Ranking the John Wick Movies: An Action Franchise Powerhouse in World Movie Ranking Discussions
The John Wick movies, regardless of whether they might enter a period of total mediocrity, will always hold a special place for being a significant part of restoring Keanu Reeves’ status as a major star in Hollywood. For fans and critics alike, evaluating where each installment stands often contributes to broader discussions about action cinema and its place in movie ranking in the world lists. Here is how the films rank so far.
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) ready for action, a figure often discussed in world movie ranking of action heroes
Discussing popular franchises like John Wick is essential when considering what defines excellence in action films and how they impact global cinema perspectives. These movies frequently feature in analyses of the best action sequences, star power, and franchise longevity within the context of top 50 highest grossing movies in the world and critically acclaimed lists.
4. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum [2019]
After the second film, it became clear that a tension existed within the John Wick series. As they achieved more success, budgets increased. This led to more ambitious fight scenes and impressive cast members. However, in modern Hollywood, this also often meant gratuitous and sometimes forced world expansion. The series couldn’t simply remain films about Keanu Reeves expertly dispatching adversaries; it was compelled to evolve into a multimedia franchise.
Despite this, at its core, this movie still primarily revolves around Keanu executing elaborate fight sequences, and it remains difficult for that aspect to be anything less than good. The action remains a highlight, with standout moments such as the memorable confrontation featuring Boban Marjanović.
Perhaps the most intriguing element of this film is the casting of Halle Berry, which served as an interesting “what if?” scenario. Berry is a capable action performer but has never had a clearly defined action star persona. This film offered a glimpse into an alternate reality where she might have become a prominent figure in the genre. The challenge, however, lay in the aforementioned lack of a pre-existing star persona to support the writing. Berry visibly struggled when required to deliver extensive exposition explaining her motivations and her role within the film’s universe. She undeniably delivered during the action sequences, but the narrative demands proved challenging.
3. John Wick [2014]
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in the first movie, a film that established the globally recognized action franchise
The first John Wick film operates exceptionally well because it doesn’t feel like a “first” installment. It feels like a single, self-contained narrative. John Wick embodies a classic Keanu Reeves character archetype, and he has a neat and tidy story arc within this film. Keanu portrays a grieving widower. Before her passing, Keanu’s beloved wife arranged for a dog to be delivered to him. A group of individuals subsequently interfere with Keanu, ultimately killing his dog – a sequence that is profoundly difficult to watch more than once. John then dedicates the rest of the movie to seeking and finding revenge on those responsible. It’s a potent premise, and with Keanu entirely within his comfort zone, the film is a resounding success in virtually every aspect.
Considering the context of all the subsequent films, there are further points worth noting. Future films would progressively expand the universe. The mere teases of John Wick being part of a larger, hidden world in the first film were significantly more effective and intriguing than the overt explanations that came later.
This film successfully established its signature ability to make gun fights compelling and visually distinct. However, it also revealed a challenge that would persist in future films: the lighting of action sequences. Fight scenes depicted in darkness are simply frustrating to watch, and this issue continued in subsequent installments.
While the universe expansion in later films proved to be a mixed bag, they frequently excelled in casting. In this inaugural film, Michael Nyquist and Alfie Allen don’t quite form a dynamic duo as antagonists; they pale in comparison to the villains that would appear later. On the other hand, the role played by Clarke Peters hinted at a more interesting and grounded world than the one that eventually materialized in the sequels. Clarke Peters carried himself like a working-class assassin, and he is one of the few contract killers we get to know intimately, implying there were many more like him operating at a similar level. Almost every assassin introduced in future films, however, would possess abilities closer to the superhuman capabilities demonstrated by John Wick himself.
2. John Wick: Chapter 2 [2017]
A scene from John Wick Chapter 2, highlighting the intense action sequence typical of this popular action series
The first film had such a simple yet tightly executed concept that it presented a significant challenge for the second film to justify its existence. The introduction of the “marker” gimmick, a blood oath compelling John Wick back into the world he tried to leave, was a clever device to keep the narrative momentum going. There is something thematically appropriate about the character of John Wick being drawn back into his former life because he was unable not to avenge the murder of his dog – his link to his deceased wife and normal life. The movie is definitively a mixed bag; it aimed higher than the first film, but sometimes its reach exceeded its grasp.
On the positive side, the increased budget allowed the second film to feature a greater variety of action sequences. The film could also afford higher-profile supporting actors in more substantial roles. Consequently, both the fight choreography and the supporting characters became considerably more dynamic and engaging in this installment.
However, there was also an increase in negative aspects compared to the first film. The world-building began to feel excessive and overly complex. Asking the audience to become emotionally invested in the broader lore of the John Wick world, such as the implications of someone at “the table” attempting to “take New York,” felt like a significant leap and perhaps a misjudgment of audience expectations. Ultimately, many viewers primarily wanted to see Keanu Reeves deliver exhilarating action.
This movie serves as a critical turning point for the franchise, as it is the film that truly established it as a franchise rather than a standalone success with a sequel. The budget increase came with a trade-off: fantastic new actors and inventive fight scenes in exchange for potentially cynical, overblown world-building. The balance in that trade-off largely worked out well in this particular film, solidifying its position as a strong sequel often considered in discussions about the best films of its release year, fitting into many views on what constitutes a world best movie 2022 (or other years).
1. John Wick: Chapter 4 [2023]
As the journey with John Wick appeared to reach its conclusion, it became important to assess what aspects of this unexpected franchise had been successful and what had presented challenges. Leading into this film, one question loomed: would the demands of expanding the universe ultimately overwhelm what the series does best – expertly orchestrated action sequences involving remarkable kills? However, universe expansion in this film was less about the ever-growing amount of LORE that had been heavily dumped on audiences in the previous two films.
Instead, it primarily resulted in the introduction of new characters who were arguably cynically designed to potentially set up various spin-off “content.” On the surface, this might seem annoying, but here is the crucial point: most of these new characters were cast with exceptionally talented and awesome actors who proceeded to engage in incredibly cool and exciting actions.
Shamier Anderson, Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rina Sawayama all joined the world of John Wick and became fantastic supporting characters. They managed to convey surprising emotional depth while simultaneously contributing significantly to the visual beauty and fluidity of the action present in these movies. Nevertheless, this film, despite the visible machinery of content churning at work, is fundamentally not about that. It is about bidding farewell to the character of John Wick.
Keanu’s tenure as John Wick seemingly concludes here, and the movie leaves no stone unturned. What makes Keanu such an exceptional action star is his unique ability to absorb the world’s biggest beatings and perform the most demanding physical stunts while still maintaining an emotional connection with the audience. He is genuinely one of the last true movie stars, and his final outing as John Wick spectacularly showcased all of his brilliance as an action performer.
It is hoped that more detailed and coherent thoughts on this film will be shared in the near future, further solidifying its place in global action cinema discourse and contributing to its standing in any comprehensive World Movie Ranking.
The John Wick franchise has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the action genre and global cinema. Evaluating each film highlights the series’ evolution, its commitment to groundbreaking action choreography, and Keanu Reeves’ enduring star power, all factors that contribute to its prominence when discussing movie ranking in the world.
