Every 'John Wick' movie, ranked (including new spinoff 'Ballerina')
Every 'John Wick' movie, ranked (including new spinoff 'Ballerina')
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Ian McShane talks working with Ana de Armas in 'Ballerina'
Ian McShane shares why it was smart to bring Ana de Armas into the "John Wick" franchise in the new film "Ballerina."
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"John Wick" is the one movie franchise beloved by action movie nerds and dog lovers alike.
It seems like the original film has been around for much longer than 11 years, given the influence it's had on Hollywood, from those awesome "gun fu" stunt sequences to Keanu Reeves' movie star revival. The scrappy indie thriller cast Reeves as an ex-hitman who puts retirement on hold for a righteous revenge mission, and since then there have been three more "Wick" flicks, a prequel TV series and now a new cinematic spinoff. "Ballerina" features Ana de Armas as a dancer/assassin raised in the same criminal organization that unleashed Wick.
In honor of the latest outing, here are all the "John Wick" franchise movies, ranked. (For those catching up: "Ballerina" is in theaters now, while the four "Wick" films are streaming on Peacock and video-on-demand platforms.)
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5. 'John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum' (2019)
Excommunicated from his assassin's guild and with a $14 million bounty on his head, courtesy of the all-powerful High Table, John gets into nasty blade-throwing brawls and even rides a horse through New York to escape a city full of secret killers. He makes his way to Morocco, seeking help from friend and fellow dog lover Sofia (Halle Berry), and winds up back in the Big Apple for a climactic throwdown with martial-arts master Zero (Mark Dacascos). The operatic action and intriguing exposition is there, but this solid third installment winds up a good but not great effort, owing to a convoluted last act and underdeveloped supporting characters.
4. 'Ballerina' (2025)
Although Wick is a master of various weaponry, Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) is down to use everything but the kitchen sink. (And probably would use that if a sink was just hanging out somewhere.) A rookie assassin, Eve goes rogue from her crime family to track down the cult who murdered her father. Her path of vengeance includes an amazing flamethrower shootout and a brawl involving dinner plates as she makes new friends and enemies, plus faces off with Wick himself. It's a spinoff movie that both feels like a "John Wick" noir thriller as well as something interestingly original.
3. 'John Wick: Chapter 4' (2023)
In this very globetrotting installment, Wick's had enough and goes on the offensive against the High Table. The Marquis (Bill Skarsgård), a sadistic new antagonist, sends Wick's old friend, blind martial-arts master Caine (Donnie Yen), after him and their tussle lands both in a finale for all the marbles in Paris. The fourth "Wick" is the best in terms of sheer jaw-dropping action sequences. The festival of bangers includes a waterfall-filled throwdown in a German nightclub, a "doll house" fight seen from overhead where Wick lights people up with fire bullets, and a most excellent and electrifying traffic jam at the Arc de Triomphe.
2. 'John Wick' (2014)
The first "Wick" is high up for any fan, either for the sheer action-movie chutzpah or the fact that it's the one where the bad guys kill a puppy. And especially because they murdered the adorable last gift given to John by his late wife, it's completely understandable why he'd re-enter the fray he worked to get out of and just wreck a whole bunch of enemies. We would, too, Johnny! Willem Dafoe and John Leguizamo are the recognizable faces, Reeves turns in a terrific performance as our hero hunts down the canine-murdering culprit – a Russian crime boss' son (Alfie Allen) – and the legend of the relatable hard-luck assassin begins in memorable fashion.
1. 'John Wick: Chapter 2' (2017)
As good as the first movie was, "Chapter 2" packs in all the great stunts and jaw-dropping gunfights but is really where the rules and mythology of John's world begin to fill out and become this epic story. For one, viewers learn more about the High Table, the assassin hotel The Continental and John's long history in it. Wick is forced to fulfill a blood oath "marker" held by underworld boss Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), the man who helped him retire, and much chaotic ruckus ensues as Wick returns full bore into this dangerous world. John winds up murdering the guy on Continental grounds – a huge no-no – and sets the stage for him being a wanted man through two more movies.
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