8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
With the price on his head ever increasing, legendary hit man John Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Japan to Berlin.
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, George Georgiou, Lance Reddick, Clancy BrownAction | 100% |
Thriller | 27% |
Martial arts | 26% |
Crime | 13% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Even some devoted film fans might be hard pressed to name another franchise successful enough to get to its fourth production and which
managed
to not just keep its
veritable head above water (so to speak), but continue to impress, even with what some may feel is an outsized running time approaching three
hours. And yet John Wick continues to, to slightly paraphrase a marketing slogan of yore, take a kicking and keep on "ticking".
John Wick: Chapter 4 is in some ways the most audacious film in the John Wick series, not simply due to its length and the
increasingly gonzo labyrinth in which Wick finds himself ensnared, but also due to some kind of fun and in some cases quite funny and
smart "meta" issues. That includes things like an absolutely delightful "riff" on one of the most legendary edits in the history of film, the epic cut
from a match being
blown
out to a sunrise that is so spectacular in Lawrence of
Arabia
, and which is played (and/or edited) here as a kind of deliberately winking "in joke". But even this brief moment
introduces
a vignette that almost seems like it could have come out of some bizarro world version of the David Lean masterpiece, with John (Keanu Reeves, of
course) on horseback chasing a bunch of Arabs in thawbs (also on horseback) across a desert. By this early point in the film, the story
has
also managed to at least briefly reintroduce The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), who in fact is the "culprit" with the match, leading to
the aforementioned editing gambit.
For those wanting some background on the series and the many twists and turns the tale of John has taken thus far, please click on the following
review links of the previous films in the series:
John Wick Blu-ray review
John Wick: Chapter 2 Blu-ray review
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum Blu-ray
review
John Wick: Chapter 4 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb lists a variety of Arri cameras an a 4K DI as relevant data points. Readers of my reviews know that Arri captures are not always my favorites, but this is a stellar exception to my self created rule, and throughout this presentation both detail levels and palette saturation are typically excellent. From the first moments where a kind of handmade kakite bikei wrapped in rope John uses is shown, fine detail levels are impressive, and even some of the more obvious CGI elements tend to sharper than might be expected, though admittedly some vestiges of artificiality remain (this seems to be a deliberate choice, as in the patently fake look of the closing sting featuring Donnie Yen). As is discussed in some of the supplements, a lot of this film takes place at night, and one slight deficit in this 1080 presentation when compared to Lionsgate's 4K UHD release of the film is in the consistency of shadow detail, which is arguably aided and abetted by HDR in the 4K UHD version. A light dusting of digital grain tends to be most noticeable in the more brightly lit moments, as in the early scene in the desert with John taking out a coterie of bad guys.
John Wick: Chapter 4 features a propulsive Dolby Atmos track that, like the detail levels in the video presentation, "announces" itself right off the bat with some thundering effects as John pummels his training device. The cavernous sounds of the Bowery King's domain offer some clear engagement of surround channels, and then when things suddenly segue to the desert, the ambient environmental sounds once again grow. There are a number of standout effects, but some of them actually tend to be most effective when they're relatively subtle, as when New York's Continental gives way to a little urban (and/or High Table) renewal. The film is so chock full of set pieces that it's hard to even begin to list some of the most noticeable sequences, but both an extended, unedited "shot from above" vignette and a fantastically exciting car chase around the Arc de Triomph provide some really immersive moments. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.
I'll admit it: when I saw the running time for John Wick: Chapter 4, I thought "ai yi yi" and wondered if I'd be regularly checking my watch, but I can happily report that this film is so engaging from the first moment that I was actually surprised when I got to the end because it certainly didn't feel like close to three hours, though that said, I can certainly understand some feeling like this film could have been judiciously edited by at least a half hour or more. This is completely over the top even more so than the previous John Wick entries were (and that's saying quite a bit), so forewarned is forearmed, but for those willing to take a deep breath and go for the gusto, this is the rare fourth film in a franchise that actually increases momentum from its progenitors. Technical merits are top notch, and while the supplements really didn't need to be split into so many smaller pieces, they're quite enjoyable. Highly recommended.
2023
2023
Limited Edition Collector's Set w/ Comic-Con Poster
2023
with Character Cards
2023
2023
2023
Limited Edition Collector's Set
2023
2019
2017
Titans of Cult
2014
2009
2018
2023
2014
2018
2016
2016
2-Disc Extended Cut
2008
Unrated Cut
2012
Rogue Assassin
2007
2009
2015
2014
IMAX Enhanced
2020
2021
Unrated
2015
2018