Today, John Wick 4. In the latest installment of the John Wick (Keanu Reeves) franchise, the titular anti-hero continues his streak of vengeance against the “High Table” of the assassin’s world. Leading the charge to stop Wick at all costs is the Marquis (Bill Skarsgård) , a mysterious new player who has everything to gain if he he is successful but little past for the audience to draw from. The Marquis enlists Wick’s old friend Caine (Donny Yen) to fight Wick, using Caine’s past promises and threats against Caine’s daughter to ensure his compliance. Wick remains a hunted man, but cracks appear that seem to indicate he is not as out of options as once believed. On Wick’s side are both old and new allies. New this time are Shimazu (Hiroyuki Sanada) and his daughter Akira (Rina Sawayama) who are dragged into Wick’s chaos through past alliances and friendship. Returning characters include Charon (Lance Reddick) and Winston, aka the Manager (Ian McShane). After Charon becomes a target of the Marquis’ mercurial anger, Winston engineers a plan to have Wick face off against the Marquis mano a mano. If Wick wins, Winston gets his hotel back and becomes even more powerful in the assassin’s world. Also returning is the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) who always has a few deadly technical advantages for Wick to employ. Finally a tracker, Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson) initially appears to be after the bounty on Wick but he may have other motivations as well. Another mysterious newcomer, the Harbinger (Clancy Brown), acts as the hand of the High Table, and as arbiter of justice in its name.
John Wick 4 is truly start to finish action, beginning with a horse race across the desert to confront an Elder of the high table, on to a reconciliation with Wick’s estranged family that sends him club hopping into a deadly game of poker, jet-setting to a high speed race across Paris with a rogue’s gallery in tow, and finally to the confrontation at dawn with a story defining duel. Win or lose the effects will have wide ranging effects across the hidden world of the assassination network.
The Production: 5/5
At 164 minutes John Wick 4 will truly test your endurance for high action. Fortunately this home viewing allows you to hit the pause button as often as you (and your bladder) need.
But what a technical achievement. Wick 4 opens with him pounding on a fighting dummy (shade’s of Yen’s Ip Man). a thunderous bass gut punch that let’s you know it means business, paired with the ceremonial arrival of the Bowery King spouting biblical pronouncements adding gravitas and humor simultaneously.
Once under way there is no let up in the sights and sounds that accompany Wick’s every move. Somehow he manages to get back in a black 70’s sports car. Somehow he manages to fight across a booming dance hall, where the partiers somehow remain oblivious to the mayhem surrounding them. Somehow he reconciles with his family. Somehow he gets to the church on time.
It’s an intricate, unbelievable, dance that elicits smiles at every turn, with a satisfying ending that somehow has more questions than answers.
And all these possibilities are leading to a greater Wick-verse. Starting with a new Peacock series, set 30 years ago. I remain dubious on that tho, if the trailer on this disk is any indication it is more likely to be cancelled than completed, it’s that bad.
Where I do see potential is in Akira, Mr. Nobody and (redacted), all who make it through Wick 4 mostly in once piece each.
Is Wick 4 the best of the series? My opinion is no, Wick 2 gets the nod for that. Is it one of the best action movies of all time? Hell yes. And I can see myself watching this one again and again, there are so many call backs and hints of future avenues plus tremendous AV quality that it will be in my demo material for a long long time.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
Pure excellence. It’s one of 2023’s best looking films, with sublime detail in every shot. It’s candy coated darkness, with a brilliant HDR sheen, Neon blares across the screen. Disco lights dance in contrast to inky blacks and vehement rain. And sunrise has never looked so beautiful and so deadly.
It’s perfect and I have no complaints.
Audio: 5/5
While War for the Planet of the Apes remains my top Atmos demo disk, Wick 4 is a close second. The impact of the bass cannot be underestimated here. And did I mention dragon fire shotgun blasts? Whoo boy, those are fun, with a top down video game inspired sequence that makes Doom and Gamer’s attempts look like child play. If I have any complaint is that there is not as much overhead up and down movement that I can track, which is interesting to see in Shane Lee’s Atmos visualizations.
However, as Shane notes, don’t expect exactly the same Atmos effect at home as we heard in the theater. There simply is no matching what a good cinema experience can provide.
The music remains as perfect as ever too, and perhaps the most memorable of the batch. Gothic themes mix with Assassin chic. Love it. Oh, and you’ve never thought of Nowhere to Run like this either!
Special Features: 5/5
I’m still digging through all of them, but with the exception of The Continental trailer (which looks boooogus) they have all been great so far.
- Chad and Keanu: Through Wick and Thin (HD, 6 Mins.)
- Train Like A Killer (HD, 6 Mins.)
- Making A Killing (HD, 7 Mins.)
- The Psychology of a Killer (HD, 5 Mins.)
- The Blind Leading the Fight (HD, 10 Mins.)
- Suit Up/Shoot Up (HD, 6 Mins.)
- Packing A Punch (HD, 5 Mins.)
- One Killer Shot (HD, 3 Mins.) –
- Killing At The Speed of Traffic (HD, 10 Mins.)
- A Shot in the Dark (HD, 6 Mins.)
- In Honor of the Dead (HD, 6 Mins.)
- The Continental: First Look (HD, 3 Mins.) – A brand new, exclusive scene from the upcoming series on Peacock that takes place in the ’70s and is quite violent.
Overall: 5/5
Bottom line is John Wick 4 was worth the wait. Amazing action, gun-fu, car chases, dramatic showdowns, new villains, new allies and new adventures.
Did I mention the Dragon Fire shotgun sequence? Seriously. that’s the most incredible thing I have seen in an action film in years. Expect many many clones to follow.
There’s not much to add. It’s the full package and the real deal. It’s everything you want from a Wick film and more. It’s got surprises, heart, and a satisfying conclusion that leaves a LOT of opportunities for what comes next. Count me in for all of it.
VERY highly recommended.
John Wick: Chapter 4 [4K UHD]
$21.99 $16.99
Sam is both a moderator and reviewer at Home Theater Forum and is the voice behind Home Theater United, the Home Theater Forum Podcast which he started with cofounder Brian Dobbs. Sam has long advocated modest, best “bang for the buck” theater components and is loving every minute of this golden age of home audio-visual magic. Sam is a software engineer, a former volunteer firefighter, a current planning commissioner, leader of a large board gaming group and the personal servant of two tuxedo cats.
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