"John Wick Chapter 4" officially bowed at its London premiere Monday evening, with the online reactions embargo lifted at the time of the premiere.
The fourth installment follows on from the conclusion of "John Wick Chapter 3 - Parabellum," which saw Keanu Reeves' notorious assassin fall from atop the Continental Hotel after being betrayed by his friend Winston (Ian McShane). Of course, Wick lives. "Chapter 4" finds the deadly pariah traveling the globe to free himself from the control of the mysterious, cutthroat High Table.
The critically-acclaimed action film has drawn strong praise in its initial round of responses and has been praised for its impressive pool of sparring partners which include Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Marko Zazor, Scott Adkins and Rina Sawayama. Another central topic of opinion is the running time of the film, which clocks in at a lengthy two hours and 49 minutes- 38 minutes longer than the previous film's.
Los Angeles Times critic Katie Walsh liked the film and praised its cinematic style as superior to other franchise blockbusters. She added the caveat the one aspect she didn't like about it: "Because it's dumb."
Collider editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub had nothing but praise for the film. He also indicated that Reeves engages in some shady things with a dragon's breath shotgun.
CinemaBlend Critic Eric Eisenberg expressed some reservations regarding the film's lengthy runtime. However, he says that it "earns it" by using "smart timing" and strong sets.
John Wick: Chapter 4 director and franchise creator Chad Stahelski explains why he would like to take a break from the series before beginning work on the next installment. Stahelski began the career path working in Hollywood as a stuntman before teaming up with star Keanu Reeves for the 2014 film John Wick. Stahelski would co-direct the film alongside David Leitch, before solely helming the following three sequels after John Wick was a surprise both financially and critically.
A conversation with /Film, Stahelski discusses what the future holds for the action film franchise prior to John Wick: Chapter 4's theatrical release, where he says he thinks that he needs to step away from the franchise before continuing with Wick's story. However director Stahelski has said that he may not direct a John Wick 5, declaring, "I'm always saying, "This is the last time I'm doing this that will never happen again.' And https://www.johnwick4movi.com/ 'll say that now: This is my last one." As for why he feels a break is necessary, Stahelski says:
While Stahelski hopes to step away from John Wick's reluctant journey through the criminal underworld, the franchise is set to expand further with the new Ana de Armas-led spinoff, Ballerina. It is set within John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, Ballerina explores the story of de Armas' Rooney, who begins her own revenge quest against her family's killers. In the meantime, de Armas is taking over the role of Unity Phelan, Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick and Anjelica Huston are all set to reprise their roles from earlier episodes of the franchise.
After his efforts on John Wick: Chapter 4 and the other chapters in the franchise, Stahelski is set to use his director's skills to new realms beyond the high-stakes gunplay that was Reeves the master assassin. in 2021 Stahelski has been tapped to create a film adaptation of Ghosts of Tsushima which is the cult 2020 PlayStation game in which Samurai fights for the island of Tsushima during the initial Mongol attack on Japan. The director is also expected to make a remake in the Highlander franchise in 2021, with Stahelski said he was planning his take on the fight between immortals to be a trilogy of films.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is among 2023's most eagerly anticipated films of 2023. In this regard, although there may be disappointment about the possibility of a discontinuation between installments, it is evident that Stahelski's ideas could be beneficial for future films. Furthermore, with the director's upcoming projects converting weapons for swordplay the lessons Stahelski learns with Ghosts of Tsushima and Highlander will allow for exciting fight scenes in the future films.