John Wick: Chapter 4: ‘Soars above most action movies’

And in Paris, Wick meets the Marquis, the Eiffel Tower provides a picturesque backdrop. A big climactic scene takes place on the steps and in the shadow of the Sacré-Coeur. The backgrounds make the criminal underworld the subject of a photo shoot for a glossy fashion magazine. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s a sign of a lean plot tailored to the settings.

However, the film echoes the central question of all Wick movies: is he a natural-born killer? Or a good person underneath it all? “That’s who,” the Marquis tells him. “A murderer.” The question is definitely unanswered here. Under the oversized action, the character has not deepened over time. For an action series, this is not a mistake, but a missed opportunity.

The franchise is already growing in new directions. The Continental, a three-episode spin-off series arriving on Peacock this year, is set in the 1970s and tells the origin story of Winston and his hotel. Production has wrapped on Ballerina, set between Wick 3 and 4, starring Ana de Armas as a dancing assassin. We don’t know if it kills en pointe, but we know that Reeves is in the movie. It seems as long as the franchise keeps making money, John Wick will never die one way or another.

★★★★☆

John Wick: Chapter 4 will be released on March 24.

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