Review by Frank Carrizo Zirit

John Wick: Chapter 4 2023

If you enjoy a languid two hours of Keanu Reeves relentlessly punctuating his enemies with a bewildering variety of firearms, then “John Wick 4” might just be your idea of cinematic nirvana. But for the rest of us mere mortals, it’s more like being held captive at a party where the only entertainment is the sound of a leaky faucet.

For starters, the killing scenes seem longer than a winter in Siberia, and I found myself pressing the fast-forward button with such regularity that I’m concerned I might have developed a repetitive strain injury. Perhaps in the next installment, the filmmakers might consider introducing some commercial breaks, so viewers have the chance to rest their fingers. But I hope they keep their promise and this is the last JW.

And let’s talk about the villain. Have you ever tried to build a sandcastle with dry sand? That’s how solid and compelling the villain was in this movie. They had about as much threat level as a half-deflated helium balloon and as much depth as a paddling pool in a summer drought.

The biggest tease of all? The all-knowing, all-powerful High Table. With each film, they promise us more, and each time we’re left holding an empty bag of revelations. In this chapter, we still didn’t get the payoff we’ve been waiting for. The High Table seems as elusive as Bigfoot, just with more tailored Kevlar suits.

And then we come to the stunts. I’m all for suspending disbelief, but there are limits. Even the dog was pulling off moves that would make a Cirque du Soleil acrobat raise an eyebrow. Next time, I fully expect to see it juggling chainsaws while riding a unicycle on a tightrope.

All in all, “John Wick 4” has the depth of a kiddie pool and the subtlety of a sledgehammer. But if you’re a fan of endless gunfire, weak villains, and dogs that get hit by cars and come out of it unscathed, you’re in for a treat.

Is this the way a very promising story should end? After four installments, this not even disappointing… we’re way past that.

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