinionZombie]

Finally got around to seeing it! Obviously, it's John Wick, so it's not going to be bad. However, the sequels have progressively got more and more elaborate, the scale of the whole assassin world getting bigger and bigger and bigger ... plus with bullet-proof suits, there's only so far you can actually go and you'll inevitably paint yourself into some corners. It does feel like a franchise that's getting too grand for its boots, especially considering the fairly straight forward first film, which was lean and mean whereas #4 doesn't need to be as long as it turned out to be. That said, there's still some really good sequences - the two best ones for me were the steps of the Sacre Coeur and the main highlight was the, for lack of a better descriptor, the 'Hotline Miami sequence' (shot from above with the dragon's breath shotgun rounds). The blind assassin was simultaneously awesome and silly. Disbelief was indeed on extended suspension thorughout the film, especially as the 'rules' of his abilities constantly shifted (e.g. he used the doorbell thingies once and that was it, sometimes he seems as if he does have some sight - like with the card game??? - and other times he's kinda spraying-and-praying). Probably fair to call it the 'least' of the four, but that's on John Wick's own scale - and not as if by some large margin, either. Compared to almost every other movie getting released this year, it's easily in the top five with it's feet up and sipping on hot chocolate.

[Neil]

The blind assassin was simultaneously awesome and silly. So unbelievably problematic and daft it dented the film for me... Agreed that it's the least of the four, but still good.

[MinionZombie]

So unbelievably problematic and daft it dented the film for me... Agreed that it's the least of the four, but still good. I'll also add that the sense of scale in the movie was fantastic - the use of locations in particular - very grand and adds this sense of size that is often missing from much bigger budgeted films than this, so they really make full use of their locations (some of them fairly exclusive). I had somewhat assumed that the scene on the steps leading to the Sacre Coeur was done with green screen beside a replica, but it was the actual steps. I'd assumed that as, obviously, the Arc de Triumph sequence was done using green screen for the location (with some CGI cars in the mix to populate it more, and for certain hit stunts) ... speaking of, that was a pretty kick ass action sequence, and the Osaka Continental action sequences were also pretty darn rad as well. So, it's a bit over-sized and the character and formula feel a bit like they've really done all they can pretty much do, but very entertaining nonetheless and I'll certainly be re-watching it for years to come like with all the JW films.