John Wick: Chapter 4
Everyone has been praising the action scenes and the aesthetic of violence in John Wick 4, and rightly so. I remember when I watched Chapter 2; the scenes of headshots and slashing made the girls nearby gasp in excitement. What I appreciate most about Chapter 4 is that every frame is dreamlike, filled with cyberpunk elements, neon lights, and a blend of ancient architectural art... It creates a new realm of beauty~ The visuals remind me of comic adaptations and video games, with exquisite layouts and character designs that captivate the audience~
These aspects are probably well understood by everyone, and many have discussed them already. I won’t continue praising these elements here, so those who enjoy them can skip ahead XD
What about the plot? What about character design? Many say the plot isn't important, but I think it is, especially character design... Let's talk about character design~
From the beginning, when John Wick's dog is killed and his car is taken, he takes down the entire mob. Due to its popularity, a sequel was made, expanding the universe. In Chapter 2, he is forced to accept a mission due to breaking the rules, then has to take down his employer and again breaks the rules of a continental hotel. He becomes the target of a full-scale manhunt by the organization, so he seeks help from the elders and accepts another mission, then disregards the mission for the sake of a friend, once again taking down a horde of assassins...
From protecting the belongings of his beloved, he shifts to seeking personal freedom, not wanting to be an assassin, yet he continuously gets entangled in the life (yes, he actually doesn’t want to take missions as a killer). One captivating element in John Wick's character design is that he appears to be a compliant assassin on the surface, but internally he holds more important principles. When his inner conflict arises, he follows his gut instinct despite the consequences, thus violating the codes of conduct and frequently taking on large organizations single-handedly~
This personality or fate is so fascinating; it feels like he is cursed with a destiny akin to a lone star, often helplessly getting caught up in disputes, drastically breaking down old systems and doctrines. This is what attracts me most, yet I feel that Chapter 4 lacks in this regard. How can the protagonist be subdued by the rules? Can he simply accept the system? And how can that high table that manipulates everything not be taken down by the protagonist? In the world, both ancient and modern, only the protagonist can achieve that, right? This evokes a sense of an unfinished level, perhaps... looking forward to Chapter 5~ (I hope that overly arrogant bounty organization gets taken down; that would be so satisfying)(I've already experienced street brawls in Chapter 2, though Chapter 4 has taken it to a new height)
Chapter 4 also gives a feeling of running through scenes; I wonder if it's because a lot of story segments were cut, such as the Japan segment, which is visually stunning (I love it) but seems to have little impact on the story. I still don't know what the protagonist is doing in Japan? What's the purpose? It wasn't explained? And it turned everyone involved into a crying mess...(although the cyber feel presented in this scene is absolutely brilliant)
The hotel front desk in Japan is stunning
The blind assassin can gunfight like Star Wars
The Dragon Dagger increases both attack and defense
The gold-toothed fat man is like a golden tyrant
The little twist with the black character wasn't surprising enough
The marquis's expressions are highly theatrical
The visuals are beautiful and cyber
An excellent aesthetic of violence
The continental hotel is reopening
The level is not yet complete
Looking forward to John Wick 5
