Reviews are now out for the fourth entry in the celebrated “John Wick” franchise following a screening at SXSW. Clocking in at 169 minutes, it’s easily the longest and most action-packed entry in the series to date.
In the new entry, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table and must face off against a new enemy The Marquis (Bill Skarsgard) who has powerful alliances across the globe that could turn some of Wick’s old friends into foes. Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, Rina Sawayama, Shamier Anderson, Clancy Brown, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Donnie Yen co-star>
With 20 reviews counted, the film currently stands at 90% (8.0/10) on Rotten Tomatoes which is a franchise high – but only just. In comparison the first three films scored 86% (7.0/10), 89% (7.4/10) & 89% (7.5/10) respectively.
Here’s a sampling of review quotes:
“‘Chapter 4’ feels like the first ‘John Wick’ movie that wants to be a Clint Eastwood spaghetti Western. It’s like Sergio Leone crossed with John Woo as seen in Times Square.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“This one has grown by nearly 40 minutes, but for the most part never slows down and remains a feast for fans of star Keanu Reeves’ command of this martial arts/gun fu/now car fu too genre” – Pete Hammond, Deadline
“John Wick: Chapter 4 is an immense action magnum opus. It is near non-stop wall-to-wall combat, car chases, and shoot-outs on a level not seen since Mad Max: Fury Road.” – Karl Delossantos, Smash Cut Reviews
“How does nearly three hours of wham-bam noise and nonsense, unmitigated by any meaningful plot, work as well as it does?” – Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly
“John Wick: Chapter 4 is likely to be one of the best films of 2023.” – JimmyO, JoBlo
“Even though the action in the series is awe-inspiring, the fact that this latest film ends in such a character-focused way inspires awe of a different, incredibly welcome kind.” – Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture
“Running at 2 hours and 49 minutes, it is bigger than the previous films in every way – not better or worse, just more.” – Caryn James, BBC.com
“Designed as a culmination as much as a continuation, it may not be consistent enough to rank as the franchise’s finest, but when it gets going, it cooks with gas.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
“Those who appreciated the original for its brutal, sinewy agility have another thing coming: a lumbering, stultifying gargantua of a film.” – Charles Bramesco, The Guardian
“John Wick: Chapter 4” is currently slated to open in cinemas next Friday, March 24th, and is on track for a projected $60-70 million opening weekend domestically.
