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John Wick: Chapter 4 First Reactions: Pure Adrenaline, Full of Insane Set Pieces and Great Characters

Journalists on social media say Keanu Reeves is as good as ever, director Chad Stahelski takes the action to another level, and Donnie Yen is a scene-stealer.

by Christopher Campbell | March 6, 2023 | Comments

The action continues in John Wick: Chapter 4, as Keanu Reeves’ titular hitman faces new enemies among the High Table elite. Does the sequel maintain the thrill of the franchise, or is the series starting to feel stale? Reactions from the London premiere and the first critics to see the movie have made their way onto social media, and the buzz is very good. John Wick isn’t slowing down, and neither are his movies. In fact, they seem to be getting even bigger and better.

Here’s what critics are saying about John Wick: Chapter 4:

How does it compare to the franchise?

John Wick: Chapter 4 is everything you expect from a John Wick movie.
– Sean Mulvihill, Mulviews

Chapters 1-3 world-built [so] Chapter 4 could run with all of it. An epic big screen blast. CINEMA!
– Brandon Davis, ComicBook.com

I get a kick out of how the franchise continues to find creative ways to turn mundane objects into deadly weapons.
– Kirsten Acuna, Insider

A soaring, searing, scorching chapter in the saga.
– Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

John Wick: Chapter 4 continues with the visceral and brutal action. We finally get the conclusion to the story.
– John Nguyen, Nerd Reactor

Kean Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

(Photo by ©Lionsgate)

Is it going to be hard to top this year?

John Wick: Chapter 4 is, at least from a technical POV, one of the greatest Hollywood action movies ever made… It’s a towering artistic achievement.
– Scott Mendelson, The Wrap

John Wick: Chapter 4 is the best movie I’ve seen in ages!
– Vanessa Armstrong, Slashfilm

John Wick: Chapter 4 is action cinema at its finest.
– Simon Thompson, The Playlist

John Wick: Chapter 4 is an action-packed, bloody, kill-fest, and that’s what makes it good!
– Therese Lacson, Collider

The wildest time you’ll have at the movies this year. A pure adrenaline rush.
– Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

John Wick: Chapter 4 is a really great time at theaters. This is what we head out to the movies to see.
– Kirsten Acuna, Insider

Did director Chad Stahelski add anything new?

Chad Stahelski also upped his game and dropped one of my favorite action scenes, ever. You’ll know it.
– Brandon Davis, ComicBook.com

Lots of surprises in this one that’s going to deliver a divisive ending.
– Kirsten Acuna, Insider

(Photo by ©Lionsgate)

How is the action?

Stunning.
– Brandon Davis, ComicBook.com

It’s visually gorgeous with stunningly complicated and creative setpieces. I honestly don’t know how they safely did some of these scenes.
– Scott Mendelson, The Wrap

It’s like a Greek epic that’s, yes, full of unparalleled action (and guns), and the set pieces are phenomenal.
– Vanessa Armstrong, Slashfilm

It’s an epic with smart pacing that never lets the action feel exhausting, and the set pieces are phenomenal.
– Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend

This breathtaking, bloody and ballistic ballet delivers a bone-crunching crescendo to one of the greatest action franchises of all time.
– Simon Thompson, The Playlist

I normally don’t love so much action in my movies but Stahelski makes every frame count.
– Therese Lacson, Collider

There’s one action sequence I kept thinking about long after the film ended that’s SO well made. Wanted to rewind and rewatch it instantly. Definitely going to be a fan-favorite. A few of the action sequences in this one will make fans really happy.
– Kirsten Acuna, Insider

The film brings the action to a higher level with armored ninja, fiery weapons, epic one-shot scenes, and more.
– John Nguyen, Nerd Reactor

Laurence Fishburne, Keanu Reeves, and Ian McShane in John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

(Photo by ©Lionsgate)

But is there more to it than just that?

It’s also about relationships and love. What a breathtaking, heartrending story!
– Vanessa Armstrong, Slashfilm

Brawny, bold, and badass, John Wick: Chapter 4 brilliantly balances vested stakes with an absolutely spectacular, high octane thrill ride.
– Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

How’s the length of the movie?

I had reservations about John Wick: Chapter 4′s nearly three hour runtime, but the movie earns it.
– Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend

Pure power, John Wick: Chapter 4 is as exhilarating as it is exhausting.
– Simon Thompson, The Playlist

John Wick: Chapter 4 absolutely rocks, start to finish.
– Brandon Davis, ComicBook.com

For better and worse the action almost never stops in John Wick: Chapter 4. Moment to moment fight choreography is as thrilling as ever but the set-pieces don’t have enough variety to sustain their jumbo size.
– Jordan Farley, Total Film

It may be a little too long.
– Sean Mulvihill, Mulviews

(Photo by ©Lionsgate)

Does it get a bit too ridiculous?

Yes, it’s ridiculous. Yes, it’s video game logic. Yes, it’s extra as hell.
– Therese Lacson, Collider

At times, John Wick: Chapter 4 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.
– Kirsten Acuna, Insider

Wick’s Looney Tunes pratfalls stretch credulity, even in a world this heightened.
– Jordan Farley, Total Film

Does Keanu still have what it takes?

Reeves’ Wick transcends icon status.
– Simon Thompson, The Playlist

Keanu Reeves finds new ways to impress.
– Brandon Davis, ComicBook.com

Donnie Yen in John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

(Photo by ©Lionsgate)

What about the supporting cast?

Great cast of series newcomers, but Donnie Yen is the MVP.
– Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend

Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rina Sawayama are all scene stealers. Each has so much style, charisma, and talent on display to enrich the film as a whole.
– Brandon Davis, ComicBook.com

Donnie Yen and Scott Adkins are amazing.
– Sean Mulvihill, Mulviews

Donnie Yen is an INCREDIBLE addition to the franchise. He’s a highlight of the film.
– Kirsten Acuna, Insider

Donnie Yen is definitely icing on the cake.
– John Nguyen, Nerd Reactor

I’m thinking long and hard about Rina Sawayama’s character and how she’s going to need her own sequel because she was my favorite!!
– Therese Lacson, Collider