"John Wick: Chapter 4" officially bowed at the time of its London premiere Monday evening, and the social media reaction embargo lifted during the premiere.
The fourth installment is set following the conclusion of "John Wick Chapter 3 - Parabellum," which saw Keanu Reeves' notorious assassin fall high above the Continental Hotel after being betrayed by his confidante Winston (Ian McShane). In all likelihood, 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 series has been praised with a hefty amount of enthusiasm in its initial round of responses, especially for its deep bench of sparring partners that comprises Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Marko Zazor, Scott Adkins and Rina Sawayama. Another topic of contention is the running time of the film that is 2 hours and 49 mins -38 minutes more than the previous entry's.
Los Angeles Times critic Katie Walsh loved the film with her praise of its design and visuals, calling it superior to other franchise blockbusters. However, she added about one element she disliked about the film: "Because it's dumb."
Collider Editor-in-Chief Steven Weintraub had nothing but praise for the film. He also indicated that Reeves is up to some shenanigans using a dragon's breath shotgun.
CinemaBlend critic Eric Eisenberg expressed some reservations about the film's daunting runtime. However, he says that the film "earns it" through "smart timing" and some strong set pieces.
John Wick: Chapter 4 director and franchise creator Chad Stahelski explains why he would like to take a break from the series before working on the next installment. Stahelski began his career in Hollywood by working as a stuntman before teaming up with star Keanu Reeves to make the 2014 film John Wick. Stahelski will co-direct the film along with David Leitch, before solely helming the following three sequels. John Wick Chapter 4 was a surprise critical and financial success.
A conversation with /Film Stahelski speaks about what the future holds for the action film franchise ahead of John Wick: Chapter 4's theatrical release. He says he thinks he should take a break from the franchise before continuing Wick's story. However, the director has indicated the possibility of not directing John Wick 5 as a John Wick 5, saying, "I'm always saying, "This is my last film, this will never be repeated.' And I'll say that now"This is my last one." In terms of why he believes it's necessary to take a break, Stahelski says:
While Stahelski hopes to step away from John Wick's journey through the criminal underground The franchise is set to grow with the Ana de Armas-led spin-off, Ballerina. Set in the time between 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 embarks on her own journey to seek revenge against the murderers of her family. As de Armas is taking over the role previously played by Unity Phelan, Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and Anjelica Huston will all play the roles of previous installments of the series.
In the wake of the success of John Wick: Chapter 4 and the other chapters of the franchise, Stahelski is set to utilize his talents as a director to new realms beyond the high-stakes gunplay of Reeves' master assassin. The year 2021 is when Stahelski signed on to develop a film adaptation of Ghosts of Tsushima the most popular 2020 PlayStation video game where an samurai protects the island of Tsushima in the first Mongol assault on Japan. The director is also expected to make a remake for the Highlander franchise and Stahelski said he was planning his take on the war between immortals as a trilogy of films.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is one of 2023's most highly anticipated releases. In this regard, although there is a possibility of disappointment with the possibility of a break between installments, it is evident that Stahelski's ideas could be beneficial for future films. Additionally, with the director's future projects swapping firearms for swordplay, the lessons that Stahelski learns from Ghosts of Tsushima and Highlander could allow for more riveting fights in future films.