In 2014, “John Wick” was something of a revelation. The balletic action film, directed by future “Deadpool 2” director David Leitch and “The Matrix Reloaded” stunt coordinator Chad Stahelski, was a breath of fresh air. Its robust worldbuilding makes the film feel almost like a comic book movie with no comic book to adapt from.
But when Leitch stepped away from “John Wick Chapter 2,” leaving Stahelski as the sole director, the balance shifted slightly. The worldbuilding got deeper, and it retained that distinctive feeling of an adapted work with no source. But the comic book energy began to give way to another clear stylistic inspiration: action video games.
“John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum” continued this trend, but with the recently-released “John Wick Chapter 4,” the series has become almost indistinguishable from an especially good video game.
In structure, the “John Wick” films have always been particularly gamey. The eponymous assassin is faced with hordes of disposable enemies who need to be taken down, and these set pieces tend to increase in difficulty as the film continues. John Wick figuratively “levels up” every so often, stopping in at various NPC shops to pick up new gear.
In its fourth entry, the franchise has taken things to a new level. The explosive set pieces, already evocative of beat-’em-up levels, are now punctuated by minibosses. As Wick takes down enemies, he snatches their ammo off their corpses like a haggard Leon Kennedy.
One sequence, which sees the camera hover above the action from an overtop perspective as characters kick down doors and fire shotguns, looks straight out of “Hotline Miami.” Stahelski himself admits that the scene was pulled from a game, although he cites 2019 indie game “The Hong Kong Massacre” as his chief inspiration.
Stahelski hasn’t been quiet about his enthusiasm for action games. He’s currently slated to adapt Sucker Punch’s 2020 open-world game “Ghost of Tsushima” for Sony, and he’s been vocal about his enjoyment of the game. It’s no surprise that the director would let some of his passion for the medium seep into his work.
Action games run through the veins of both the character and franchise John Wick. “Chapter 4” takes that DNA to its logical conclusion and it’s all the better for it. The language of video games has a particularly visceral nature that lends itself perfectly to an action film structure.
Stark delineation between set pieces, camera work that’s designed to be ultra-legible and a main character who can take down any obstacle gives “John Wick” its identity. These concepts, when taken to their extreme, offer up an experience that’s distinctly great because it feels like a game.
Sorrel Kerr-Jung is a sophomore studying virtual reality game development at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Sorrel by tweeting her at @sorrelkj.
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