**John Wick: Chapter 4 is at the peak of action cinema and fight choreography. What the film lacks in story is dramatically overcome with the most stunning action set pieces ever seen.** John Wick: Chapter 4 is an overwhelming feast of action brilliance! For the entire 2.5-hour runtime, this movie transitions from weapon to weapon, set piece to set piece, and spectacle to spectacle topping anything ever seen. The fight sequences never stop, and their beauty and intricacies drop jaw while breaking jaw. From the scene with the nunchucks to swords to shotguns to hatchets to hand-to-hand - among the greatest, if not the pinnacle, of action choreography. The cinematography creatively showcases each scene and battle, painting the action in bright colors and finding clever angles to keep the action fresh and engaging. As always, Reeves is incredible in the role, but the supporting cast of martial artists helps make this film what it is with experienced actors like Hiroyuki Sanada and Scott Adkins. But the absolute standout is Donnie Yen; his speed and skill are breathtaking as he steals every scene he is in. Unfortunately, despite all of its stunning brilliance, the story takes a lot of shortcuts to wrap up John Wick’s story, which disappoints a little. The method to end it all seems like something that would have been mentioned several movies ago. But honestly, who cares? We don’t go to a John Wick movie for a deep story. We go for the martial arts and gun-fu, and John Wick: Chapter 4 delivers an unparalleled masterpiece of violence.

Now this is an whole lot better than "John Wick - Paracetamol" (2019) but it is still not very good. This time our wandering warrior (Keanu Reeves) is out for revenge, but not before the all-powerful "Marquis" (Bill Skarsgård), who has managed to get those at the "High Table" to give him complete control of their global operations, decides to seek some of his own - and that includes trashing the New York hotel and putting "Winston" (Ian McShane) out of an home and a job. A rather unnecessary, and fatal, side effect of that activity put's his nose out of joint too; and when the "Marquis" turns his attention on Osaka - possibly the last bastion of support for "Wick", we just know that we are in for a series of never-ending hand-to-hand fisticuffs that are straight out of a video game. Indeed, for almost all of the action sequences here the whole point seems to be: kill as many of the useless, hapless - but heavily armed - enemy as you can whilst perhaps bleeding a little from the mouth now and again. Use your finely tailored Kevlar®️ suit to deflect bullets, blades, flames - just about everything as you, inevitably, survive against constantly insurmountable odds for well over 2½ hours before a denouement that is, admittedly, quite quirky. That involves a sort of Sacre-Coeur version of snakes and ladders but again, luckily, against innumerable would-be assassins who couldn't hit a barn door with an Howitzer at point blank range. Skarsgård isn't remotely menacing - like a poor "James Bond" villain in a perfectly measured suit, Laurence Fishburne features only sparingly and the whole thing has as much jeopardy as the 'Wizard of Oz" (1939). Reeves does not act here, he performs - and the profusion of CGI, the complete lack of any police or domestic military in Japan, Paris or New York to address the increasingly chaotic and damaging carnage being caused in these locations all just wanted me to start shouting "thwack" and "pow" at the screen. There is a delightful twist at the end, but it's a very long time in the coming and to be perfectly honest, I was just a bit bored. I've never really been in love with this franchise, it's all too repetitive and predictable - and sadly, this is just the same.

Well it's not woke, and it's fun so... 10 stars, it achieved what it set out to do, entertain, and you can't ask for more than that. Sure, in the 90s it would have been... well, stupid, action movies really stank in the 90s. And in the 80s it would have had more of a plot and been a lot better... ... but in 2023 "Entertaining and politics free" makes a movie into a masterpiece. Its wall to wall action, with only about 3% dedicated to plot and the only really thinking it requires you to do is wonder "if there are so many assassins in the world, how is it a lucrative profession?"

John Wick 4 is an absolute masterpiece of an action film. From start to finish, this movie delivers an adrenaline-fueled experience that will leave you breathless. The action is intense, with each fight scene being expertly choreographed and executed. The action set pieces are some of the most memorable I've ever seen, with each one being more jaw-dropping than the last. One of the standout aspects of John Wick 4 is the villains. This time around, they are more interesting than ever, with big-name actors bringing their A-game to their respective roles. It's always great to see veteran actors like Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne on screen, but the addition of newcomers like Bill Skarsgard and Donnie Yen really elevates the movie. But perhaps the real star of John Wick 4 is the fight cinematography. The one-take fight scene that was filmed from overhead is a work of art. It's so seamless and fluid that you feel like you're right there in the middle of the action. The attention to detail in every fight scene is astounding, with each punch and kick feeling like it has real weight behind it. One slight negative of the movie is that John Wick doesn't have much development. However, this is a minor quibble, as the movie is so focused on delivering incredible action that the lack of character development doesn't really matter. After all, John Wick is at his best when he's kicking ass, and he certainly does that in spades in this movie. Overall, John Wick 4 is a fantastic entry in the series. The sense of finality that permeates throughout the movie is perfect, and it really feels like a fitting end to the story. If you're a fan of action movies, then John Wick 4 is an absolute must-see. It's a thrilling ride that will leave you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Score: 93% Verdict: Excellent

Far better than Chapter 3, but then it really couldn't be any worse, but still a far cry from Chapters 1 and 2. And why Donnie Yen agreed to play the same role he played in Rogue One is beyond me.

Solid entry in the franchise with some great fight choreography which is to be expected at this point and while the story is thin and does clock in at 169 minutes, still found it entertaining and a fine conclusion. **4.0/5**

The first movie was just alright. It was totally new and held plenty of action so it was worth watching once. Twice? Probably not. The second was much the same as the first and by the fourth you are as bored as it can get. Not sure what's wrong with Keanu, but having fun making a movie and actually making something worth watching are two very different things. The guy should keep his james bond ninja training fantasies to himself and maybe think about producing and acting in something that doesn't make him look like a child. This movie was pure garbage. What a waste of time and money. Let's just hope he didn't get the shot.