Initial Reactions To 'John Wick 4' Suggest It's The Best Yet

Keanu Reeves as John Wick

Image Source: GameSpot

Fans were in for a treat at Austin, Texas’ South by Southwest Film and TV Festival (SXSW) with an advanced screening of John Wick: Chapter 4 and a special appearance by the action star Keanu Reeves. Those present at the SXSW gave high praises to the film, which earned a rare perfect ten from IGN. The movie is the longest one in the series at a runtime of just below three hours and includes a post-credits scene, also a first for the franchise. Audible cheers were heard throughout the screening, particularly during the action–heavy sequences. 

After the screening, Reeves took the stage for a Q&A session where he revealed that he kept John Wick’s watch and wedding ring as a souvenir. One attendee asked the actor if he actually ages to which Reeves admitted, “Yeah, man, I age. It’s happening, man.” The film’s director Chad Stahelski was also present to take questions. When a fan asked what he wants the John Wick legacy to be, the director gave a simple answer, “This” referring to the fans’ reactions to the latest film.

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Naturally, the positive reactions to the new movie spread to social media. One tweet pointed out that the movie “[p]eppers you with excellent set pieces early and then in the last hour hammers you on the head with some of the greatest action sequences [he] has ever seen.”

Another tweet praised the film’s “colorful characters, eye-popping production design, and incredible fight choreography,” naming Stahelski as one of the best directors currently in the business. 

The press agreed with the audience. BBC commended the film with only one real complaint being a missed opportunity to dive deeper into John Wick’s character. IGN’s final verdict on the film summed it all up:

“Wick’s world war is bursting at the seams with creative, thrillingly staged action choreography and cinematography, perfectly pitched performances from an outstanding and unforgettable cast of allies and villains heralded by a merciless Bill Skarsgård, all without losing its grip on the sensitivity that keeps John’s struggle for absolution at the heart of every bullet fired and every edged weapon swung.”

Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Clancy Brown, Natalia Tena, Marko Zaror, and Ian McShane join Reeves in this blockbuster that brings Wick around the world to Paris, Berlin, Osaka, and New York.

John Wick: Chapter 4 hits theaters on March 24. 

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