John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) 4K Review

 "I once saw him kill three men in a bar... with a pencil".   While he is only a man, he is more than just a man.  He is a myth...a legend.  "He is the one you call to kill the f&$%king boogeyman".  He is John Wick (Keanu Reeves; The Matrix) and that is how he was described almost ten years ago when the original film, John Wick, debuted in movie theaters. 

Since then there have been 3 more films with the latest sequel premiering a little over two months ago.  John Wick: Chapter 4 continues the saga with John still hiding from the High Table and plotting his revenge.  The latest installment in the franchise has been released for purchase on 4K, Blu-ray, and Digital.

At the end of Chapter 3, we watched as John was shot and fell off the roof of the Continental Hotel in NY.  He was then picked up and brought to the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne; The Matrix).  That is where we find him, training, at the beginning of Chapter 4.  Once well enough, he locates and kills "the Elder", once again angering the High Table who then authorizes the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård; It) to use any and all resources to kill Wick.  

In this movie, we see the usual cast of characters including Wick, Winston (Ian McShane; Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), Bowery King, along with new cast members Skarsgård, Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) as Caine,  Shamier Anderson (Race) as Tracker and newcomer Rina Sawayama in her first film role as Akira.  The additions add a new flavor and, when combined with the returning actors, make a full and savory dish.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is presented in 2160p resolution with a 2.39:1 aspect ratio that highlights the immense picture quality.  Since much of the movie is filmed at night, this format is very helpful to balance the various black tones.  The color palette is muted in general which makes any bit of color really pop off the screen.  Despite the dark tones, the clarity of the picture is amazing and a treat for the eyes.

If you think the video quality is impressive, then the Dolby Atmos audio will blow you away.  Sound effects are incredibly layered giving each fight scene (and there are plenty of them) an incredibly dynamic range of sounds. Dialogue is on the softer side but still clean and let's face it, with a film like this, the dialogue is secondary to the effects.

The combo pack has the 4K disc, Blu-ray disc, and digital download.  The plentiful but short extras are on both the 4K and Blu-ray Discs and include: Chad and Keanu: Through Wick and Thin, Train Like a Killer, Making a Killing, The Psychology of a Killer, The Blind Leading the Fight, Suit Up /Shoot Up, Packing a Punch, One Killer Shot, Killing at the Speed of Traffic, A Shot in the Dark, In Honor of the Dead, Theatrical Trailer 1, Theatrical Trailer 2 and The Continental - First Look.    

At a run time of almost three hours, one needs to be a devoted John Wick/action movie fan to want to sit through it all. Much of the action is well done and bearable thanks to small interludes of dialogue and plot development that keep the movie at a solid pace.  That is until almost the end of the movie and the fighting on the steps.  Some of the fight choreography is a little disjointed making it look fake and the sequence simply goes on way too long.  However, the duel and end make up for the time wasted on the steps.

As a franchise, John Wick offers viewers a lot and does it well.  The 4K release lives up to expectations and is a must for any John Wick fan.

Grade: A-