With less than 10 days to go for John Wick: Chapter 4’s worldwide release, critics and select audiences with early access have shared the first reviews. The Keanu Reeves-starrer had a surprise premiere at the 2023 South by Southwest Film and TV Festival. Fans, critics, and journalists seemed to have a fairly positive response to the latest installment of Chad Stahelski’s action series.
JOHN WICK – CHAPTER 4: The last hour of this is so incredibly conceived and executed that my jaw basically dropped for the whole thing. Pure cinema. It’s phenomenal.
— Brian Tallerico (@Brian_Tallerico) March 14, 2023
The fourth part is the longest John Wick movie yet with a three-hour runtime. That makes it 40 minutes longer than Parabellum and almost twice as long as the first film in 2014. The new installment features a majority of returning cast members, alongside some exciting additions, especially the villains. All early reviews seem to rave about the massive action set pieces and fight sequences, which are trademarks of the franchise.
First reactions to John Wick 4 at the SXSW premiere
Judging from the early reviews for John Wick: Chapter 4, it’s safe to assume that Baba Yaga is back in spectacular fashion. The franchise has expanded in size over the years and the hype around the new film never seemed to fade away.
IGN has given John Wick: Chapter 4 a 10/10 rating, stating that the film stands above its predecessors and other action blockbusters from the previous decade. Reputed media houses such as The Hollywood Reporter and Variety have praised the film for its conscious overkill action.
Other outlets like Slant and Consequence had less kinder words for it, claiming that it has lost the original essence of the first installment. The movie’s three-hour length also seems to be a major issue for some critics and journalists.
The hype around John Wick: Chapter 4
Keanu Reeves made a surprise appearance at the SXSW screening of the film and appeared in a striking black suit in honor of his character. Fans cheered him throughout with a standing ovation as the beloved star gracefully thanked them all for their support.
Considering the hype and the influx of positive reviews from the premiere, the fourth installment is on its way to have a record-breaking opening weekend. Box office analysts predict the film to have a $60-70 million domestic opening weekend.
The franchise has always been successful in its marketing and promotion. John Wick: Chapter 4 has been marketed internationally as a high-octane action thriller. The trailers and posters have emphasized the intense action sequences and the unique world that the movie is set in.
How did John Wick become a massive action franchise?
The John Wick franchise has become a massive success due to a combination of factors, such as Keanu Reeves’ intensity, the unique world-building, the memorable characters, and the elaborate action sequences.
The franchise has resonated with audiences around the world, and its popularity shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. With the fourth film, it seems that Keanu Reeves’ John Wick will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the action genre.
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