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Reviews
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
The best action movie since hard boiled
While I don't generally rate more recent films higher as they haven't stood the test of time yet John Wick Chapter 4 is an exception. It has a far better story than parts 2 and 3 due to John having a more personal motivation for his typical antics. Chapter 4 also benefits from the best action sequences of the series, In parts 1, 2 and 3 there have to me only been one or two standout action scenes; the club fight in the first the entire Italy concert/catacombs sequence in the second and the Continental hotel siege in the third. John Wick 4 on the other hand has huge fight in a hotel in Osaka, a nightclub showdown blowing the one from the first out of the water and finally the final part of the film is literally non stop action around Paris In which there's a car chase around the arc de triomphe which quickly turns into a fight in which John throws people into the oncoming traffic, a Hotline Miami style top down shootout with and finally a long fight up a tall staircase. The fourth chapter of the franchise also has the best supporting cast since the original including a brilliant Donnie Yen and the series best villain in Bill Skarsgard. Overall a near perfect all out action film.
Final Rating 9.0/10
Also make sure to stay until the very end because of there is an important post credit scene.
Chinatown (1974)
Don't forget it Jake, it's Chinatown
What can I say about this movie that hasn't been said before but everything about Chinatown works, Jerry Goldsmiths score is superb, the cinematography and lighting is beautiful, Jack Nicholson gives his best performance (excluding his sinister caretaker in the shining), and even by today's standards the delivery of the shocking final twist still packs a chilling punch. Chinatowns influence is still felt today as it has inspired many other more recent films, LA Confidential to name one. In conclusion Chinatown is easily one of the best movies ever made and is the golf standard for noir films.
Final Rating 9.7/10.
Ying hung boon sik (1986)
John Woo at his very best
While at times it can be rather cheesy, to me everything else is near perfect the story is captivating Chow yun fats performance is excellent and the action scenes are some of the very best put on the screen. Also the pacing of the film is amazing fitting so much into the 90 minute runtime. The highlights of the movie though is easily Chow Yun Fats revenge fueled rampage in the Chinese restaurant, the emotional scene on the hill and last but definitely not least the ultra bloody final shootout at the docks. John Woo made a few films that came close to this (Hard Boiled, Face/Off, The Killer and A Better Tomorrow 2 being some) but none of them captured the magic of this genre
Final Rating: 9.8.
Suspiria (1977)
One of the best horror has to offer
Never have I ever seen a better use of colour in a movie than in suspiria. I'm not a huge horror fan but wow this is good, terrifying but good. Despite the dubbing issues (which doesn't bother me but I understand it annoys some people) this is a horror movie that flows perfectly from scene to scene, it has great characters and some scenes that really stick with you (especially the opening 15 minutes). Suspiria also features a great soundtrack that really adds to the tense atmosphere that Dario Argento masterfully creates. The film also has the best cinematography I think I've ever seen as well. To me this is probably one of (if not the) greatest horror movies ever and certainly one of the creepiest. 9.6/10.
Heat (1995)
Practically flawless crime drama
So to begin with i'm a very big fan of Robert De Niro and I honestly think this is one of his best. Everything about this movie works for me; the cinematography is stunning, the cast is brilliant, the score is pretty good as well. Heat (excluding some of the ones in John Woos movies) also has one of the greatest shootouts ever. To me heat is the ultimate blend of realism and style. This is easily one of the best movies released in the 90s also there's some brilliantly inventive film making from Michael Mann that, despite the 2 hours 50 runtime, keeps you gripped and thrilled at all times. 10/10.