It's a crying shame that movies like this will never (or only in extremely rare cases) get selected as potential candidates for an Oscar, because Angela Bettis deserves an Oscar for her role here. The story may come across as a bit predictable, but WOW!....it was played to perfection by Angela and had decent supporting cast, too. Although you feel certain how this is going to end, the conclusion was pure perfection. Honestly, this was a sleeper that has turned out to be one of the best films I've watched in a long time. There were some parts that I wasn't sure really had a "place" in the story - almost seemed to muddy the waters somewhat - but all in all, this was a fantastic "creepy" movie. This girl really had me creeped out through the entire movie. Simultaneously, it kind of tugged at my heart regarding how even slightly different people (all she had was a "lazy eye") are shunned by society. Highly recommend giving this one a watch; it has its "gruesome" moments, but by and large, this is a psychological creepfest that should leave you amazed. I loved it.
I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that the action was the key ingredient in the success of the first John Wick film. Between its sheer volume, its impressive choreography, and the signature gun-fu element, it was just refreshing. Unfortunately, three films later and what was once refreshing has now started to feel awfully familiar. Yes, they try to find some unique angles and creative set pieces, but none of it is enough to avoid the fact that the 1,000th close range headshot on the recently thrown henchman isn't quite as fun as the first. Not to mention, for every new action idea that I enjoyed (top down sequence with fire breath shotgun, sequence in the Arc de Triumph roundabout), there were two more that didn't land (blind Donnie Yen...sorry, just too suspension of disbelief shattering, final stair sequence). All of this isn't to say that the action isn't fun. It still is. But it's no longer enough to carry the film for me.
Which brings us to the second thing people enjoyed in the first John Wick: the world building. In this respect, the franchise pretty much lost me in the third movie (maybe even a bit in the second). It all just feels too goofy and melodramatic for me. There are still small pieces that I enjoyed (the sequence where they use cards to decide the specifics of the duel), but the overall vibe just feels too saturday-morning-cartoon in terms of depth.
All in all, John Wick Chapter 4 should scratch the action itch for fans of the genre, but it no longer sets itself apart and the non-action elements aren't nearly good enough to pick up the slack.
Not sure why everybody is so excited about this movie. The detective part was much weaker than in the first movie, and the rest is just a typical Netflix annoying propaganda.
The detective is gay now, of course. The main villain is a white male, of course. The most brutal guy (Batista) is a sissy mama's boy, of course. And the smartest, bravest, strong and independent hero is a black woman, of course. So tired of this Netflix crap.
Just before you making her a hero in your eyes remember that just for the sake of vengeance she burned the original Mona Lisa painting without any doubt, which one of the most precious art heritage of our civilization.
