<PERSON>: Chapter 4
In some ways this is absolutely top of the franchise for me. Every frame is immaculately presented with a sense of formal beauty that tops what <PERSON> has done before. You can feel his confidence bursting of the screen with the explosions of colour, light and smoke all throughout. It's also the most stripped back <PERSON> has been, which means the outstanding supporting cast all step up to amazing effect. There isn't a bad character in the bunch, with <PERSON> Mr Nobody quietly stealing the film for large chunks. <PERSON> and <PERSON> are both outstanding additions to this world, adding a new type of kinetic energy to the action that I adored. 594
<PERSON> also pops up perfectly.
The action is of course the star of the show here, and once again the franchise shows its desire to show us things we've never seen in the genre before.
The Osaka Continental is a perfect piece of location setup and payoff, establishing setting before everything explodes into violence. Whether it's doorbell-assisted martial arts, nunchuck combos or bow and arrow finishers, it's an excellent first sequence.
Compared to the patience of the Osaka sequence, the final Paris dash is a brilliant Warriors homage that serves as a perfect grab-bag of everything we love this franchise for. The bird's eye crane move is an all-timer presentation for <PERSON> mayhem, which is only topped by the fact that it happens twice!
All of the stuntperson pratfalls that came before culminate in <PERSON>'s climb up the Sacré-Coeur steps, which is some of the best stuntwork I've seen in ages. Countless people tumble down and down these steps, and it's hard not to feel out of breath just watching it. The work of the stunt choreographers and performers needs to be lauded, because what they pull off in this one is absolutely bananas.
Overall I feel like the series has maintained a steady level of quality, which is super impressive for a franchise that's gone on this long. I think this is the top of the bunch for me, if only slightly beat out by 3. There's something to love about all of them, which is perfect. 594