This article contains spoilers forJohn Wick: Chapter 4.The long-awaitedJohn Wick: Chapter 4, the latest installment in the beloved action series starring Keanu Reeves, has finally blasted its way into theaters, earning widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike. And of course, it delivers plenty of the intense, stylish action that has come to define theJohn Wickfranchise.
The four films in theJohn Wickseries are all filled to the brim with plenty of thrilling, memorable fights. There are so many great action setpieces throughout the series, and there isn’t enough room in a single article to even give half of them their due. However, these four furious fights shine through as the most striking action scenes in their respective movies.
RELATED:How John Wick 4 Connects to The Ballerina Spinoff
John Wick: John vs. Viggo
The final battle ofthe original 2014John Wickmay not seem like the obvious choice for the film’s best fight, especially when compared to the iconic nightclub shootout earlier in the film. However, there’s nevertheless a case to be made for the one-on-one face-off between John Wick and the first film’s main antagonist: the ruthless crime lord Viggo Tarasov, played by Michael Nyqvist. At the movie’s climax, after John has taken his revenge on Viggo’s son for killing his dog, he hunts down Viggo himself, leading to a final confrontation on a rainy dock.
What the fight between John and Viggo may lack in spectacle, it more than makes up for in atmosphere and brutality. It’s a simpleduel between two menfighting solely with their bare hands — at least, until Viggo pulls out a knife. However, it’s that very simplicity that makes this battle stand out so much. It has a visceral, emotional quality to it that’s just as impactful as the sleek gunplay of the film’s other action scenes.
Chapter 2: The Subway Showdown
John Wick: Chapter 2amps up the action even further with thrilling setpieces like the firefight in the Catacombs of Rome, or the climactic struggle in the hall of mirrors. However, the strongest battle in the movie is the extended sequence in which John Wick has to fight his way through a New York City subway station. The battle begins with a scene of John dealing witha series of assassinsas he makes his way into the subway station. He deals with each of his attackers fairly quickly, with one of them even receiving the iconic pencil kill, as described in the first movie.
However, the real fight begins when John encounters Cassian (played by rapper-turned-actor Common), the deadly bodyguard of the woman John assassinated not long before. A tense duel between two elite killers ensues, with the duo shooting at each other through a fountain, and even through the bustling crowd of civilians. The confrontation culminates in a close-quarters clash inside a moving subway, with the claustrophobic environment making the already-exciting battle even more dramatic.
Chapter 3: The Knife Shop Brawl
2019’sJohn Wick: Chapter 3features even more escalationin the series’ actionscenes. Any one of the fights in this movie is a worthy contender for this list, from John’s battle with the gigantic Ernest in a library, to his team-up with Sofia (Halle Berry), to the wonderfully over-the-top motorcycle swordfight. It’s especially difficult not to give this spot on the list to the climactic battle at the Continental, concluding with the one-on-one showdown between John and his would-be nemesis Zero (Mark Dacascos). But ultimately, the single best fight in the movie has to be the knife shop battle early in the film.
One of the greatest assets of theJohn Wickseries is the way that its action scenes use the environment to their advantage, resulting in more creative and dynamic fights. And there may be no other fight in the entire series that demonstrates thisbetter than the knifeshop sequence. The battle sees both John and his assassin attackers eschew their usual firearms in favor of using the multitude of blades surrounding them. What ensues is a chaotic, imaginative, and sometimes grisly encounter that stands out as one of the greatest fights in the entire franchise. There’s little else to say about it here that hasn’t been said already.
Chapter 4: Taking the Stairs
Unsurprisingly, the latest entry in the series has plenty of brilliant fights of its own. There’s the epic battle for the Osaka Continental, the one-on-one fight between John and Caine (Donnie Yen), and John’s awe-inspiring use of a fire-breathing gun in a stunning top-down sequence. However, they all pale in comparison to the last true action scene of the film, which sees Johnfight to scale the stepsof the Sacré-Couer Basilica in Paris. It’s a long, grueling fight at the end of an even longer gauntlet of battles, which makes it all the more shocking when the towering henchman Chidi (Marko Zaror) knocks John down the stairs, all the way back to where he started.
It’s a moment that’s as comedic as it is dramatic: a ridiculous beat that nevertheless has massive narrative consequences. As he struggles and fails to climb to his feet, it seems that John won’t even make it to his final duel. But then, Caine arrives on the scene, helps John to his feet, and chooses to fight by his side. The very man who will soon be forced to duel John to the death becomes his ally in his time of need, andthe two friends-turned-rivalsfight as a team against the final wave of killers. Even Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson) and his dog join in to give Chidi his just desserts. The final fight on the church steps features the perfect balance of hype, drama, and style that cements it as one of the absolute greatest action scenes in the entireJohn Wickseries.
MORE:5 Keanu Reeves Movies To Watch If You Love John Wick
