It’s been nearly four years since John Wick fans have seen the Keanu Reeves' most popular hitman character kicking ass on our screens, but the wait is nearly up. After multiple delays, John Wick: Chapter 4 is finally set to hit theaters at the end of the month, and while Chad Stahelski is returning to direct, co-writers Shay Hatten and Michael Finch will bring new energy to John Wick’s fight against the villainous High Table. The fourth installment of one of the best action movie franchises has screened, and audiences are hitting up social media with their first reactions.
The trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4 promises a high body count, as the titular character looks for a way to destroy the High Table for good. Indie singer Rina Sawayama is among the new John Wick 4 cast members in the role of Akira, with Bill Skarsgård also making his franchise debut. Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick reprise their roles from previous installments. Let’s see what people are saying about the movie, starting with CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg, who tweets that the longest John Wick movie yet earns its runtime:
I had reservations about John Wick: Chapter 4's nearly three hour runtime, but the movie earns it. It's an epic with smart pacing that never lets the action feel exhausting, and the set pieces are phenomenal. Great cast of series newcomers, but Donnie Yen is the MVP. #JohnWick4 pic.twitter.com/xyMbLXmXUMMarch 6, 2023
Critic John Nguyen also mentions Donnie Yen, as he notes that this fourth installment ups the ante on the action:
#JohnWick4 continues with the visceral and brutal action. We finally get the conclusion to the story, and the film brings the action to a higher level with armored ninja, fiery weapons, epic one-shot scenes, and more. Donnie Yen is definitely icing on the cake. pic.twitter.com/7N0utxj772March 6, 2023
Keanu Reeves has said this movie is the “hardest film I’ve ever made,” in terms of the action, and Insider correspondent Kirsten Acuna’s reaction gives us an idea of why. She says the action sequences have a video game feel, and there’s one she kept thinking about long after the movie ended. This one is sure to be a fan favorite, she says:
At times, #JohnWick4 feels like a video game come to life. (And I mean that as a compliment.) So many of Keanu Reeves' fight sequences felt like boss battles. I get a kick out of how the franchise continues to find creative ways to turn mundane objects into deadly weapons. pic.twitter.com/JA1K5kTG3nMarch 6, 2023
Not all who were able to screen the movie are fans of the nearly three-hour runtime, but Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence seems willing to allow it based on the third act alone, tweeting:
#JohnWick4's three-hour runtime makes so much sense when you're going *that* hard. The third act alone... just glorious. pic.twitter.com/TDCs74aGV7March 6, 2023
The Nerds of Color call John Wick 4 the most “gorgeous” installment of the franchise, and while it suffers from pacing issues, according to this account, the new cast additions are stellar, and it features some of the best gun fights in the series:
#JohnWick4 is the most EPIC installment in the franchise! While it is a bit long and suffers from some pacing issues and unnecessary story points, the movie is never boring. Just when things grow stale Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves find a way to suck you back in @JohnWickMovieMarch 6, 2023
Critic Courtney Howard promises this is the wildest time you’ll have at the theater this year and also provides another shout-out for the supporting cast in follow-up Tweets:
Brawny, bold & badass, #JohnWick4 brilliantly balances vested stakes with an absolutely spectacular, high octane thrill ride. A soaring, searing, scorching chapter in the saga. The wildest time you’ll have at the movies this year. A pure adrenaline rush. pic.twitter.com/eUmJRfnwJwMarch 6, 2023
Erick Weber not only calls this movie the best of the franchise, he proclaims John Wick: Chapter 4 one of the greatest action movies ever made:
One of the greatest action movies ever made, #JohnWick4 tops all 3 of its predecessors in storytelling, scope & stakes, countless astonishing set pieces, hard to fathom it’s all contained within one film, Bill Skarsgård slays, a hellaciously thrilling franchise finish (?) 9.5/10 pic.twitter.com/2jDwXle21JMarch 6, 2023
Hunter Bolding echoes the thoughts of all of the above. One of the top action movies ever? Check. Best in the franchise? Check. Donnie Yen is a show-stealer? Check. He tweets:
John Wick: Chapter 4 is one of the finest action movies ever. My jaw hit the floor at least six times. One section involving a Dragon's Breath shotgun is just action-movie goodness at its best. Donnie Yen steals the show. Easily the best in the series #JohnWick4 #JohnWickChapter4 pic.twitter.com/VBsZxC6bhuMarch 6, 2023
With reactions like this to the fourth movie, it’s easy to see why John Wick 5 is already in the works, as well as an equally stunt-crazy spinoff, Ballerina. It may have been a long wait, but it sounds like time has been good to the action franchise. We’ll know even more when critics’ reviews are released next week, ahead of the movie's arrival to theaters on Friday, March 24. Be sure to come back to CinemaBlend for more John Wick: Chapter 4 coverage, and in the meantime, check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what other films are headed our way soon.
