John Wick: Chapter 4 Is A Must See For Action Fans

     

      When one looks at modern action movie franchises, none have blown audiences away more than that of the John Wick franchise. Released in 2014, the original film ended up becoming a sleeper hit which saw its audience grow significantly with each new installment impressing both in terms of delivering outstanding action set-pieces, along with expanding its story regarding an ex- professional assassin avenging the murder of his dog. With the series newest installment, John Wick: Chapter 4 delivers high-octane action that amounts to being a stunning cinematic experience. 

      Continuing from the events of Chapter 3: Parabellum, Chapter 4 of the John Wick saga finds the legendary hitman taking his fight against the High Table global with locations spanning from New York to Paris and Berlin as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld. For longtime fans of the series, John Wick: Chapter 4 is everything that fans want it to be and maintains the franchises remarkable consistency in regards to each sequel outgunning the previous effort. With the level of commitment put forth by the filmmaking team as well as Reeves himself, the newest sequel delivers pure excitement while potentially providing closure to a remarkable 9 year saga.

      When it comes to performances, the cast is on top form with Keanu Reeves killing it once again as  Wick. If the series has proved anything, it's that Reeves was never really a bad actor to begin with and gives full devotion in playing his character. Donnie Yen is equally electrifying as Caine, a blind High Table assassin and old friend of John Wick whose forced into hunting him in order to protect his own family from the High Table. Yen steals the show both with his acting and set of impressive martial arts combat skills. Joining the Wick ensemble is Bill Skarsgard as the powerful antagonist Marquis Vincent de Gramont, whose position at the High Table is directly challenged by John Wick. Skarsgard is really good here and sells the notion that the stakes are at an all time high here. Ian McShane is pure class once again as New York Continental Hotel manager Winston, whose allied with Wick. The same can be said for Laurence Fishburne as former underground crime boss, the Bowery King who was left for dead by the High Table and now sponsors John Wick. Rounding out the films killer cast is Hiroyiki Sanada as Wick's old friend and manager of the Osaka Continental Hotel, Shimazu Koji, with Shamier Anderson as the bounty hunter pursuing Wick named Mr. Nobody, the late Lance Reddick as the concierge of the Continental Hotel in New York, Charon, Rina Sawayama as Jojo's daughter Akira, and Scott Adkins as head of the German table, Killa Harkan, who later becomes allied with Wick.

     Returning to the director chair is Chad Stahelski who previously helmed the second and third entries. Like those films, Stahelski crafts some truly phenomenal action set-pieces. In terms of violence, chapter 4 delivers action that's extreme and ridiculously over-the-top with everything from typical shootouts resulting in a high body count being shown to masterfully choreographed fight scenes involving killer martial arts skills, the use of bow and arrows, swords, and the inclusion of outrageous car chases. For the series fans, chapter 4 delivers a buffet of different varieties of action that's ever been shown before in the series along with some truly incredible sequences including one involving Wick fighting to get to the top of steps that's both thrilling and draws comparisons to Bruce Lee's Game Of Death in which his character ends up battling a new foe the higher he climbs up the stairs to the next floor. With the cinematography, Wick's newest sequel is gorgeously-filmed and looks incredible on the big screen. At nearly three hours, Wick makes maximum use of its 170 minute length with delivering exciting action and an immersive story that makes the running time move briskly. While his work on the series thus far has been commendable, Stahelski outdoes himself once again and delivers a sweeping action epic that's both visually striking and unforgettable.

      As far as story goes, Chapter 4 feels like a natural progression for the main characters journey along with providing what could be a plausible finish to his character arc. A key theme explored is revenge with Wick's character wanting freedom from the criminal underworld he worked under. The script does a fine job of building on the original films plot while further developing the criminal organization that Wick once answered to. Friendship and common enemies are other themes at play here as Wick is shown to have many friends across the globe, along with acquaintances he can partner with in order to defeat a common enemy. What the script does well is show the power of the High Table, as well as the fear it installs with characters such as Donnie Yen's being conflicted with not wanting to go against the organization in order to protect his family, while realizing that his opponent is John Wick. The story works well as being a continuation of the events of Parabellum with Wick further dealing with the effects of being excommunicado, and having a $14 million bounty on his head as the world basically hunts for him. If all the previous John Wick films we're building up to an explosive climax then Chapter 4 is the big emotional payoff that fans have waited nearly four years to see after the events of Parabellum.

      Overall, those who adored the first three John Wick films are going to be blown away by the fourth one. Everything from the action to the story and performances are so well-executed and near flawless, that it can almost be forgiven how Wick's character develops cartoonish healing powers after sustaining heavy injuries including falling off a five story building. Besides that minor fault, John Wick: Chapter 4 delivers a worthy follow-up that's explosive, epic, and hugely satisfying.

Final Verdict: A Must See.

Images Courtesy Of Warner Brothers

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods: A Fun Sequel That Maintains The Originals Heart & Humor

      

      When audiences think of the film Shazam, they generally view it as being one of the DCEU's (DC Extended Universe) few bright spots with the rest being viewed as being one giant convoluted mess. Not only was the characters first comic book outing exciting, but it carried a perfect balance of humor and heart that was lacking in many DC films. With Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, the titular character returns to the big screen in an thoroughly enjoyable follow-up to its breakout predecessor.

      Continuing from where the previous Shazam left off, the sequel has Billy Batson and his fellow foster siblings still learning to balance their teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. Their powers soon become tested when a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them prior, prompting Shazam and his allies to defend not just their superpowers, but also their lives, and the fate of mankind. In terms of scope, Shazam 2 definitely feels bigger than the first film while maintaining much of its spirit and charm. Although the original Shazam was low-stake, its plot provided a juvenile feel that essentially felt like a cross between Tom Hanks BIG and a goofier version of Superman. While not as well-focused and personal as the first, Fury Of The Gods still works as being a worthy follow-up that's hilarious, exciting, and heartfelt.

      As far as performances go, Shazam's extremely talented cast demonstrate complete devotion to the franchise with everyone playing their parts to a T. Zachary Levi nails it again as Shazam with him brilliantly playing a young boy, who magically finds himself in a Superman body with him fully realizing the responsibility that comes with it. Asher Angel impresses with complimenting Levi's work as a young good-hearted Billy Batson, whose willing to do whatever it takes to protect his family along with the rest of mankind. Other noteworthy works include Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody as Billy's physically disabled foster brother, Freddy,  with Grazer portraying his regular form while Brody portrays his adult superhero version. Rachel Zegler shines as Anthea, the youngest daughter of Atlas whose misguided though good-hearted. Both Grace Caroline Curry and Ross Butler do well as Billy's mature and academically-driven older foster sister Mary with Butler and Ian Chen playing the superhero and young versions of Billy's younger foster brother Eugene. Rounding out Shazam's cast is D.J. Cotrona and Megan Good as Billy's openly LGBT brother Pedro and younger foster sister Darla. Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, and Djimon Hounsou command the screen while adding to the films already appealing cast as the middle and oldest daughters of Atlas with Hounsou playing the last surviving member of the Council of Wizards, who bestowed his powers on Billy Batson.

      Returning to the directors chair is original  Shazam director David F. Sandberg with him being given more creative freedom this time around. With the sequel, Sandberg aims to recapture much of the originals juvenile feel while raising the stakes with the sequels level of action. The latter is presented in comic book-style form which includes mass amounts of property being destroyed, monsters running amok including a terrifying dragon, and intense imagery including gods transforming humans into zombie-type creatures as a form of enslavement. In terms of pacing, Shazam 2's story is kept fast-paced but never to the point where character and plot development takes a backseat to the action. The music by Christophe Beck who composed the first, is effective in driving the stories mystical feel while clearly being inspired by other classic superhero films of the genre like Richard Dinner's Superman. The tone of the music appropriately fits the films free-spirited tone while enchanting the level of excitement that audiences feel given that it's a story which revolves around gods and monsters. Like the previous Shazam, the costume design remains stellar once again with Sandberg doing a fine job of bringing what's undeniably a more bright and colorful version of the DCEU to life. 

      The key message that Shazam 2 drives home is that everyone has the power of a hero inside of them as evidenced by Billy's will to do good. Courage, bravery, compassion, and teamwork are themes that are heavily prevalent in the films script with the latter realizing what must be done in order to protect his family as well as humanity. The script juggles numerous subplots ranging from Billy trying to keep his siblings motivated with being superheroes as they try to balance their normal lives. The writing does much to emphasize the positive impact of having a strong family foundation, whether its biological or foster. The script also contains fun pop culture references including Shazam's character poking fun at Fast And Furious' tagline regarding family. When it comes to the films main trio of female villains, the Greek goddesses Anthea, Hespera, and Kalypso are well-fleshed out and carry a strong presence throughout the story with their motives and allegiances ultimately becoming tested. What Shazam's sequel does that connects both stories together so well is how its writing stays true to the things that audiences loved about the first Shazam, while showing Billy's growth as a superhero along with the rest of his family.

       Despite its positives, it would be a bit misleading to say that the sequels storyline is as strong as the originals. The story doesn't quite remain as well-focused as the film sometimes struggles with juggling multiple character and story arcs in addition to placing a slanted focus on Shazam this time around rather than young Billy,  which was the heart of the originals plot. Where the sequel lacks in its predecessors skillfulness, it makes up for in retaining much of the previous films magic while expanding the stories scope. It helps that its main star and cast remain as equally committed in playing their parts with Levi's charismatic performance making Shazam! Fury Of The Gods a worthy, if not flawed, sequel. 

Final Verdict: Worth watching if you're a comic book fan, just don't expect it to be as good as the first Shazam. Expect surprise cameos.

Images Courtesy Of Warner Brothers Discovery

Creed lll Delivers A Knockout Punch

      

      When it comes to sequel trilogies, none has managed to consistently maintain their quality like the Creed series. Beginning in 2015 as a spin-off of the popular Rocky franchise, Creed proved hugely successful in handling the previous series torch while building its own legacy with the new trilogy focusing on Apollo Creed's son Adonis with Rocky Balboa repositioned as his trainer. With the first two Creed films being top-notch in regards to quality, Creed lll rounds what could easily be described as being an exceptional trilogy that keeps the Rocky brand going strong.

      Continuing from where Creed ll left off, Creed lll has Adonis Creed now being hugely successful both in his career and family life. However, his title as a Heavyweight Champion becomes tested when an old friend and boxing prodigy returns from the past which ultimately sparks a face-off for the main boxing title. Creed lll's plot is one that remains remarkably faithful to the series while further advancing Adonis Creed's journey. With Michael B. Jordan's punchy direction and a story that feels deeply personal, Creed lll possesses all of the key ingredients that made the first two Creed's, as well as the Rocky series so endearing to audiences. 

     Much of Creed lll's power as an exhilarating boxing drama can largely be attributed to the strong performances of its cast. Both Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors command the screen with both demonstrating remarkable range as actors while driving the story. Jordan plays a more business-driven Adonis, whose really coming into his own here with the audience seeing shades of Apollo's personality in him. Majors is riveting as Adonis childhood friend Damien Anderson with him masterfully showing his characters jealously towards the life that Adonis currently lives as the world's heavyweight champion. His characters fighting style is fierce, brutal, and literally makes Rocky lll's Clubber Lang look like a Bunny Rabbit. Tessa Thompson continues to shine as Adonis wife, Bianca with her character finding herself stuck in the middle of a rift between Adonis and Damien. Mila Davis-Kent impressed here as Adonis and Bianca's deaf young daughter Amara Creed with her character shown to communicate with her parents through sign language. Other noteworthy performances from the cast include Wood Harris as Adonis trainer Tony "Little Duke" Evers, whose the son of Rocky and Apollo's previous trainer Duke, Florian Munteanu reprising his role as Viktor Drago, Physician Rashad as Adonis mother, Mary Anne Creed, Jose Benavidez Jr. as Felix Chavez, and Selenis Leyva as Laura Chavez.

With taking the directors chair for the first time, Michael B. Jordan impresses with his ability to craft a tightly-paced boxing story. Filming with the use of IMAX cameras this time around, Jordan presents the films boxing scenes as being larger-than-life with them having a clear anime influence (Which can be attributed to the fact that Jordan himself is an avid anime fan, and cited the latter as being a major inspiration behind the films boxing sequences). One sequence in particular that boasts heavy anime influence occurs during the films climactic battle between Adonis and Damien where both characters are transported to an empty stadium during their fight where the crowd disappears with the scenes main focus being between both men. Stylistically speaking, the sequence is visually striking, but can also be a glaring distraction for those who aren't familiar with anime. Despite directing the story with a steady hand and keeping things focused, Jordan's work reveals areas where improvement is encouraged such as the final fight feeling a bit rushed, or the cinematography being too shaky with close-up shots of the actors faces to capture the bits of emotion displayed on their faces. Despite these minor issues, Jordan does a fine directing job and presents a solid first directorial effort that fits right with the previous works of series directors Rian Cooler, and Steven Caple Jr.

      The heart of Creed lll's story is about confronting ones past as evidenced by Adonis reflecting on his own and his friendship with Damien, which ended in tragedy. The first Creed was about Adonis learning the truth regarding who his real parents are and deciding to follow in his dad's footsteps while building his own legacy. Creed ll was about Adonis becoming the heavyweight champion by defeating the son of the man who killed his father in the ring. With Creed lll, the story takes a more personal approach with Adonis realizing that he can't run from his past and must face it. The script gives more backstory to unanswered questions regarding Adonis troubled childhood that was briefly shown in Creed's opening sequence with Creed lll showing teenage Adonis and Damien getting into a situation that resulted in him taking the fall for Adonis with the latter running away and not bothering to reach out to him during his entire time in jail. The scenes between Adonis and his daughter are among some of the films quieter and moving moments. The bits where he gives her boxing lessons brilliantly sets up the series potential future as Adonis arc becomes complete. Despite Rocky's character not being present here, his presence is felt throughout the story with his absence finally allowing Adonis as well as the Creed series the opportunity to stand on its own feet and mark its own legacy. Overall, the writing for Creed lll ranks as being strong with longtime Rocky fans being able to spot similarities in the plot to previous films, that operate more as a mirror to the past along with being clever homages.

      While it's the least strong film of the series with  both Creed's being just slightly above it, Creed lll delivers a knockout punch while bringing everything full circle. If the series were to end here, it would do so on a high note with Adonis journey to the Championship being complete. Creed lll is a terrific boxing drama that's pure excitement and all heart. 

Final Verdict: A must see for Rocky and Creed fans.

Images Courtesy Of MGM And Warner Brothers

Scream VI Scares Up The Franchises Best Entry Since Scream 2

      When it comes to popular horror franchises, none have been as consistently good as that of the Scream series. Released in 1996, the original Scream resurrected the horror genre at a time where it was viewed as being virtually dead while simultaneously rewriting the rules of the horror genre. It's legacy spawned a total of five sequels with the latest one, Scream VI, landing in theaters as a follow-up to last year's reboot or to properly categorize it "requel". While Scream 2022 worked as a legacy sequel, it also established a new group of characters who would ultimately move the franchise forward. Thankfully Scream VI continues that trend while delivering tons of thrills and a clever premise, that makes it the series strongest installment since 1997's Scream 2. 

      Picking up a year after the events of Scream 2022, Scream VI has the Woodsboro survivors now relocating to New York City in an attempt at having a fresh start. However, their efforts are soon thwarted when they find themselves battling a new Ghostface killer who embarks on a bloody rampage. Despite its plot elements feeling a bit repetitive at times, the filmmakers are still able to make the overall experience feel fresh again with the switching up of the stories location from Woodsboro to New York City being a cleverly brilliant move that adds to the films level of excitement. Although Scream VI doesn't reinvent the series wheel, it makes an admirable effort to reimagine the series while abiding by the franchises rules and gimmicks. For all intents and purposes, it succeeds in doing so. 

      As well written and directed as Scream VI manages to be, it wouldn't be as effective without the charismatic performances given by its talented cast of rising stars. While the newest ensemble is strong, it's the work that Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega  deliver which ultimately carries the film. Barrera showcases strength once again as the series new final girl, Sam Carpenter, whose the illegitimate daughter of Billy Loomis. Barrera is compelling in showing her characters attempt to move past the Woodsboro murders, but finds herself being targeted by internet conspiracy theorists who foolishly believe she's the mastermind behind the previous murders. Jenna Ortega is equally strong as Sam's half-sister Tara, who desperately wants to move on with her life but finds herself being drawn back to the Woodsboro murders due to her association with Sam. Courtney Cox returns as Gale Weathers and once again demonstrates that she never misses a beat in playing the fame-seeking reporter, who wants to help the new Woodsboro survivors defeat Ghostface. The rest of the cast churn in terrific  performances including Mason Gooding as survivor Chad whose romantically interested in Tara, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Chad's twin sister and survivor Mindy, who conveniently advises the group on the rules of the requel, Jack Champion as Chad's roommate Ethan Landry, Liana Liberato as Sam and Tara's roommate Quinn Bailey, whose also the daughter of detective Wayne Bailey played by Dermot Mulroney.

      Returning to the directors chair are previous Scream directors, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillette who continue to impress with generating solid suspense. The change of the stories setting to New York City is a bold move which increases the films unpredictability, while allowing for some pretty impressive sequences of terror to originate like the films opening scene involving a dark alley, a nailbiting sequence involving characters crawling across a ladder to a nearby building with nothing below them except the ground, or an intense train sequence where the audience is kept at the edge of their seat guessing when Ghostface will pop out. Along with the films level of terror being upped this time around, the same can be said regarding the films level of gore with horror fans getting a full variety of kills here from numerous stabbings, slayings, and blood spurts. The soundtrack by Brian Tyler and Sven Faulconer is effective in increasing the films level of suspense while inserting clever throwbacks to Marco Beltrami's work in the Wes Craven directed Scream films. 

      As far as the story goes, Scream VI feels like a natural progression after the events of Woodsboro with the new survivors attempting to rebuild their lives. What really makes this sequel work is how much development is given towards building up these new characters with their interactions making them a worthy sympathetic group. It's hard  to not find these characters enjoyable nor want them to survive Ghostface despite knowing some will undoubtedly be killed off throughout the story. The sibling relationship between Sam and Tara works as being the heart of the story. Sam's character is given an interesting twist regarding her feelings towards killing the previous Ghostface killers, which sets the stage for an explosive revelation in the third film with Tara taking notice of her sister's questionable behavior through key subtle moments. The identity of Ghostface is kept well hidden up until the films climax with the ultimate reveal being thoroughly shocking. The script throws out numerous Easter Eggs to longtime fans of the series with old faces making surprise returns such as Scream IV survivor Kirby Reed (Played by Hayden Panettiere) who is now a special agent in the Atlanta FBI office, along with the return of legacy survivor Gale Weathers who once again helps unmask the identity of the killer. Despite Neve Campbell's character Sidney Prescott not being present here, the audience doesn't dwell on her absence as the story at hand will undoubtedly keep them busy and wanting more.

      What could've ended up being a horror film series that's dwindling when it comes to quality is essentially pulling a Mission Impossible in terms of the series gradually improving in regards of quality. With some truly creative setpieces, a brilliant change up in scenery, characters whom fans can get behind, and a brutality that's unmatched with previous sequel entries, Scream VI is a rare horror sequel that improves upon its predecessor while scaring up a good time. 

Final Verdict: A must see for fans of the series.

Images Courtesy Of Paramount Pictures