John Wick Chapter 4. De-constructed.

A short screenplay makes for a superior movie watching experience. So they say. At 169 minutes, John Wick Chapter 4 is not only the longest of them John Wick movies, it's also very long for an action film in general. That being said, when the movie plays, the 169 minutes fly into thin air along with relentless bangs and exhilarating thuds.

As a devout Keanu Reeves and John Wick fan, I went to the theatre not expecting to experience anything I had not with the earlier John Wick films. And yet, I was blown away to bits. JW4 starts where JW3 ends and there is no surprise in terms of what happens next. John Wick has angered the High Table and everybody under the sky is out to get him and he is out there to kill anybody and everybody that tries. How creative can this simple plot get? Apparently, insanely creative! Chad Stahelski and his writers have created a true blue action masterpiece. It is loaded with everything an action aficionado would want in a movie.

To put it simply, JWCH4 shows us creative ways to kill. Using pistols. And Blades. And canes. And Nun-chucks. And Swords. Swords and pistols. Canes and Guns. Handcuffs. Hands. Dogs. A Dracarys shotgun with Dragon's breath rounds; literally to shoot fire. And of course, A PENCIL.

The Bowery King (Lawrence Fishburne. Classic) takes Wick in at the end of the 3rd film. Wick is all recuperated and raring to go in the opening scenes of JW4. He is out on a hunt ready to kill anybody working for the table. He is being chased by a wealthy Frenchman appointed by The High Table; Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård. Brilliant) The action moves swiftly from the streets of New York to the deserts of the middle East to the Tokyo branch of The Continental. An interesting sub plot branches out amidst the chaos in Tokyo where John receives help from the gatekeeper friend (Hiroyuki Sanada-Nice small part). Marquis summons Caine (Donnie Yen. Flawless) to finish Wick once and for all as a service to the High Table. Caine is a blind, sword and gun wielding assassin. He is also a good friend to John Wick 4. Their chemistry is crackling. Here after, its a spectacular hour of classic urban hunting. John Wick style.

The casting is spot on and the combination of Donnie Yen, Marko Zaror (Chidi. Marquis' main man) and an unrecognizable Scott Adkins as the obese Killa Harkan (Head of the German branch of the High Table) battling it out with Keanu Wick is an absolute delight. Fireworks all the way. A particular sequence where Wick and Killa go head to head is magnificent. An obese Killa doling out the beatings to Wick with as much ferocity is fun to watch. Scott Adkins has outdone himself in terms of martial arts choreography wearing all that weight around him and still moving the way he did. Jaw dropping.

The action soon moves to Paris where it all comes down to a one on one duel between John and Marquis to settle things once and for all. The duel is John Wick's ticket to freedom. The night leading to the sunrise at the Sacré-Cœur via the Arc de Triomphe forms the bulk of the most exciting part of the movie. A relentless, incredibly wild chase sequence leading to a glorious sunrise is undoubtedly the highlight of the film. Along the runtime, returning central characters, mainly Ian McShane as Winston and Lawrence Fishburne as Bowery King anchor the moments that do not involve action. Ian McShane is brilliant as always. His Suave dialogue delivery and timing builds up the story for battle royale.

Watch out for this part where the action moves indoor and John gets his hands on the Dracarys shotgun loaded with Dragon's breath rounds. One shot. One round of dragon fire. And it rains fire and how. The sequence is beautifully shot using a drone camera which captures John shooting wildly with subsequent small showers of fire. A la Dragon's breath. Truly insane.

John Wick 4 makes other CGI heavy big superhero movies look like little kids in comparison to what it has achieved in terms of pure entertainment. Good old hammer and tongs action, executed efficiently. Poetic carnage. And Keanu, like fine wine, getting smoother and more exquisite with age; with every passing film. He is like water, gliding effortlessly. Making intense choreography look so easy. Like a river. Like a song. All of this with heady rock song mixes for a background score.

It has outdone the previous three films in terms of every aspect; be it the quality and creativity of action set pieces, the interesting mix of characters, the inner working of the High table, the quick shift cinematography and the on screen destruction with practical, real stunts. It does get a little ridiculous at times, with Wick not giving up and undying no matter how big or fatal the fall or blow is. But part of the beauty of John Wick's character is not just him killing on-screen; it's also as much his ability to take the beating no limit and still stand up and go mad again. That aspect has also advanced a great deal with every progressing movie. This film is a fitting homage to the character. Or so we think.

One hell of a ride. Watch it on the biggest screen available.

Yeah!