Short version: my favorite video game movie franchise continues to be the best video game movie franchise, mostly because they’re not actually shackled to the expectations of an actual existing video game.
Slightly longer version: there’s a sequence in the film where we finally find out that the ‘original’ John Wick video game was a top-down isometric shooter, because we got a bird’s-eye view of John clearing an entire level. Of particular interest was when he picked up his first Fiery Shotgun power-up from a dead mook, and then proceeded to trick-shot and angle-fire his way through the board – and then promptly lost it, because the next board required him to go through it twice, on a timer. There was even a cutscene!
…None of this is a criticism of JOHN WICK CHAPTER 4. It would have absolutely sucked if I had played this imaginary game, because there’s no way the movie and the video game would have matched up. But since I have nothing to compare it to, I can just appreciate the balletic action scenes. They might have been able to pare it down, some. Or maybe they should have made two two-hour movies out of it. But It Did Not Suck, and I had a good time watching it.
Saw it with my son. That Smash TV section was, by far, the best portion of the movie.
I also found it to be a bit overlong — perhaps Berlin in its entirety could’ve been excised without noticeable effect?
Also, the car strikes (circle strafing in a muscle car!), bullet-proof Dracula-cape tailored suit stuff, and repeated violations of the bulletproof-ness of the various goons’ armor were all seemingly accepted by the audience I saw it with, but Wick falling three stories onto a Eurovan, smacking a pylon in the dance club, and being kicked down The Stairs were all met by audible “OH COME *ON*”s by a sizable portion.