John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
Towards the end of “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum,” John (Keanu Reeves) is told by The Elder, the only person above the High Table, that he will forgive the debts he owes them and allow him to live freely if he kills his friend Winston and remains subservient to the High Table for the rest of his life. John agrees, and to show his loyalty, he cuts off his ring finger and gives his wedding ring to The Elder. As “John Wick: Chapter 4” begins, John is chasing three men on horseback across the Moroccan desert, who leads him to a new Elder, one who replaced his predecessor. The new Elder informs John that his debts have not been pardoned and that he will be on the run for the rest of his life. Growing tired of the High Table nonsense, John shoots the new Elder in the head and promptly makes his way to the Osaka Continental in Japan to meet up with his old friend, Shimazu Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada).
Back in New York, Winston (Ian McShane) and his concierge Charon (Lance Reddick) are summoned to the Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård), a senior member of the High Table who berates Winston for not killing John when he had the chance. As a result, the New York Continental Hotel is demolished, and Winston is made excommunicado. Back in Japan, no sooner has John arrived at the Osaka Continental than a group of mercenaries from the High Table arrives and threatens to destroy the hotel as they did in New York for Shimazu’s apparent friendship with John Wick overshadowing his allegiance to the High Table. After escaping the takedown of the hotel, John finds himself back in New York, where he meets with The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) and Winston. When he tells them that de Gramont has revoked his forgiven status, Winston informs him if he manages to join a crime family and receive their crest marking his membership to them, he can challenge de Gramont to a duel and, upon winning, will be free of his obligation to the High Table. Now John must travel to Berlin to try and convince his adoptive sister Katia (Natalia Tena), a member of the Ruska Roma, to brandish him with their crest, but to acquire it, he must first kill the man who murdered her father.
After completing the task, he receives their crest, meets with de Gramont in Paris, and demands a duel with him. According to High Table rules, he has no choice but to accept and states that if he wins, he will no longer owe the High Table, so the date and location are set; the Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre at sunrise the next day. Early that morning, as John makes his way to the site, de Gramont puts a $40 million contract on his head to anyone who can take him down before their scheduled face-off, and John realizes, with half of Paris chasing him, he may not make it to the Sacré Coeur after all. But then again, when have a few assassins, guns, knives, pipes, and swords ever stopped him before?
Out of the four John Wick films to date, Chapter 2 has to be my favorite. Before Wick became a human Terminator, able to withstand pretty much anything thrown at him, even his being shot off a building at the end of Chapter 3, and surviving, Chapter 2 really let Wick loose. While the first movie gave you a small glimpse into how powerful Wick could be, Chapter 2 took his safety off, set him free, and opened the gates of hell. It showed audiences why he is called the Boogeyman, or Baba Yaga because he is an elusive, feared, and almost supernatural figure who chooses to stay out of the limelight, but when pushed into the light, will wreak havoc on absolutely anybody and everybody who gets in his way. I’ve enjoyed all three previous films but “John Wick: Chapter 4” ups the ante even more, if that’s even possible, to deliver one of the biggest, loudest, and most explosive action movies ever put on film. The shootouts are exquisitely shot, almost balletic in their movements, while the fight choreography trounces its three predecessors and pretty much every other action movie to date. Keanu Reeves is firing on all cylinders, while director Chad Stahelski orchestrates some of the most dizzying and jaw-dropping action set-pieces ever. If you are a John Wick fan, see “John Wick: Chapter 4” on the biggest screen possible; IMAX or Dolby Theater would be preferable, but even if you are just a casual movie fan, I promise you will be blown away.
In Theaters Friday, March 24th
Stop using American spellings
I’ll use whatever I damn well please!