Directed by: Chad Stahelski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård
Running Time: 169'
Verdict: ⊗⊗⊗
This is still a classic John Wick film, but feels watered down, in part because of its too long runtime, in part because of too prolonged action scenes, and in part because of a rather weak and anticlimactic story. There is also less story, and the action scenes just don't flow like before. There is more of them, which means more action, which sounds great for an action flick, but they became quite repetitive, and I found myself yawning during a middle of one. Trying to keep it fresh for the fourth time, some of the stuff in the movie is bordering ridiculous. John Wick is "realistically" killing so many bad guys that I'm amazed at how many incompetent assassins exist in this universe. He really heavily relies on his bulletproof suits, which are incredibly effective, not even flinching when getting hit. The movie introduces a blind assassin, played by Donnie Yen, who admittedly has some great scenes, but seems like a superhero while deflecting bullets with his sword. Skarsgård's character is creepy and villainous enough for the most of the movie, but doesn't deliver at the end. We also have a bounty hunter with his attack dog that he is too attached to for being in the business he is. His whole arc is unnecessary and it just feels like the dog is more important than him, just as a nod to the first movie in the franchise. Even Fishburne's character, the Bowery King, feels superfluous and out of place, as most of the movie takes place in Paris and not in underground New York. There is enough action to tickle your vicariousness, but the film unintentionally points out how creators didn't really know where to go with Wick and just focused on one part of the experience, stretching it out for four movies. Still, it's better than Taken.
Rokin
