Everyone wants to kill each other in “John Wick: Chapter 4,” a movie built around three massive action sequences that change the scope, scope, enemies, weapons and environments so fast that it feels impossible to get bored. As you’d expect, there’s a deep pleasure watching Keanu Reeves share the screen with Hong Kong action superstar Donnie Yen, and his scenes (both cuddling each other and just talking) are the highlight of the movie. Film. Shamier Anderson, who plays a new character destined to be a fan favorite (and whose loyal dog almost goes away with the movie), is equally pleasantly surprised.
And while some returning characters don’t do as much as you might hope (Lance Reddick and Laurence Fishburne stop by to say hello, and Ian McShane’s Winston is largely sidelined), the movie leans heavily on Reeves and newcomers. “How did they do that?”
The final hour of the movie is essentially a big action scene, staged with such skill and visual intelligence as to reveal that the vast majority of American action directing is a lazy fraud. A former stunt performer and coordinator himself, Stahelski knows how important it is to showcase these talented people and ensure that the audience appreciates and follows their every move. The fact that “every action” also includes staging choices that feel completely unfair to any other action movie you’ll see this year strongly suggests that he is the best gunfights, fistfights, sword duels, and car chases director to work in Hollywood. moment.