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John Wick Chapter 4

JohnC

By JohnC
in Film, TV & Radio

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JohnC

JohnC

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Chad Stahelski, Keanu and Lance Reddick are back, at least.

 

Joining them will be Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins and Hiroyuki Sanada. Japanese-British singer Rina Sawayama will also debut.

 

It's set to start filming in summer in France, Germany and Japan, with a release date of 27 May 2022.

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Gabe

Gabe

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I even found the set pieces exhausting and, sadly, dull long before the end.

 

The first film was great - stylish, slick, brutal. The second and third though offered nothing new, just threw more people at him (with the standard henchman terrible aim booster pack), whilst also making him feel ever more invincible.

 

I preferred Nobody to the second & third Wick films, by some distance. 

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Qazimod

Qazimod

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I was half expecting the third one to wrap things up somehow, after the ending of the second. But why conclude this popular film series that's making money, I guess. :P And as @Gabe said, it felt like he was somehow more of an unstoppable killing machine with each sequel.

 

I'll still watch it of course.

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Nick R

Nick R

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27 minutes ago, Qazimod said:

 

I was half expecting the third one to wrap things up somehow, after the ending of the second. But why conclude this popular film series that's making money, I guess. :P And as @Gabe said, it felt like he was somehow more of an unstoppable killing machine with each sequel.

 

I'll still watch it of course.

 

I rewatched 3 when it was on TV the other night, and it felt to me like he doesn't get out unscathed in that one as much as he did in the first two. I disagree that he's at his most unstoppable in 3 - there are a few times (like in the glass room fight with the guys from The Raid 2) when he only survives because they respect him and don't try to kill him until they see he's giving them a proper fight.

 

After watching it I read this Letterboxd review, which argues that he's more vulnerable in 3 than in the first two:

 

https://boxd.it/1Cfemv

 

Quote

Parabellum also strikes a new tone for the series. The first two films are anti-hero worship of Wick's murderous acumen, but Parabellum is a pain engine designed to wreck and humiliate its protagonist. Wick's constantly on his backheel in this one, getting outclassed left and right by practically every major antagonist (even the hired goons!) and I'll admit it - that's a little less fun to watch than the other ones.

 

However that reviewer didn't think that this newfound emphasis on his vulnerability was a change for the better:

 

Quote

There was something satisfying and hilarious about watching Keanu Reeves bullet-ballet an army of anonymous club bouncer-types, and the joke doesn't work quite as well the other way around. Reeves is no Harrison Ford or Jackie Chan - his persona just doesn't gel with the other side of slapstick violence.

 

In John Wick 1 and 2, the world itself was Wick's target practice, but he's recast here as the underdog fighting against unjust and impossible odds. The problem with doing this is that the John Wick franchise has so flamboyantly departed reality at this point that even bullets to the chest aren't always a clear threat. A supporting character straight shoots Wick in the gut out of spite and the only consequence is more banter.

 

If your movie is a pain engine for a battered but defiant protagonist, that pain has to be legible, even if its not practical or realistic. In a movie like Die Hard, we feel each new injury to John McClane like a punch in the gut because the stakes make sense. Wick gets stabbed and shot at so many times that the very concept of a wound is tested. Bullet holes are only plot critical when the movie arbitrarily feels like they should be, which removes all possible tension from the action.

 

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revlob

revlob

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It's become a tradition in our house to watch a John Wick film on New Year's Eve; for the past three we've seen Keanu throw himself at a load of baddies, and enjoyed it. This year we'll be watching Nobody, but I'm glad there's another John Wick coming that we can celebrate the end of 2022 with.

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Qazimod

Qazimod

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17 minutes ago, Nick R said:

I rewatched 3 when it was on TV the other night, and it felt to me like he doesn't get out unscathed in that one as much as he did in the first two. I disagree that he's at his most unstoppable in 3 - there are a few times (like in the glass room fight with the guys from The Raid 2) when he only survives because they respect him and don't try to kill him until they see he's giving them a proper fight.

 

That's true. I guess I was thinking more about the odds being faced, and the escalation from mob goons and henchmen to what we saw in 3. With each film introducing more (or better) resistance there's always a moment of "why haven't you been shot in the head yet" :P but I suppose that wouldn't make for a great movie!

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Vemsie

Vemsie

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12 hours ago, Down by Law said:

Scott Adkins AND Donnie Yen? Damn can't wait for the inevitable insane fight scenes


Marko Zaror as well. :)
I hope some of them team-up with John, instead of fighting him because John would be totally outmatched.

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ZOK

ZOK

Posted
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On 13/07/2021 at 20:06, revlob said:

It's become a tradition in our house to watch a John Wick film on New Year's Eve; for the past three we've seen Keanu throw himself at a load of baddies, and enjoyed it. This year we'll be watching Nobody, but I'm glad there's another John Wick coming that we can celebrate the end of 2022 with.


What heinous crime have your household committed to deserve such a harsh and enduring punishment?!

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