John Wick changed the way movies are made

John Wick: The Movies that Killed a Dog, or Why You Think You Can’t Catch a Piggy: The Case of John Wick

It is unbankable to have a man come out of retirement to avenge a dog’s death. Back when Keanu Reeves first started showing interest in John Wick, a lot of people involved were nervous that killing a puppy was taking things too far. The film went on to prove how popular the premise could be, thanks to directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Also how possible it was to build an entirely new franchise from the ground up.

From the ground up, albeit with spare parts. No one could accuse the Wick franchise of being derivative, but a great deal of its charm comes from its amalgamation of influences. It is a franchise purpose-built for people who like to watch movies late at night. The directors wear their inspiration like merit badges: Bullitt, The Matrix, and South Korean cinema, which helped inspire them to work on all four movies. The Wick movies transformed these elements into an amalgam of underworld intrigue, wonderfully choreographed fight scenes, and tongue-in-cheek knowingness that has made them cable and streaming service mainstays. Click the Guide button from your provider at any hour and you are about as likely to see Reeves shooting people in a black suit as you are to see the gang on Friends.

World-building puts Wick on top of several franchise competitors. Its action scenes could go toe-to-toe with those of, say, a Jason Bourne movie. The high table is where criminal organizations have their own currency, and the assassination of the leader of those organizations is set in a world of the CIA. JohnWick is on a different plane and his world looks very similar to his real one.

The agenda has led to an entirely new canon. There were books that were based on Bourne. John Wick is just based on the fact that people like to watch Keanu Reeves fight and shoot guns and do car chases—and that’s OK. The doors weren’t thrown off at the box office. It made a humble $14 million domestically. But it was beloved amongst certain cinephiles, beloved enough to warrant a sequel. Then another after that, and another after that. John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum made $56 million in North America when it opened. The bounty on John’s head at the end of the third movie almost feels like a nod to the first movie. What is Wick worth?)

This weekend, Chapter 4 is projected to make close to $70 million, an impressive bow in this period after Covid-19 theater closures. There is a movie called Ballerina and a TV show called The Continental that tells the tale of the early days of the hotel.

Success should not be measured in opening weekend totals. But too often those things get spoken of in terms that make it painfully obvious that franchises only exist to be plundered for more money and more fringe properties. Unlike John Wick, which keeps churning out offshoots because fans seem to want and appreciate them. Not bad for a series that was spawned from the death of a dog.

Inflation comes in many forms, including the running-time bloat that can afflict sequels. The 90 or so minutes of the first film in the series, John Wick, has been reduced to 2 hours and 49 minutes in chapter 4, a more-is-less movie that highlights the dazzling stunt work for which the franchise is known.

The death of Lance Reddick on screen was not the reason for the film to carry an emotional resonance. Although he occupies a smallish role, Reddick has a sobering note to his appearance.

The extra length is dedicated to presenting as much inventive chaos as possible, with the taciturn hitman seeking to extricate himself from his ties to the shadowy organization known as The High Table, carving a path away from everyone.

The film does take a step up in class opponent-wise by casting Donnie Yen as Caine, an old friend and associate of Wick’s grudgingly tasked with doing him in and every bit as skilled in the art of killing, and then killing some more. Shamier Anderson also joins the fray as a mysterious mercenary, accompanied by his equally deadly dog, whose motivations remain as hard to penetrate as Wick’s Kevlar suits.

Director Chad Stahelski takes a humor from the over-the- top nature of the carnage, and drags out the violent portions as long as it will wear down resistance. The film again benefits from the quality of actors in the supporting roles, particularly Ian McShane’s world-weary Winston, who as always seems to steal every scene in which he appears.

The problem is that with such a large canvas and so many elaborate action pieces – including an extended fight across the heavily trafficked streets of Paris – Wick can’t help repeating his signature fighting moves over and over and over again (punch, shoot, repeat), until the effect becomes more numbing than thrilling.

The mere fact that the franchise has reached the “Chapter 4” stage underscores the equity associated with the name and Reeves’ affiliation with this sort of muscular vehicle, so heavily tilted toward action that it’s a good thing the star isn’t getting paid by the word.

By the time “Chapter 4” has finished, the line echoes in a manner that feels somewhat more serious than intended.