We are mere days away from the release of Chad Stahelski’s latest action epic, “John Wick: Chapter 4.” Once again, Keanu Reeves dons the suit and grabs whatever weapons are available to murder the hell out of bad guys. Given where this series has headed, it’s pretty crazy to think this all started because of the death of a dog. Alas, rarely does a fourth film in a franchise retain the magic of the original, but judging by the first reactions to the upcoming film, “John Wick: Chapter 4” might very well be the best of the franchise, so far.
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If you haven’t seen a “John Wick” film, then you’re probably best served to not jump into the fourth film in the franchise. However, as a quick refresher, the “John Wick” franchise is about the title character (played by Reeves) after he comes back to the underground world of assassins after an early retirement. Over the course of three (soon to be four) films, we’ve seen the repercussions of Wick entering back into his old job.
Reactions to ‘Chapter 4’ are nothing short of hyperbolic. Words such as “brilliant,” “spectacular,” “phenomenal,” “breathtaking,” and “fucking awesome” are all used to describe the action film. One critic goes so far as to call it “the best movie I’ve seen in ages.”
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Obviously, when you talk about early reactions to a blockbuster franchise film, there’s always the caveat that these tend to be way more enthusiastic than the final, finished reviews. Almost always, these tweets are posted as they’re walking out of the screening, sometimes while being invited to some big premiere event. So, it really is the very best way to experience the film (by design). So, if you read someone praise “John Wick: Chapter 4” as the greatest cinematic achievement since “Citizen Kane,” it’s probably best to temper your own expectations and prepare yourself for an above-average action film.
All that to say, typically these early reactions are just that—early reactions. These aren’t fully-formed critiques. However, if you want to read a few of them, go right ahead below: