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To be self-aware is a feat of wonder in this day and age. Even more wondrous is when a movie or TV show knows what it is and, with that understanding, elevates its form. The ‘shoot‘em up’ is not a new thing and even the movie Shoot’Em Up can’t measure up to the juggernaut that is John Wick. If you think this is still about a man and his murdered dog, you’re dead wrong. John Wick: Chapter 4 is trying to do the impossible: to elevate the shoot ’em up genre with a world as rich and dynamic as it is mysterious.
From Blacklisted to Blockbuster in the Black
Let’s keep it really real, the entirety of what John Wick is wouldn’t even have existed if not for Keanu being blacklisted by Fox for not doing a Speed sequel. That path led to smaller roles here and there for close to thirteen years, but really landing a project that brought the same prestige The Matrix did. It’s remarkable to see where the Wick franchise is now, but in order to appreciate it you’ve got to know how it came to be. After being blacklisted, Reeves and the stunt team from The Matrix struck out and started building from scratch.
Chad Stahelski, who has directed each of the four John Wick movies (the first alongside David Leitch), is best known as Keanu’s stunt double since The Matrix and for forming one of the greatest stunt companies in the industry, Smashcut. Between Street Kings, 47 Ronin, and Man of Tai Chi (Reeve’s directorial debut, no less) you get the infrastructure of what makes John Wick. The gritty gunplay, the martial arts drama, the parse dialogue. In reality, the success of this franchise is already written in the hits and misses of movies of this ragtag crew. They had some industry advantages, but Keanu and this creative team essentially made a way out of no way with the first Wick installment and pushed to make a deep cultural impact. And now, the review.
How You do Anything is How You do Everything
John Wick: Chapter 4 has no clever tagline. Visually, it looks like every other entry in the franchise, and it never fails to impress. The high contrast of futuristic neon lights alongside old city architecture is the epitome of the franchise’s aesthetic, and the cinematography is on point. But let’s get it straight out the gate, Keanu says three-hundred and eighty words throughout the film – we ain’t here for Academy award-nominated writing. Chapter 4 goes hard in the paint with the visuals and still manages to up the ante with every entry. Most important to John Wick is the camera work.
From the first moment those Russian goons entered John’s home, we’ve watched Keanu disassemble nameless and faceless henchmen with elaborate holds, submissions, and double taps. All of it happens smoothly and is so well rehearsed that it takes on an efficiency that the series is known for. Pushing the shoot ’em up genre forward takes a lot of moving pieces, to catch those on camera is difficult. Y’all. There are a few one-shot action sequences in Chapter 4 that are literally a ballet of bullets. Certainly, there are some action films that have pointless violence in their choreography. Not here. Toward the end of the movie is an overhead one-take tracking shot that immediately sits as one of the all-time greatest action sequences. Even if it’s stitched together ala Birdman, it’s a brilliant piece of action cinema.
Just Have Fun Out There
Where John Wick: Chapter 4 falls short is the one place where it swings for the fence hardest. Fleshing out the world of the Assassin’s Guild was the gift and the curse. As a mysterious and shadowy organization with undefined rules and a skewed moral compass, the Guild was compelling and gripping. As each movie fleshed that aspect out further, the less compelling it became – it behaves like a pre-baked ‘deus ex machina’ for getting John from point A to point Z. The twists and turns make this world, and its rules, less important which puts more focus on the action scenes to move the plot. Add the sparse dialogue and you get something rare and particular to a few movies: a visual language of violence.
It Was an Honor, My Friend
Keanu Reeves is a machine, no pun intended. At fifty-eight years of age and having started martial arts training at thirty-three, it makes no sense that he’s still going full throttle with this multi-disciplinary fight style. Logic be damned, he’s out here doing it. Not much dialogue on his part but Wick’s broody determination and unstoppable will is in lockstep with Keanu’s, and he brings it.
Ian McShane and Lance Reddick return as the Manager, Winston, and the Concierge, Charon. They each deliver their straight-laced rogues with a heart of gold true to form. We lost Lance Reddick way too soon, both in life and as Charon. Laurence Fishbourne is back once more as the Bowery King and drips with nega-Morpheus gravitas and braggadocio.
Standout performances by Donnie Yen as the blind assassin Caine, which was way more comedic and charismatic than he’s ever been in Western cinema. He steals almost every scene he’s in. Bill Skaarsgard is absolutely stellar as the antagonist, the Marquis, bordering on terrifying. Last and certainly not least is Shamier Anderson’s turn as Tracker, a newcomer to the assassin’s guild. Anderson shines and brings a whole different intensity to the franchise. He looks like someone who can get a franchise of his own, or at least carry on the work of giving The High Table a run for its’ money. It’s good to see a Black actor do their thing in a high-profile movie.
I Know Gun-Fu
In nowhere is the visual language of violence spoken more clearly than in the intentional choices made around the stunt work. John Wick: Chapter 4 is a stuntpersons’ paradise. The levels of diversity in this movie are more representative of the world we live in than many, especially in the action genre. Goons and henchmen galore were cast across the gender and nationality spectrums, which is refreshing as an audience but also so dope for the many people who give a lot for a few seconds onscreen. For real, there’s a giant stuntman in the Osaka Continental fight scene and boy was cooking. It’s rare to see larger-framed people be anything other than punching bags in action movies. At one point, John faces off hand-to-hand with a henchwoman, and they go to work punching each other, another rarity.
On the other hand, fight movie legend Scott Adkins in prosthetics and a fat suit was a strange move, given the amount a big-bodied stunt people in the stunt world. However, it’s a marvel to see Adkins throw kicks, performing as a character with a body most folks don’t believe can move the way he does.
In the same way that The Grey Man is the new standard in spy versus spy espionage, the way Atomic Blonde is the new standard for femme fatale – John Wick is the new standard for shoot ’em ups.
Chapter 4’s ambitious action cinematography elevates the genre, but the plot falls a little short trying to support the larger and more high-profile cast. Despite that, the brilliance of this movie’s action sequences begs the question: why aren’t there a slew of stunt awards handed out during award season? Why isn’t there more recognition and accolades for the performers whose craft and skill can make or break an entire genre? There needs to be a petition to make that happen.
Consequences
John Wick: Chapter 4 benefits by knowing what it is and holding fast to what works. Clean visuals, blistering action, streamlined plot progression, and cutting-edge stuntwork. In an attempt to close out the franchise and flesh out its’ world, it loses out on what made it stand out – being a short and memorable movie. As per usual the movie steps up intensity and sets the stage for a new generation of assassins to carry on John’s noble cause. If Gun-Fu is a thing you’re interested in, you’re going to want to see this movie.
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The post The Ballet of Bullets: ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
To be self-aware is a feat of wonder in this day and age. Even more wondrous is when a movie or TV show knows what it is and, with that understanding, elevates its form. The ‘shoot‘em up’ is not a new thing and even the movie Shoot’Em Up can’t measure up to the juggernaut that is John Wick. If you think this is still about a man and his murdered dog, you’re dead wrong. John Wick: Chapter 4 is trying to do the impossible: to elevate the shoot ’em up genre with a world as rich and dynamic as it is mysterious.
From Blacklisted to Blockbuster in the Black
Let’s keep it really real, the entirety of what John Wick is wouldn’t even have existed if not for Keanu being blacklisted by Fox for not doing a Speed sequel. That path led to smaller roles here and there for close to thirteen years, but really landing a project that brought the same prestige The Matrix did. It’s remarkable to see where the Wick franchise is now, but in order to appreciate it you’ve got to know how it came to be. After being blacklisted, Reeves and the stunt team from The Matrix struck out and started building from scratch.
Chad Stahelski, who has directed each of the four John Wick movies (the first alongside David Leitch), is best known as Keanu’s stunt double since The Matrix and for forming one of the greatest stunt companies in the industry, Smashcut. Between Street Kings, 47 Ronin, and Man of Tai Chi (Reeve’s directorial debut, no less) you get the infrastructure of what makes John Wick. The gritty gunplay, the martial arts drama, the parse dialogue. In reality, the success of this franchise is already written in the hits and misses of movies of this ragtag crew. They had some industry advantages, but Keanu and this creative team essentially made a way out of no way with the first Wick installment and pushed to make a deep cultural impact. And now, the review.
How You do Anything is How You do Everything
John Wick: Chapter 4 has no clever tagline. Visually, it looks like every other entry in the franchise, and it never fails to impress. The high contrast of futuristic neon lights alongside old city architecture is the epitome of the franchise’s aesthetic, and the cinematography is on point. But let’s get it straight out the gate, Keanu says three-hundred and eighty words throughout the film – we ain’t here for Academy award-nominated writing. Chapter 4 goes hard in the paint with the visuals and still manages to up the ante with every entry. Most important to John Wick is the camera work.
From the first moment those Russian goons entered John’s home, we’ve watched Keanu disassemble nameless and faceless henchmen with elaborate holds, submissions, and double taps. All of it happens smoothly and is so well rehearsed that it takes on an efficiency that the series is known for. Pushing the shoot ’em up genre forward takes a lot of moving pieces, to catch those on camera is difficult. Y’all. There are a few one-shot action sequences in Chapter 4 that are literally a ballet of bullets. Certainly, there are some action films that have pointless violence in their choreography. Not here. Toward the end of the movie is an overhead one-take tracking shot that immediately sits as one of the all-time greatest action sequences. Even if it’s stitched together ala Birdman, it’s a brilliant piece of action cinema.
Just Have Fun Out There
Where John Wick: Chapter 4 falls short is the one place where it swings for the fence hardest. Fleshing out the world of the Assassin’s Guild was the gift and the curse. As a mysterious and shadowy organization with undefined rules and a skewed moral compass, the Guild was compelling and gripping. As each movie fleshed that aspect out further, the less compelling it became – it behaves like a pre-baked ‘deus ex machina’ for getting John from point A to point Z. The twists and turns make this world, and its rules, less important which puts more focus on the action scenes to move the plot. Add the sparse dialogue and you get something rare and particular to a few movies: a visual language of violence.
It Was an Honor, My Friend
Keanu Reeves is a machine, no pun intended. At fifty-eight years of age and having started martial arts training at thirty-three, it makes no sense that he’s still going full throttle with this multi-disciplinary fight style. Logic be damned, he’s out here doing it. Not much dialogue on his part but Wick’s broody determination and unstoppable will is in lockstep with Keanu’s, and he brings it.
Ian McShane and Lance Reddick return as the Manager, Winston, and the Concierge, Charon. They each deliver their straight-laced rogues with a heart of gold true to form. We lost Lance Reddick way too soon, both in life and as Charon. Laurence Fishbourne is back once more as the Bowery King and drips with nega-Morpheus gravitas and braggadocio.
Standout performances by Donnie Yen as the blind assassin Caine, which was way more comedic and charismatic than he’s ever been in Western cinema. He steals almost every scene he’s in. Bill Skaarsgard is absolutely stellar as the antagonist, the Marquis, bordering on terrifying. Last and certainly not least is Shamier Anderson’s turn as Tracker, a newcomer to the assassin’s guild. Anderson shines and brings a whole different intensity to the franchise. He looks like someone who can get a franchise of his own, or at least carry on the work of giving The High Table a run for its’ money. It’s good to see a Black actor do their thing in a high-profile movie.
I Know Gun-Fu
In nowhere is the visual language of violence spoken more clearly than in the intentional choices made around the stunt work. John Wick: Chapter 4 is a stuntpersons’ paradise. The levels of diversity in this movie are more representative of the world we live in than many, especially in the action genre. Goons and henchmen galore were cast across the gender and nationality spectrums, which is refreshing as an audience but also so dope for the many people who give a lot for a few seconds onscreen. For real, there’s a giant stuntman in the Osaka Continental fight scene and boy was cooking. It’s rare to see larger-framed people be anything other than punching bags in action movies. At one point, John faces off hand-to-hand with a henchwoman, and they go to work punching each other, another rarity.
On the other hand, fight movie legend Scott Adkins in prosthetics and a fat suit was a strange move, given the amount a big-bodied stunt people in the stunt world. However, it’s a marvel to see Adkins throw kicks, performing as a character with a body most folks don’t believe can move the way he does.
In the same way that The Grey Man is the new standard in spy versus spy espionage, the way Atomic Blonde is the new standard for femme fatale – John Wick is the new standard for shoot ’em ups.
Chapter 4’s ambitious action cinematography elevates the genre, but the plot falls a little short trying to support the larger and more high-profile cast. Despite that, the brilliance of this movie’s action sequences begs the question: why aren’t there a slew of stunt awards handed out during award season? Why isn’t there more recognition and accolades for the performers whose craft and skill can make or break an entire genre? There needs to be a petition to make that happen.
Consequences
John Wick: Chapter 4 benefits by knowing what it is and holding fast to what works. Clean visuals, blistering action, streamlined plot progression, and cutting-edge stuntwork. In an attempt to close out the franchise and flesh out its’ world, it loses out on what made it stand out – being a short and memorable movie. As per usual the movie steps up intensity and sets the stage for a new generation of assassins to carry on John’s noble cause. If Gun-Fu is a thing you’re interested in, you’re going to want to see this movie.
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The post The Ballet of Bullets: ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
I remember being in 2nd grade (1992), my brother was visiting and walked me down to our local Subway for a sandwich. We used to order our hero then play as a hero on the arcade while we waited for our order. That hero was Mario in Super Mario World. A few months later, I wouldn’t have to go outside to see Mario & Luigi. They were in my living room on the Super Nintendo. I remembered how big a difference the game looked compared to its predecessor Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Thirty-one years later, I think the same thing again while watching The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Before I get into this review, let’s give respect to where it’s due. The first Mario Bros. related movie was the 1993 live-action Super Mario Brothers: The Movie. Feel however you want about it. Good or bad, it happened. But thirty years later, Universal Pictures said, “Gentlemen, we can rebuild them. We have the technology… ” and that they freaking did. The Super Mario Bros. Movie does an incredible job of translating the lore from the Super Mario franchise on screen while also knowing when to deviate. The movie is filled with homages, easter eggs, and most importantly a great time for friends and family.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie: Back Again for the First Time
We meet the not yet iconic Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charles Day) as two plumbers in modern day Brooklyn (Buk Buk / Fire Flower SFX x 2) trying to strike it out on their ownn. They put out a very campy (but earnest) commercial for their plumbing business, and we see their old boss Mike laughing in their freaking faces. From jump, we see the courage and love Mario has as he defends his brother from Mike’s insults. It’s established early on that both brothers are underdogs. Mario for his small stature, Luigi for his fear, and both of them for dreaming big.
When the brothers get their first client, we see them navigate through the busy streets of Brooklyn. Mario been out here competing in Red Bull parkour tournaments cause that man can freaking move, while Luigi careful and less gracefully trails behind him. Things get messy with the client which leads to our protagonists feeling down. Their family (aside from their mom) doesn’t do much to help either. A major leak on the news is what gets the events of the movie underway. In trying to fix this leak that threatens to flood Brooklyn, Mario and Luigi get sucked through a warp zone pipe into a whole new world and then separated.
Mario lands in the mushroom kingdom where he befriends Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), while Luigi lands in the territory of the big bad Bowser (Jack Black). It is here where Mario learns of Bowser trying to take over Mushroom Kingdom which means he’s gotta find a way to rescue his brother.
Princess Peach Ain’t in Another Castle She in the Building
I mentioned earlier how things are different from Mario lore we grew up with. The Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) we meet in The Super Mario Bros. Movie ain’t no damsel in distress from the video games. She’s Super Smash Bros. gang gang. Princess Peach got hands like you wouldn’t believe and here she is the one that trains Mario for survival in this world. We see Mario trying to platform in a tester course and coming close to getting it but not quite. As opposed to Peach who grew up in Mushroom Kingdom. Let’s put it this way, if there was an Olympics in Mushroom Kingdom, then Princess Peach is Carl Lewis and Flo Jo. Peach is shown to be a great leader an ambassador for her people.
Through the movie, Princess Peach is really in her Kuvira the Great Uniter bag… just without the fascisism and locking people up. Mario is the main protagonist of this movie, but we see Princess Peach legit getting busy throughout the film. Of course, Mario is going to have his moments of triumph, but I am very happy to see that Princess Peach who is from the mushroom kingdom, was raised in the mushroom kingdom, is portrayed as a strong character that has “Mushroom Kingdom” tatted across the belly (metaphorically) as a leader that rolls up her sleeves and gets to work for her kingdom. This was a great pivot from the lore we know and a liberty for all the right reasons. I mean the absolute same can be said for Bowser as well because looooooooooooooord.
A Villain Ya Luv 2 Luv
I mean Jack Black’s Bowser… What can’t I even say, man?! Bowser doesn’t really speak much (until Mario Sunshine), so it’s not only funny but cool to see Jack Black use his comedic range with this character but also show that even when being funny, Bowser is still a sinister problem. Bowser’s whole motivation for getting a certain item and seeking Peach out for a specific reason may feel like a deviation from the lore, or as if fan theory is coming into play, but Nintendo never truly specified why Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach in the game. The only deviation here is that Bowser isn’t a one note evil villain. I see that as a good thing. Who doesn’t love a villain with range?
If anything, Bowser displays some low key elements of that 80s villain toxic masculinity in a funny way. This Bowser sees Princess Peach as a damsel, gets jealous at her walking round with Mario, believes an item and his show of power will win her over…. all while in a Diddy all white part suit and top hat. You gotta love’em man. I keep focusing on his range but when he sings, when he’s practicing how he will approach Princess Peach, all these humorous things that get dropped at the drop of a (top) hat when Bowser shows folks whose really in charge here.
I love a villain that can switch in an instant between goofy and “I am a whole threat to you.” Bowser is as big and as bad as we remember from video games, and this is a final boss that will beat the plumbing outta ya. This is a villain that is a threat, ain’t no redemption for him (I mean maybe in later movies), and ain’t no qualms about it. Bowser is here to take what he wants, consequences and mustached men be damned.
The Gang is All Here
There are a lot of faves from Super Mario that appear in the movie as well. I ain’t even get into my guy Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen). My primate’s entrance was spectacular, and I’m so happy that he and Mario were beefing on sight. Toad is such a fave cause he is really here and bout that action, and that’s all he’s got to say about that. Oooooh, and how at first, I felt bad for Luigi, but by the end with his own lil arc, I was screaming for the Player 2 / Younger Sibling Gawd! The Easter eggs and homages didn’t feel forced in this movie (to me at least). One of my favorite things was seeing the boxers from Super Punch out as celebs in the Punch Out Pizzeria at the beginning of the movie.
Which brings me to how the background and environment feel like their own character in the movie as well. The way Mario, Peach, Donkey Kong, and Luigi interact with moving around their surroundings is already dope but to then see the camera move out then reposition itself so that the screen becomes a 2-D side scroller? Come on man. Little intricacies like that kept me engaged and also just lemme know when we reached an “it ain’t sweet” moment. Visually, this movie is just amazing and don’t even get me started on Rainbow Road! I mean, the Mario Kart folk know what it is! I’m just saying Fast & Furious is a cool franchise, but Mario and the gang were catching bodies on a whole rainbow. I–*throws hands up* there’s levels to this racing and I live my life one dropped banana peel at a time.
Listen this is a movie for adults, children, teens, and anyone that ever rocked with them Mario Bros. This movie was some thirty plus years in the making and worth the wait. If you got the time, I think this is a movie you should see because the amount of fun in it is ridiculous. This movie had to go hard but damn man, I didn’t know it was going to go THAT hard but I am big glad that they did.
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The post ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ is an Invincible Star for Good Reason appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Broadway star Alfie Fuller’s outstanding recurring role performance in Season 4 of the Emmy award-winning series set in the early 1960s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel earned her a slot as a series regular for the final season of one of Prime Video’s most popular series. Fuller plays Dinah Rutledge, number one for Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein, In Living Color). BGN spoke with Fuller in late March about joining this incredible show, which is filmed entirely in New York City.
How did attending the New School set you up for success?
I moved to New York when I got accepted into the New School. It was an introduction to a lot of new things: the city, obviously, and true New York actor work ethic, which was something that I was unfamiliar with coming from the South. You’ll hear people talk really not so favorably about grad school experiences, and while, of course, it’s a mixed bag, for me personally, it was the smartest decision that I ever made.
I tapped into a lot of things that, had I not gone to the New School, I might not have done so quickly, like the wonderful teachers who advised me on how to reach success in the city as a New York actor. I’m a little bit of a hard-headed kind of girl. So they always say when you’re in acting grad school, you’re not supposed to do any outside productions; you don’t have time. I was like, “Oh, I think I can make it work.” And I did.
I was in a production in my second year of grad school, the hardest year. I did a full outside production of Antony and Cleopatra Shakespeare playing Cleopatra. And it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I did it, and it worked. But that also set me up for when I got out of school. I already had a professional job under my belt — and a leading role, no less. So I hit the ground running. I didn’t have the mentality of, “Oh, I just got out of grad school, so they’ll come to me because now I have this master’s degree.” No, I was like, “Okay, let’s go like let’s get in front of everyone as much as we can.”
Your theater credits are impressive. So far, what has been your most satisfying role on stage?
I will say playing Anaia in Is God Is. It was my first step into the professional theater world because the production I did in grad school was, you know, off-off-off [Broadway]. So this was my first real New York Times reviewed production. It’s how I got my agent. It’s how everyone was introduced to me as an artist. I did a reading of Is God Is last summer, and I was sure that I had lost it because you know, life is so good, and I didn’t know if I could tap back into all of that drama and trauma. Baby, I got up on that stage, looked down at the script, and it was still so fresh, but that’s the mark of truly incredible writing. After that experience, I enveloped myself in that character. She will always be a part of me and I will always be a part of her.
The pacing and rhythm of the writing on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are lightning speed. What was your technique for creating your character’s vocal quality?
I saw The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel pilot, and I was like, “This was made specifically for me. This is going to be my Star Wars.” Never did I think that I would be on the show as a series regular, no less. But I was already very familiar with the cadence and the tone, the quickness, the speed of the show.
When I got the call back, the casting director actually worked with me on Zoom for about 30, 45 minutes. She kept saying, “Faster.” And I do it again, and she says, “It’s faster.” And I do it again. And she said, “Okay, now it’s faster and word perfect.” And I thought I understood why she was saying that, but it wasn’t till I got on set that I was like, “Oh, faster and word perfect.” It’s like Shakespeare. Not the speed so much, but in terms of you can’t drop words, you can’t paraphrase.
So anyway, the night before my producer session, I stayed up and I did my scenes 200 times in a row as fast and as word perfect as I could. If I messed up, I’d go back to one and start over. It was worth it. When it came time to do it, I was unshakable. I was ready. I was talking at a speed that I never thought that I could, but I was ready.
Is there special care you have to take when you’re dealing with vintage costumes?
They’re so well made. I could play a whole football game in one of those suits, and it would still be intact. They’re thick. They’re so well made — other than putting all the undergarments on. Back then the women wore just layers and layers of undergarments — the bullet girdle with the stocking with the pencil waist-high waist skirt. It forces you to present yourself in a different way.
What would you say brings Dinah Rutledge the most joy?
Dinah enjoys being in control and likes to problem solve. Because for her, the faster she gets it done, the more joy she gets. She’s like, “Give me a very complex problem, I will solve it in a second flat.” I really love that about her. I’ve kind of taken a little bit of her with me with that. She’s very competent and does not shrink in the face of any kind of challenge. The messier that her boss is, she’s like, “Great I will clean that mess up.” She’s incredible.
I was able to screen the entire final season of the series, and it’s one of the best final seasons I’ve ever experienced.
The fifth and final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel premieres three episodes on April 14, 2023, on Prime Video, with new episodes airing Fridays until the series finale on May 26.