The fourth film in this action-packed franchise is quintessentially John Wick versus The High Table and it doesn’t disappoint. Keanu, in the lead, blends good looks with dead pan delivery, as tall, dark and handsome goes it doesn’t get any better. Although is that lack of expression acting or botox? The price on hitman John Wick’s head is ever increasing, where villains at every stunt try to kill him. The action sequences are seat-gripping, expertly choreographed and brilliantly shot under the directorship of Chad Stahelski.
Veteran performances from the likes of Laurence Fishburne, (Bowery King), Lance Reddick (Charon), Ian MacShane (Winston), blend with newcomers, Donnie Yen (Caine) and Hiroyuki Sanada (Shimazu) and they all provide entertaining support. Does anyone else think Bill Skarskard as the sartorially-dressed villain might have been more convincing buying shoes in the Kings Road?
Long at 169 minutes, the cracking soundtrack (Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard) does much to up the pace; always visually exciting, the CGI makes for a stunning Noiresque feast that borders on the fairy-tale. True, the ceaseless tide of bad guys becomes a bit like a game of Wack-a-Mole but you won’t be bored by the variety and range of ways in which they die. The film’s big ending, a duel at dawn on the step of the Sacré-Cœur didn’t quite catch me in the heart, but let’s face it Keanu’s cool makes up for it. Questions remain: Why doesn’t anybody call an ambulance? Is the Wick franchise really dead? Can Keanu keep looking young?
RATING: FOUR MARKERS OUT OF FIVE