by Josh Sewell
John Wick: Chapter 4
(Rated R for pervasive strong violence and some language. Opens in theaters on March 24.)
The premise: In this riveting conclusion (for now, at least) to a ruthless killer’s mission of tearing through the criminal underworld searching for revenge, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) finally uncovers a path to defeating the powerful High Table. The global organization controls practically every villain on the planet, so they also have the power to grant Wick his freedom. In order for that to happen, however, he must face off against a new, seemingly untouchable enemy (Bill Skarsgard) who is blackmailing former friends into turning against him.
The verdict: Simply put, John Wick: Chapter 4 might be the best entry in the long, complex saga so far (although I’m still partial to the blunt simplicity of the original) and easily the greatest action flick since Mad Max: Fury Road. I thought Chapter 3 was a bit of a letdown (though still pretty good), so I was concerned when I saw the new installment was almost three hours long.
It turns out my worries were unfounded. Director Chad Stahelski uses that time to connect the series’ sprawling narrative threads, giving Wick a fitting conclusion to his epic journey. From the moment the movie kicks off until the closing credits, it barely gives viewers a chance to catch their breath.
It’s almost nonstop action (with a few slower moments so characters can deliver exposition), all of it choreographed to achieve maximum, jaw-dropping results. It feels weird to describe violence as beautiful, but that’s precisely the case with Chapter 4 – it’s a glorious ballet of death and destruction.
Reeves is phenomenal as always, as are the series’ other familiar faces, including Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne and the late Lance Reddick, who died suddenly last week (the film is dedicated to his memory). But new cast members Skarsgard, Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson and Scott Adkins are equally terrific.
We haven’t seen the last of John Wick (especially since Reeves is scheduled to make an appearance in the upcoming spinoff film Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas), but this feels like a good place to wrap up the story for a while. If nothing else, the cast probably needs a few years’ sleep – they’ve got to be exhausted.
Grade: A-
Boston Strangler
(Rated R for some violent content and language. Now available on Hulu.)
The premise: Loosely based on a true story, reporter Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) becomes the first journalist to realize a series of seemingly random murders have all been committed by the man who would come to be known as the Boston Strangler. As more victims emerge, Loretta continues her investigation alongside fellow reporter Jean Cole (Carrie Coon), but the women find themselves up against the rampant misogyny of the 1960s.
The verdict: For 90 minutes or so, Boston Strangler is a solid investigative thriller, although the most effective elements are clearly influenced by David Fincher’s far superior Zodiac. Knightley is strong in the lead role, adopting a (mostly) convincing American accent and powering through some of the film’s more clichéd elements. Veteran character actors Coon and Chris Cooper are also excellent, but they’re not on screen nearly as much as Knightley, meaning they’re not as successful at overcoming the tropes of their stock characters.
Unfortunately, writer-director Matt Ruskin’s clear love of Zodiac also results in a sharp downturn when Boston Strangler reaches its final act. That’s when the filmmaker deviates from the accurate history of McLaughlin and her investigation, choosing to veer into the world of half-baked conspiracy theories instead. As a result, the air goes out of the movie fast and does a big disservice to the journalist at the center of the narrative.
A quick Google search reveals the film’s timeline doesn’t add up and the real McLaughlin never believed the conclusion her highly fictionalized counterpart reaches. Viewers who are looking for a pure true-crime thriller probably won’t mind, but the creative decision is disappointing for those expecting a more straightforward biopic.
Grade: C+
Moving On
(Rated R for language. Now playing in select theaters.)
The premise: Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, longtime pals and collaborators, star as estranged former classmates who reunite to seek revenge on the shady widower (Malcolm McDowell) of their recently deceased best friend. Along the way, Fonda’s character reunites with a former love (Richard Roundtree) and the women learn to make peace with their traumatic pasts.
The verdict: Moving On is a solid dramedy thanks to the relaxed camaraderie between Fonda and Tomlin, but the film tackles much darker subject matter than the breezy trailer suggests. It’s not a complex story, mainly because writer-director Paul Weitz understands that his stars sharing the screen once again, and obviously enjoying each other’s company, is what makes it worth watching.
At a brisk 85 minutes, Moving On introduces its characters, presents their backstories in realistic ways – rather than monologues full of exposition – and establishes their goals with a speed that viewers with short attention spans will appreciate. That’s probably because the other characters are fairly one-dimensional, especially McDowell’s monstrous villain (the actor leans into it for all he’s worth and might as well be twirling an imaginary mustache) and Roundtree’s endearing love interest.
Grade: B
Home Video Spotlight
The Mask of Zorro
(Rated PG-13 for some intense action and violence. Now available on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD.)
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, this 1998 adventure – which helped cement the superstar status of actors Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones – finally hits 4K. When a power-crazed villain schemes to buy California from Mexico, the legendary masked hero Zorro (Anthony Hopkins) and his chosen successor (Banderas) work to defeat the tyrant’s unscrupulous plan. There are a number of special features spread across the set’s three discs, including 12 deleted scenes; commentary by director Martin Campbell; the behind-the-scenes “Unmasking Zorro” documentary; and a music video featuring Marc Anthony and Tina Arena.
Air Force One
(Rated R for violence. Now available on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD.)
Wolfgang Petersen’s action classic recently hit 4K for the first time, with a previously recorded commentary from the late director, who died last year). Harrison Ford plays the President of the United States, who must take matters into his own hands when Russian terrorists (led by a scenery-chewing Gary Oldman) hijack his plane.
(Rated R for pervasive strong violence and some language. Opens in theaters on March 24.)
The premise: In this riveting conclusion (for now, at least) to a ruthless killer’s mission of tearing through the criminal underworld searching for revenge, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) finally uncovers a path to defeating the powerful High Table. The global organization controls practically every villain on the planet, so they also have the power to grant Wick his freedom. In order for that to happen, however, he must face off against a new, seemingly untouchable enemy (Bill Skarsgard) who is blackmailing former friends into turning against him.
The verdict: Simply put, John Wick: Chapter 4 might be the best entry in the long, complex saga so far (although I’m still partial to the blunt simplicity of the original) and easily the greatest action flick since Mad Max: Fury Road. I thought Chapter 3 was a bit of a letdown (though still pretty good), so I was concerned when I saw the new installment was almost three hours long.
It turns out my worries were unfounded. Director Chad Stahelski uses that time to connect the series’ sprawling narrative threads, giving Wick a fitting conclusion to his epic journey. From the moment the movie kicks off until the closing credits, it barely gives viewers a chance to catch their breath.
It’s almost nonstop action (with a few slower moments so characters can deliver exposition), all of it choreographed to achieve maximum, jaw-dropping results. It feels weird to describe violence as beautiful, but that’s precisely the case with Chapter 4 – it’s a glorious ballet of death and destruction.
Reeves is phenomenal as always, as are the series’ other familiar faces, including Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne and the late Lance Reddick, who died suddenly last week (the film is dedicated to his memory). But new cast members Skarsgard, Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson and Scott Adkins are equally terrific.
We haven’t seen the last of John Wick (especially since Reeves is scheduled to make an appearance in the upcoming spinoff film Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas), but this feels like a good place to wrap up the story for a while. If nothing else, the cast probably needs a few years’ sleep – they’ve got to be exhausted.
Grade: A-
(Rated R for some violent content and language. Now available on Hulu.)
The premise: Loosely based on a true story, reporter Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) becomes the first journalist to realize a series of seemingly random murders have all been committed by the man who would come to be known as the Boston Strangler. As more victims emerge, Loretta continues her investigation alongside fellow reporter Jean Cole (Carrie Coon), but the women find themselves up against the rampant misogyny of the 1960s.
The verdict: For 90 minutes or so, Boston Strangler is a solid investigative thriller, although the most effective elements are clearly influenced by David Fincher’s far superior Zodiac. Knightley is strong in the lead role, adopting a (mostly) convincing American accent and powering through some of the film’s more clichéd elements. Veteran character actors Coon and Chris Cooper are also excellent, but they’re not on screen nearly as much as Knightley, meaning they’re not as successful at overcoming the tropes of their stock characters.
Unfortunately, writer-director Matt Ruskin’s clear love of Zodiac also results in a sharp downturn when Boston Strangler reaches its final act. That’s when the filmmaker deviates from the accurate history of McLaughlin and her investigation, choosing to veer into the world of half-baked conspiracy theories instead. As a result, the air goes out of the movie fast and does a big disservice to the journalist at the center of the narrative.
A quick Google search reveals the film’s timeline doesn’t add up and the real McLaughlin never believed the conclusion her highly fictionalized counterpart reaches. Viewers who are looking for a pure true-crime thriller probably won’t mind, but the creative decision is disappointing for those expecting a more straightforward biopic.
Grade: C+
(Rated R for language. Now playing in select theaters.)
The premise: Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, longtime pals and collaborators, star as estranged former classmates who reunite to seek revenge on the shady widower (Malcolm McDowell) of their recently deceased best friend. Along the way, Fonda’s character reunites with a former love (Richard Roundtree) and the women learn to make peace with their traumatic pasts.
The verdict: Moving On is a solid dramedy thanks to the relaxed camaraderie between Fonda and Tomlin, but the film tackles much darker subject matter than the breezy trailer suggests. It’s not a complex story, mainly because writer-director Paul Weitz understands that his stars sharing the screen once again, and obviously enjoying each other’s company, is what makes it worth watching.
At a brisk 85 minutes, Moving On introduces its characters, presents their backstories in realistic ways – rather than monologues full of exposition – and establishes their goals with a speed that viewers with short attention spans will appreciate. That’s probably because the other characters are fairly one-dimensional, especially McDowell’s monstrous villain (the actor leans into it for all he’s worth and might as well be twirling an imaginary mustache) and Roundtree’s endearing love interest.
Grade: B
Home Video Spotlight
(Rated PG-13 for some intense action and violence. Now available on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD.)
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, this 1998 adventure – which helped cement the superstar status of actors Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones – finally hits 4K. When a power-crazed villain schemes to buy California from Mexico, the legendary masked hero Zorro (Anthony Hopkins) and his chosen successor (Banderas) work to defeat the tyrant’s unscrupulous plan. There are a number of special features spread across the set’s three discs, including 12 deleted scenes; commentary by director Martin Campbell; the behind-the-scenes “Unmasking Zorro” documentary; and a music video featuring Marc Anthony and Tina Arena.
(Rated R for violence. Now available on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD.)
Wolfgang Petersen’s action classic recently hit 4K for the first time, with a previously recorded commentary from the late director, who died last year). Harrison Ford plays the President of the United States, who must take matters into his own hands when Russian terrorists (led by a scenery-chewing Gary Oldman) hijack his plane.
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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