John Wick Ch. 4 Review
By Yasmine Killeen
This review was carried out by Yasmine Killeen as part of our ongoing partnership with Dendy Cinema. If any UC student wishes to get involved with film review opportunities please reach out to us at curieux@canberra.edu.au.
Throughout the film the protagonist is frequently asked: “When is it going to end?” I was asking myself the same thing during the first two acts of John Wick Chapter 4.
Chapter Four continues the journey of legendary hitman John Wick on his quest for freedom. The film opens in the desert at sunrise accompanied by silhouettes of men on horseback as an homage to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I was excited with the possibility that the series would be taking a step away from its neon aesthetic and considering an alternative western approach after the Japanese cyberpunk classic.
The franchise has been praised for its cinematography, but sticking an actor behind blue or red lighting does not make something poetic. I was disappointed to find that two of the three shooting locations were Osaka and Berlin. Japan being the home of the 80s cyberpunk aesthetic and Berlin the home of 80s punk, new wave clubs and raves, places where neon lighting are commonplace. One of the characters is fittingly named ‘Akira’ after the Japanese cyberpunk classic. Both cities did the set designer’s jobs for them and gave the filmmakers an excuse to overuse colourful lighting whilst prioritizing style over substance.
There were a lot of references to Kill Bill and I say “references,” because I would like to believe that they were not just knockoffs. The fight scene between Caine and Koji resembles the final garden fight scene between O-Ren Ishii and the Bride, where one suffers a blow to the back. Caine’s final words to Akira after slaughtering her father are: “I’ll be waiting for you.” These words bear a resemblance to what the Bride says to the daughter of one of her victims: “When you grow up if you still feel raw about it… I’ll be waiting.” (Kill Bill. 2003.) An attempt to twist a Katana battle leads to bows and arrows coming into the mix, and it would not be an over-statement to assume that the filmmakers had run out of ideas to keep the action sequences interesting.
The key theme is ‘Daughters’ instead of ‘Dogs’ this time. More specifically “What one will do for their daughter?” However, the film fails to allow the female characters to reciprocate the gesture. Instead of asking “How will I avenge my father?” it is “How will John Wick avenge my father?” Of the three daughters, both Akira and Katia have lost their parent and instead of seeking revenge themselves, send John Wick to finish the job for them before disappearing without a trace. The third had no lines but was the driving force behind the film’s secondary antagonist, Caine. Using one’s daughter or wife as collateral in action films is a trope I would like to see less of.
The film concluded where it began in a Mexican standoff as an homage to western classics with a corresponding score. Despite the story ending with the protagonist succumbing to his wounds, the lead up to Wick’s death did not feel substantial enough. This, in my belief, is purposeful to allow further films to be made. This series should come to a halt here before it loses its reputation as a respected action franchise and joins the club of movies labelled as undignified cash grabs.