John Wick: Chapter 4broughttheJohn Wickfranchiseto new heights, but there is one record it broke that the franchise should not try to top. Starting withthe originalJohn Wickin 2014, an action franchise was unexpectedly born, serving as a comeback of sorts for iconic action movie actor Keanu Reeves.
While each installment ofJohn Wickmovies was met with critical and financial success,John Wick 4was a massive hit. The movie earned the best reviews, with 94% onRotten Tomatoes, while also becoming its highest-grossing entry, with $447.1 million (viaBox Office Mojo). However, it also completed a trend of the sequels that has gone too far.
Each John Wick Movie Has Been Longer Than The Last
The Franchise Went From Short Action Movies To Three-Hour Epics
Looking back at the originalJohn Wick, it is surprising how big the franchise got after that. Not only did the budgets grow, but themythology of theJohn Wickuniversewas expanded on more and more, creating more epic sequels. This led to atrend in which each of theJohn Wickmovies was longer than the last.
101 minutes
122 minutes
131 minutes
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
169 minutes
Highlighting the growth the franchise made over nine years,the firstJohn Wickmoviewas 101 minutes, while the fourth movie was more than an hour longer at 169 minutes. While the latest spinoff in theJohn Wickuniverse,Ballerina, was 125 minutes long, it brings up the question of how long theupcomingJohn Wick 5will be.
John Wick: Chapter 4 Was Arguably TOO Long
John Wick 4 Was Nearly Three Hours
As much asJohn Wick 4has been praised by critics and fans, the extensive runtime of the movie is perhaps one of its few flaws. To be fair, the film was ramping up to conclude theJohn Wickstory thus far. As a result, it makes sense that there was a rather big story to tell.
Certainly, when it comes to the action sequences inJohn Wick 4, none of them drag in the slightest. However, it is the moments in between that pad the runtime unnecessarily.
The audience also needed to spend time with John to build to that emotionalJohn Wick 4endingthat felt like a nice cap to the entire franchise. Certainly, when it comes tothe action sequences inJohn Wick 4, none of them drag in the slightest. However, it is the moments in between that pad the runtime unnecessarily.
The overall experience ofJohn Wick 4is thrilling, but at nearly three hours long, it is harder to revisit than the franchise’s other movies. The runtime was also easier to accept when it seemed as though this could bethe finalJohn Wickmovie. With the franchise continuing, it may still feel earned, but not as necessary.
John Wick 5 Would Benefit From A Shorter Runtime
John Wick’s Return Can Bring Down The Franchise’s Scale
The trend of all the mainJohn Wickmovies up to this point would suggest thatJohn Wick 5would clock in at over three hours. While it is certainly possible the franchise is going for an epic return for Keanu Reeves' character, the fifth movie should be a shorter sequel, for the sake of the audience and the story.
Even withJohn Wicksurviving, he finally beat the High Table, and that storyline can be closed. The world ofJohn Wickis so rich in detail that there are plenty of other corners to explore.The movies have also done a wonderful job building this mythology, and we don’t need as much explanation.
John can have an intense and action-packed adventure without having to build on what has come before.Ballerinaproved that smaller stories in this world work fine so long as they deliver on the same action.John Wick 4may have been a true action epic, but it’s okay to dial things back now.
