Cert - 15, Run-time - 2 hours 49 minutes

Director - Chad Stahelski

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) discovers the bounty on his head can be removed if he wins a duel against the Marquis (Bill Skarsgård) of the High Table, however it’s a long road to get there filled with many people trying to stop him.

At the end of 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum I was cautious about where this franchise would go, particularly with two new instalments having been announced off the back of its success. While I enjoyed the film (and the franchise as a whole up to this point) I was sceptical about just how much more of this I could sit through. Yet, I loved Nobody (I was the person who gave it five stars), written by David Kolstad who penned the first three Wick outings and was itself in a similar vein, and indeed was excited by the trailers for this latest slice of action.

While the first 15 minutes or so might be rather gradual in our reintroduction to this world it’s not long until the non-stop action kicks back in. The success of the action here is in how the extensive sequences are set out. One idea isn’t drawn out for 20 minutes, instead we get smaller, varied battles between different characters with different weapons seamlessly strung together. Having a shared theme, backdrop and style and stopping the energy from dropping.

Amongst the engaging style and choreography of the sequences - whether characters are using swords, guns, knives, fists of pencils - there’s a good deal of tension as it’s acknowledged that after three films John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is tired. The most stylish character in action cinema is wearing down, simply wanting the rapidly increasing bounty on his head removed so that he can live his life in peace. To do this he must win a duel against the Marquis of the High Table (Bill Skarsgård). However, there’s a long road to get there, with multiple attackers waiting around each corner.

One of the highlights of this franchise, action aside, has been the details of the criminal underworld which is so essential to the story. The laws, characters and practices which crop up are endlessly fascinating and help to further infuse the fights and key breathers in-between. The narrative avoids feeling as if it jumps from place to place to place and back thanks to these details which become a part of the progression. Bringing a video-game style quality to some proceedings, including instances of action, without losing itself.

In general, John Wick: Chapter 4 displays the best elements of the franchise while never feel like it retreads territory. Bringing in new characters with plenty of effect in their settings (although Shamier Anderson’s anonymous tracker never quite sticks the landing from a writing perspective) which provide fine backdrops for more thoroughly entertaining action. 

The character of John Wick may be losing energy, but even here he’s still got plenty of punch (and style) left in him.

Jamie Skinner - Four stars