If action hero extraordinaire Keanu Reeves wonders if a film went too far with the stunts, then it probably did. “John Wick: Chapter 4” is three hours long, which means there’s a hell of a lot of time for Reeves’ hitman to stylishly murder innumerable thugs throughout the runtime. Which, unsurprisingly, resulted in a kill count of around 140 in just the fourth movie alone, leading some, including /Film’s own Witney Seibold, to opine that “John Wick: Chapter 4” is proof that an action movie can have too much action.
But regardless of your thoughts on whether the insane amount of combat and action set-pieces were worth it, there’s no doubt director Chad Stahelski and his stunt team pushed themselves beyond anything they’d done before. The John Wick movies are known for putting the emphasis on meticulously crafted gun-fu combat, but the fourth entry somehow manages to up the ante even more, with a third act that’s almost entirely one long action sequence.
Helping take things up a notch was the commitment of the stunt performers, who throughout the film’s production seemingly threw themselves into all manner of perilous situations in order to get the best footage possible. When they weren’t throwing themselves down giant staircases, they were battling amid massive amounts of water, loud music, and hundreds of dancers during the challenging club fight sequence. But one behind-the-scenes video that made the rounds on social media upon the film’s release seemed to sum up the determination of these fearless performers particularly succinctly. So much so, that Reeves and Stahelski distinctly recall the moment they witnessed it for real.
‘He just did it!’
LionsgateWhen “John Wick: Chapter 4” debuted in March of this year, setting a new franchise box office record, there were plenty of behind-the-scenes clips showing how the impressive stunts and fight scenes were done. But one video in particular seemed to gain more attention than others. The clip in question shows a stunt performer, in full tactical gear, throwing himself down an escalator during the film’s Osaka Continental scene.
And it wasn’t just Twitter users who were stunned by the stuntman’s commitment. For Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves, witnessing the moment for real was a memorable experience. The pair spoke to Buzzfeed, where they recalled the stunt, with Reeves saying, “The stunt guys were amazing. Like, in the Osaka Continental scene, there was this kid who just threw himself down an escalator […] He just did it!”
The actor also confirmed that this was a real escalator, made of “steel” — no fake padded architecture here. Which you might think caused the poor guy in question to hesitate, but according to Stahelski, he was completely up for it from the off. The director went on to say, “Our stunt performer looked at it and we were like, ‘Are you sure?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m sure,’ and then just launched it into. We were like, ‘yeah that was pretty good.'”
Too much of a good thing?
LionsgateChad Stahelski might be aware that his John Wick films are a little goofy in their pulpy, over-the-top way. But the director and former stunt performer has used the series to basically redefine the action genre over the last decade, influencing almost all action movies that have debuted since the first “John Wick” arrived back in 2014. As such, he’s really made the case for stunt choreography and combat design as an art form, which is probably why Stahelski thinks there should be an Oscar for stunts.
But none of the ingenious ideas for action sequences would be possible without the guys willing to play them out on-screen. Stahelski has been lucky to have someone as dedicated to doing their own stunts as Keanu Reeves in the lead role, but he’s also benefited from what are clearly some of the most committed stunt performers in the business.
For me, the first “John Wick” will always be the best, simply because it balanced the action across its comparatively svelte hour-and-41-minute runtime. By the fourth chapter, these outlandish stunts and bombastic fight scenes kind of lose their impact, especially when the film is mostly action and not much else. Which is a shame, because these guys clearly put themselves in harm’s way to deliver the action we see on-screen. Next time a stunt guy throws himself down a real escalator, let’s hope there’s a story worth doing it for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmdiVbmuEys&ab_channel=MrDubs76
