How is it possible after four installments of the John Wick franchise to keep getting better than the last? Maybe it's because the same cast and crew return with higher stakes and more creative ways for one man to fight through an ocean of assassins. All this is true in John Wick: Chapter 4 as the franchise comes to a head, at least for a little while, until Part Five. Keanu Reeves is back and better than ever with a new cast of characters as he battles for survival in the best-looking John Wick to date.
Perhaps what makes John Wick: Chapter 4 so great is its ability to still display new and inventive ways to unmask this world of assassins and stage exciting fight sequences. Whether it be scenes with dogs, knives, swords, guns, horses, or motorcycles, the stunt team, Reeves, and the creatives behind the franchise have always found a way to bring new life into this action world. In John Wick: Chapter 4, there are more than 30 minutes of movie than the longest John Wick film, allowing it to breathe with more character development, world-building, and big set pieces. On the other side of this coin are the action scenes themselves, and they take their cue this time around from The Raid and The Raid 2.
There might not be a ton of scenes where there is an action beat every few minutes, but the fight sequences that come with John Wick: Chapter 4 are expansive and have a long run-time that tells an over-arcing story. Pistols, shotguns, nunchaku, knives, and vehicles of all kinds play a part in the violence of this fourth film. A new, wonderful dog is also in the mix, which has such a fantastic moment that brings everything full circle. New characters also breathe new life into the series with the addition of Bill Skarsgård as the Marquis Vincent de Gramont, who is a member of the High Table who wants nothing more than John Wick to die. He's the most cowardly of all the villains in the franchise so far, which makes him much more nefarious and unlikable with no redeeming quality.
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Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
John Wick Chapter 4 shoots its way to 4K + Blu-ray + Digital Code via Lionsgate. The two discs are housed inside a hard, black plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. The artwork features John Wick's face with the title. Not exactly memorable. There is a digital code inside.
John Wick Chapter 4 comes with an impressive 2160p 4K UHD transfer that makes this best-looking John Wick film picturesque in the most beautiful ways. The Dolby Vision/HDR10 enhances those stylized color palettes throughout each violent sequence.
This particular John Wick film utilizes bright neon lights in those dark rooms and clubs perfectly. Right off the bat, the use of green, red, and purple are used to light up those dark corridors as Wick murders his opponents. From the hotels to the poker club, these colors are vibrant and rich whereas the Dolby Vision upgrades those darker elements. The natural sunsets and sunrises perfect the amber glows of the sun against a cooler blue-ish tint inside those large rooms. Black levels are inky with no evidence of crush or murky shadows. Skin tones are natural as well.
The detail is vivid and sharp throughout, revealing excellent closeups that showcase facial pores, hair stubble, practical makeup effects, and every fur on the amazing puppy. Textures in the suits and metallic guns are fantastic, along with the CGI shotgun blasts that explode on impact. There are no visual issues with this video presentation, making it a demo worthy on any big screen.
This release comes with a fantastic Dolby Atmos track that is as impactful as every punch and gun blast in the film. Those sound effects start right away in the desert with horses galloping and gin shots flying all over the screen. Each gun blast sounds nuanced and well-balanced which flows perfectly from each speaker with an amazing transition. Punches and weapon contact perfect the art of impact with an incredible low end of bass that never crosses into rocky territory. That bass really amps up with the score and song selections that hit every note wonderfully.
The incendiary shotgun blasts not only deliver those bass drops but also allow those fiery embers to fly around the speakers. Surround activity is robust with tons of people talking, screaming, and other guns firing in the background. Natural reverb in the sewers or other large rooms presents a rich immersive quality. The height speakers bring down bullet casings and water drops nicely. The dialogue is clean, clear, and easy to follow as well. This is a pitch-perfect and action-packed Dolby Atmos track that is also demo-worthy with no problems to speak of.
There are about 77 minutes of bonus material found on both the 4K and Blu-ray discs here. All of the interviews and behind-the-scenes extras could have been rolled into one hour-long extra, instead of having to click through multiple sections, but the information and fun that are had in these featurettes are infectious. Maybe on a future Quadrilogy set, there will be audio commentaries and deleted scenes, but for now, these amazing bonus features are so much fun to watch. Not to mention, the exclusive scene from the upcoming series looks wonderful.
John Wick Chapter 4 is an amazing and extraordinary action film that hits all of the right notes and bodies. Its visual style is impeccable, making it the best-looking installment out of the franchise thus far - and of course, Keanu Reeves is brilliant as ever here. The 4K with Dolby Vision image looks incredible and the Dolby Atmos audio mix sounds exquisite. The bonus features are worth watching too. It's a demo-worthy release. Must-Own!
Also Available:
John Wick Chapter 4 - 4K UHD - Walmart Exclusive
John Wick Chapter 4 - 4K UHD - Amazon Exclusive
