Estimated reading time: 13 minutes
Director Chad Stahelski and actor Keanu Reeves return for John Wick: Chapter 4, which goes bigger in every way, from the action to the fight sequences.
John Wick (Reeves) finally finds a way to bring down the High Table and free himself from his obligations to the clandestine organization of international assassins. The only person standing in John’s way is the powerful Marquis (Bill Skarsgård) who has been granted total power by the High Table. The Marquis destroys the New York Continental Hotel, bringing down its manager Winston (Ian McShane), and sending his global force of killers to track down and kill John Wick.
The film takes John Wick around the world to Tokyo, Berlin, and Paris where his ultimate destiny awaits. In the meantime, John has the highly skilled blind assassin Caine (Donnie Yen) on his trail and a ‘tracker’ (Shamier Anderson) with a loyal attack dog looking to find him (and possibly kill him) for a bounty.
This fourth entry is arguably the best entry in the franchise. Chad Stahelski’s mise en scène for this film is big and bold. Large rooms, soaring ceilings, glittering lights and chandeliers. There is also the bold, and inventive action choreography. The set pieces over the course of this film’s nearly three-hour runtime keep it feeling fresh and interesting, whether is a shootout and fight under a traffic-cluttered Arc de Triomphe or a dazzling fight and shootout with incendiary rounds in Berlin. This this film rarely lets up, but when it does pause for some breathing time in the second act, it does not feel stagnant, it pushes the story and the now very vast world of John Wick forward. John Wick, on the strength of this fourth entry and the three films before it, may well be the greatest and most significant action-thriller franchise in modern times, surpassing the Bourne films and definitely challenging the long-running 007.
The Video
John Wick: Chapter 4 was shot with Arri Alexa LF and Arri Alexa Mini LF with Arri ALFA, Master Anamorphic, and Signature Prime lenses in ARRIRAW (4.5K). A 4K digital intermediate was used to source the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release. The film is provided in a 2.39:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) encodement on the 4K Ultra HD disc.
There is little to say about this release beyond: stunning! This transfer looks absolutely stunning, from the clean yet filmic quality of the image to the inky blacks, subtle shadows, extended details, crispness, and plethora of colors that pop from the screen. The Dolby Vision coding provides spectacular specular highlights in scenes such as where John Wick is firing off incendiary rounds, or in the many, many scenes where there are bright, colorful lights, or glistening water, like the waterfall fight sequence in the Berlin nightclub. This is top notch.
The Audio
The English Atmos mix for John Wick: Chapter 4 is just as awesome as the video transfer, opening up with John Wick’s punches resounding with deep, resonant bass that will rattle some floorboards. Things only pick up from there with a staggeringly dynamic and aggressive mix with a strong sense of height awareness, perfect balance between the front and surround channels, and robust low end. The high frequencies are also managed well, given the constant stream of gunfire. They do not get fatiguing in any way.
The Supplements
Lionsgate provides several featurettes that go behind-the-scenes on the film’s production, the history and legacy of John Wick, and the filming of some of the pivotal scenes. There are many interviews with Reeves, other members of the cast, and Stahelski.
- Blu-ray
- Digital Code for Apple & Vudu
- Chad and Keanu: Through Wick and Thin (1080p; 00:05:45)
- Train Like a Killer (1080p; 00:05:55)
- Making a Killing (1080p; 00:06:25)
- The Psychology of a Killer (1080p; 00:04:32)
- The Blind Leading the Blind (1080p; 00:09:18)
- Suit Up/Shoot Up (1080p; 00:05:41)
- Packing a Punch (1080p; 00:04:41)
- One Killer Shot (1080p; 00:03:09)
- Killing at the Speed of Traffic (1080p; 00:10:10)
- A Shot in the Dark (1080p; 00:05:43)
- In Honor of the Dead (1080p; 00:05:23)
- Theatrical Trailer 1 (1080p; 00:01:13)
- Theatrical Trailer 2 (1080p; 00:02:37)
- The Continental – First Look (1080p; 00:03:10)
The Final Assessment
Magnificent, thrilling, edge of the seat action on a reference 4K platter; John Wick: Chapter 4 delivers in every category for film fans, fans of the franchise, and home theater enthusiasts. Very highly recommended.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is out on 4K Ultra HD Combo, June 9, 2023, from Lionsgate.
- Rating Certificate: R (for pervasive strong violence and some language)
- Studios & Distributors: 87Eleven Entertainment | Lionsgate | Studio Babelsberg | Summit Entertainment | Thunder Road Pictures | Lionsgate Home Entertainment
- Director: Chad Stahelski
- Written By: Shay Hatten | Michael Finch | Derek Kolstad
- Run Time: 169 Mins.
- Street Date: 9 June 2023
- Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
- Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
- HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
- HDR10 Metadata:
- MaxLL: 1000 nits
- MaxFALL: 629 nits
- Primary Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible)
- Secondary Audio: English Descriptive Audio | Spanish DD 5.1 | French DD 5.1
- Subtitles: English | English SDH | Spanish | French
