Nearly 3-Hour ‘John Wick 4’ Gets Positive Early Reactions

I had heard about Lionsgate Execs being impressed by a “John Wick 4” cut they saw last year, not to mention the highly positive test-screenings the film received and the confident-as-hell official runtime of 2 hours and 49 minutes.

As someone who really liked the first two films but was disappointed by the third chapter, I’m very much looking forward to watching this one on Friday.

That’s right, “John Wick: Chapter 4” has started to screen for press nationwide. Keanu Reeves told Total Film, "John Wick: Chapter 4 has the most action of any of the [John Wick] films, which is saying a lot. And it's more by a good margin. It's a big show."

He wasn’t joking. Here’s what a regional film critic sent me this morning:

This is the ‘Fury Road’ of the ‘John Wick’ franchise. Everything gets elevated. Your jaw drops numerous times. It’s as if the the first three movies built up to this bold crescendo. I was at times reminded of “The Raid” movies, other times it felt like the darkest of neo-noirs. The movie is so good that I didn’t even realize it was 165 minutes until after I left the theater. Watch this in the biggest screen possible.”

You'd think this is hyperbole (which might still be a possibility) — the social media embargo has lifted and the tweets sound even more astounded by the film:

The first film was 101 minutes. The second film ran at 122 minutes, while the third clocked in at 131 minutes. Now, the pattern of "bigger and longer" will continue with this 165 minute behemoth.

Still, I’m actually surprised that “John Wick: Chapter 4” is going be close to three hours long. It’s not the type of movie that usually has this kind of runtime. The films have been lean, without much fat to them. Maybe they’re going for more story and substance with this one?

The film is set to be released on March 24th, 2023. Keanu is back, so are Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick. Director Chad Stahelski is also back in the fray working with a script co-written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch.

Production began on June 28, 2021, in Berlin and Paris, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and wrapped on October 27, 2021. Why the gap between wrap and release?

A fifth chapter has already been greenlit with Reeves saying he’ll keep making “John Wick” movies as long as the franchise stays successful. So he’s basically playing a game of wait-until-one-bombs at the box-office.

Given how successful these films have been, we could potentially end up with 8 or 9 of these. I’m not complaining, since the first two were fantastic and the third one was decent enough. However, a sense of repetitiveness is starting to seep into this franchise, but hopefully Reeves/Stahelski have a fresh and winning formula for ‘Chapter 4.’