" John Wick Chapter 4 " officially bows at its London premiere on Monday night, and the social media reaction embargo lifted at the time of the premiere.
The fourth installment is set following the conclusion of "John Wick Chapter 3 - Parabellum," which saw Keanu Reeves' famous assassin fall high above the Continental Hotel after being betrayed by his ally Winston (Ian McShane). Naturally, Wick lives. "Chapter 4" finds the deadly villain traveling around the world to escape the oppression of the devious and brutal High Table.
The critical darling action series has drawn strong praise in its first round of reactions particularly for its extensive list of partners in the fight that includes Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Marko Zazor, Scott Adkins and Rina Sawayama. Another major issue of discussion is the film's runtime, which clocks in at a lengthy two hours and 49 minutes -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 a step above other blockbusters of the franchise. The critic also noted the one aspect she hated: "Because it's dumb."
Collider chief editor Steven Weintraub had nothing but praise for the film, signaling that Reeves gets up to some mischief using a dragon's breath shotgun.
CinemaBlend Critic Eric Eisenberg expressed some reservations regarding the film's long runtime. But he states that this film "earns it" with "smart pace" and strong elements of the set.
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 started the career path as a stuntman in Hollywood by working as a stuntman prior to working with the star Keanu Reeves on the 2014 film John Wick. Stahelski was co-directing the film along with David Leitch, before solely helming the following three sequels following John Wick was a surprise both financially and critically.
A conversation with /Film, Stahelski opens up about the future of the action film franchise in advance of John Wick: Chapter 4's theatrical release. He shares that he feels he should take a break from the series before continuing Wick's story. However, the director has indicated the possibility of not directing John Wick 5 as a John Wick 5 film, telling the press, "I'm always saying, "This is my last film, this will never ever happen again.' So, I'll tell you now"This is my last one." For reasons why he believes a break is necessary, Stahelski says:
While Stahelski is hoping to get away from John Wick's tense journey through the criminal underground The John Wick franchise is scheduled to grow with the Ana de Armas-led spin-off, Ballerina. It is set between John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum as well as John Wick: Chapter 4, Ballerina explores the story of de Armas' Rooney, who begins her own quest for revenge against her family's killers. In the meantime, de Armas is taking over the role from Unity Phelan, Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick and Anjelica Huston are all set to take on roles they played in previous episodes of the franchise.
After his efforts on John Wick: Chapter 4 and the other chapters in the franchise, Stahelski is set to utilize his talents as a director to new realms beyond the high-stakes gunplay Reeves the master assassin. In 2021, Stahelski was tapped by the company to make a film adaptation for Ghosts of Tsushima the most popular 2020 PlayStation game in which a samurai defends the isle of Tsushima in the first Mongol assault on Japan. The director will also make a remake of the Highlander franchise and Stahelski stated that he had a vision of his take on the battle between immortals being an entire trilogy of films.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is one of 2023's eagerly anticipated films of 2023. In this regard, although there may be disappointment about the possibility of a break between films, it's evident that Stahelski's ideas could prove beneficial to future films. In addition, with director's future projects swapping firearms for swordplay the lessons Stahelski teaches with Ghosts of Tsushima and Highlander could allow for more riveting fights in future films.