What started off as a taut B-movie revenge action flick has become one of the biggest action franchises today. In 2014’s John Wick, we are introduced to the titular legendary assassin who’s forced out of retirement to kill every person responsible for the death of his dog. Three sequels later, and with an increasing price tag on his head, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has made it his mission to go after the shadowy assassin’s guild known as the High Table and finally earn back his freedom, all the while amassing a body count that could rival wars. John Wick: Chapter 4 is bigger, bolder, and longer thanks to its $100 million budget (a massive bump from its predecessor).

The last time we saw Mr. Wick, he was falling down a building at the end of Chapter 3. Here, the film opens with him punching a padded wooden post in preparation for almost three hours of mayhem and violence he’s about to unleash upon his enemies. Specifically, the High Table; the organization of hitmen who seems to control the world is out for his blood and a senior member, the Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard), is determined to kill Wick once and for all (before he kills them, of course). The Marquis keeps increasing the bounty on Wick’s head and punishes anyone who dares help him. As a result, he declares Winston “excommunicado” and subsequently destroys the New York Continental Hotel for letting Wick escape last time. Now it’s only a matter of who kills who first.

With a screenplay by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, this is the first John Wick film not written by its creator Derek Kolstad, and the plot feels refreshingly straightforward and focused again while raising the stakes and continuously expanding the mythos. Going back full circle to the first film, Wick is motivated by revenge yet again and goes on to do what he does best, which is to dispatch a whole underworld of assassins head on with such lethal ingenuity. It works simply because the John Wick films have always been clear and precise in what it has to offer: well-crafted action choreography that’s almost like dance numbers with perfect rhythm, at the same time also doubling as character development for its cast. There’s no need for a intricate dialogue when a simple, exhausted “Yeah!” from Keanu Reeves gets the audiences pumped up.

The script also takes story out of the franchise’s New York-centric roots and goes around the globe from Osaka to Berlin, then finally to Paris. It’s a globetrotting killing spree that, in addition to the film’s simple objectives, allows the filmmakers to think up of new elaborately staged set pieces in different environments, while still keeping their signature grandiosity. To recount all of them would be impossible as there’s just too many, but a personal favorite of mine is the shootout around Arc de Triomphe. In an impressive sequence of carmageddon, John Wick has to weave around oncoming traffic while fighting off bounty hunters, and it’s climaxed by a perfectly executed drift around his enemies that could very well belong in a Fast & Furious movie. Another memorable one is the nightclub fight with a virtually unrecognizable Scott Adkins who plays Killa Harkan. Fighting against a backdrop of dancing patrons and pouring water, combined with neon lights, makes for a visually striking set piece.

Indeed, what makes the John Wick franchise stand out from other murky, shaky-cam action films is its approach to action filmmaking. Director Chad Stahelski and cinematographer Dan Laustsen, both collaborating for three movies now, love filming the actors in wide shots and long takes so audiences could clearly follow and appreciate the choreography. Not to mention the stunning lighting used by Laustsen that gives these films their own distinguished aesthetic.

In Wick’s travels, he is pursued by newcomer Shamier Anderson, playing a freelance bounty hunter called Mr. Nobody looking for a hefty payday. But perhaps the best addition to the cast is the blind assassin Caine, played by a scene stealing Donnie Yen. He’s a parallel of Wick, a long-time friend drawn back into the game only because the High Table would kill his daughter. He’s a funny character, while also portraying a reluctance in having to kill an old friend. Yen delivers a veil of sadness and emotional weight in Caine that shines through in scenes opposite of the stoic Reeves.

While Keanu Reeves has gone on record that he’ll continue playing John Wick as long as people want to see it, the end of John Wick: Chapter 4 brings a sense of finality to our titular hero’s story, while still leaving room for any studio mandated sequels and spin-offs. They have introduced enough characters like Akira (Rina Sawayama, making a strong film debut) to keep the wheels of the Wick universe spinning. If this is really where the it ends, then they certainly are going out with a bang. And I’m glad to have borne witness to one of the greatest action franchises unfold. It’s been a pleasure, Mr. Wick.

Rating: ★★★★☆