John Wick 4 (in theaters) 

This is the best “John Wick” has ever been. 

Though the series has had its ups and downs over the years, “John Wick 4” offers a master class in how a John Wick movie should be. The action is tightly choreographed and relentless in the best way, the series’ emotional themes are honored, and key story choices were both satisfying and vitally necessary. It’s impossible to make a better John Wick movie than this one. 

For those who don’t remember 2019’s “John Wick 3,” our hero ended the movie shot by someone he thought was a friend and dumped over the side of a building. Though he was saved and given a place to heal, at the beginning of “John Wick 4” everyone in the assassin world wants him dead. He no longer has any official ties, and the few friends he has left are being punished simply for knowing him. The Marquis wants to leave only scorched earth behind, and if Wick wants any peace he has exactly one chance to find it. 

The movie doesn’t allow the audience a second to rest, with tension overlaying even quiet character moments. The action will make you wish you could pause and rewind the movie, just to catch all the little details of all the incredibly complex, sometimes huge fight scenes. If you’ve ever doubted that choreographers are artists, this movie will prove otherwise. 

To add to the artistry, the movie also features Donnie Yen’s first entry into the series. He’s an emotional counterpoint to Wick in every way, and Yen brings every bit of humor and pathos the movie needs. He’s also an incredible fighter, and if you love action movies every moment he’s onscreen is a gift. 

For John Wick fans, this whole movie is a gift as well. 

Grade: Four stars

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (in theaters) 

If you liked the original, you’ll like this one as well. 

This sequel to 2019’s “Shazam!” is bigger than the original, with more ambition and higher stakes for our team of characters. Though the results can be a little more unfocused and less emotionally satisfying, there’s still enough sweetness and fun to keep fans happy. No matter what else is going on, the Shazam team are still some of the most entertaining characters in the DCEU. 

The bad guys are a group of goddesses who claim the Shazam team stole their powers. Some of them just want to restart their world, but one sister wants to build a new world on the ruins of ours. If the Shazam team wants to stay alive and save everyone, they’ll have to figure out how to truly be heroes. 

Zachary Levi was good as Shazam, though the movie let him lean a little too heavily into the silliness at times. Asher Angel was great in the few moments he was allowed onscreen, but the movie really belongs to Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman. He absolutely killed every scene he was in, and really highlighted the series’ theme that you don’t have to wear a suit and cape to be a real hero. 

Grade: Three stars

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Utah Film Critics Association. Find her on Twitter at @wardellwriter or drop her a line at [email protected].