Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new review! For this one, we will be diving back into the wonderful world of John Wick, but this time we won’t be following the titular character. Instead the focus is on the titular Ballerina who appeared briefly in Chapter 3 and this is a story pertaining to what she did in between the events of the third and fourth films. Now, I myself am a massive fan of the John Wick series, as it is my favorite ongoing movie franchise at the moment due to each mainline entry being some degree of spectacular, with Chapter 4 being one of my favorite movies of all time and potentially my favorite of the 2020s thus far. While I’m skeptical of there being a Chapter 5, I am more than down in seeing spin off flicks as this is world filled with interesting concepts and characters to explore. Focusing in on an intriguing element from Chapter 3 with Ana de Armas in the lead role had more further interested as did the solid trailers. So was this performance worth the price of admission? Let’s jump right in and see what moves this dancer has to show off!
We follow one Eve Macarro, who as a little girl has everything taken away from her, when her father was murdered by a vicious cult led by a vengeful Chancellor out for revenge and to retrieve Eve. She escapes and is taken in by the New York Continental owner, Winston, who takes Eve to the organization known as the Ruska Roma, which is known for training assassins under the eye of The Director. Eve is taken in and trained to become a Kikimora, AKA, an assassin/bodyguard who carries out missions for the Ruska Roma. As she gets more skilled, we see her get into the field and eventually finds traces from her past that she feels compelled to explore further, much to the frustrations of The Director. Now Eve finds herself on a journey to discover where she came from and take down the ones behind her father’s murder.
The film has gotten much attention in the movie news sphere due to the fact that it was delayed by an entire scene in order to film additional scenes to beef the film up. Some have theorized that there were behind the scenes troubles with franchise spear header, Chad Stahelski, not being satisfied by what director, Len Wiseman was doing. Whether or not any of that is true (these claims have been denied multiple times), this is definitely not a film that reeks of a troubled production and it is one that fits perfectly into this world. This kind of “young woman goes out for violent revenge against those who wronged her” story is one that has been done multiple times, however I feel this is one of the best executions of that concept in a while. Wiseman and writer, Shay Hatten, set up Eve’s motivations through the inciting incident very well, making one understand what she’s going through as well as the difficulties she has to endure training for the Ruska Roma. All of it is done efficiently with just the right amount of time dedicated to it, before it is time for her to go on her quest.
When things really kick into high gear, it becomes another high octane thrill ride where we go from one great set piece to the next with some nice world building and convoluted (in a fun way) rule making that this series has become known for at this point. I enjoyed seeing where Eve’s journey took her as there are some aspects that did genuinely surprise me such as the way this cult functions and I appreciated that while it has the John Wick tropes, it subverts them in enjoyable ways that make it into a scrappier extension of the series (I mean that as a compliment) such as the typical “weapons picking” scene not going exactly to plan. There even manages to be some well placed humor that never detracts from the more serious beats. Plus, there is some solid exploration of the toll the life of an assassin can take and how being indoctrinated into these systems with really no escape (as Wick also found out) can affect one’s actions and choices and how one must fight to maintain them and their identity no matter what happens. It treads similar ground to the Wick series and the story itself is more conventional and goes in a more familiar direction, but it is a well oiled variation nonetheless.
Even though this is a spin off, that doesn’t mean that the crew are willing to rest on their laurels because this isn’t a mainline entry, as everything from a technical perspective is of a high quality. I’ve always adored the way these movies have looked visually with their use of colors and lighting just framed in a way that is so visually arresting (especially as we get into the sequels). I don’t know if I would say Ballerina is quite on that level (then again few things are), but it is very much a polished action movie. Romain Lacourbas’s cinematography is able to capture that dark, but often otherworldly feel of the criminal underworld and is often times very dynamic when it comes to changes in setting. I like how the visual style changes when we go from place to place from the bright neon colors of a night club rave (felt straight out of a scene from Len Wiseman’s Underworld movies) to the snowy white colors of the eerie town, Hallstatt. It all looks very great Wiseman’s sensibilities as director do fit quite well with this world. Fitting the mood of each scene is Tyler Bates (composer of the franchise) and Joel J. Richard’s score which fits with the compositions of the prior movies, having a moody feel and feeling one with this world. Always love to bop my head to it when it comes up too.
Despite whatever additions were made, the film is still remarkably edited with everything flowing smoothly and coherently with nothing unusually off about the film’s structure or pacing for the most part. But of course, one can’t mention a film set in the John Wick universe without discussing the reason for the season which is the action sequences which deliver in spades. Just like the quadrilogy there is some really impressive fight chorography that has a nice rhythm to it with characters presenting different fighting styles as and there is also a lot of inventiveness in regards to how the different environments are used for combat. However, what I like about the sequences they fit with Eve’s skills of learning on the fly and improvising with what she has, as unlike Wick, who is able to immediately recognize what he can use to fight, she is more frantic and has to be quick on her feet in order to figure out what she can use next. This leads to some immensely entertaining moments of her using various items in creative manners from ice skates to kitchen appliances to grenades (the most inventive use I’ve seen of them since… honestly ever). My favorite part though is a climactic beat involving flame throwers that is visually awesome and just an absolute treat to watch unfold, making exciting use of a slow(er) weapon.
I’ve been a fan of Ana de Armas ever since I saw her in Knives Out back in 2019 and so getting to see her lead an action film like this is exciting regardless if it is connected to the John Wick universe or not. Here, she is extremely successful at making Eve into a likable character that is able to have some similarities to John, but also a lot of differences that make her stand out. She shares that same thirst vengeance, but there is also a sense of selflessness in her that drives her to want to protect others, no matter how much she tries telling herself that it is not her business. She is also way more willing to hold back unless provoked, and when she is, well she proves to be someone not to mess with. Her arc is a compelling one, espcially when she comes to obtain a greater purpose than just taking down the ones who took everything away from her. It helps that de Armas nails the personality, being cheeky in amusing ways without sacrificing the character’s dramatic heft. She also puts so much effort into the role, handling the stunts and action scenes very well and with an impressive physicality.
When it comes to the supporting cast we have a nice mix of faces new and old. Stand out for me was Gabriel Byrne, who makes for a great slimeball as The Chancellor (love how most villains in this series tend to be complete a** wholes. He does the job in being intimidating and cold hearted while also showing a more comforting side where one can see how people would be swayed by him. He is also given more depth than expected as he does care about his family, even if the film smartly doesn’t use that as excuse to forgive him for being someone who is deep down, hypocritical and willing to do horrible actions, using “fate” as an excuse. Walking Dead star, Norman Reedus, also makes a welcome appearance as Daniel Pine, the man Eve is initially after that is somehow connected to the cult, getting an opportunity to partake in some action and showcase his usual coolness. I quite like the direction things went with him and how the plot relates to his side of the story as it progresses Eve’s arc in a meaningful way. Catalina Sandino Moreno also puts in good work Lena, one of the Chancellor’s assassins, who also plays a surprising role in the story. Also really liked Sharon Duncan-Brewster’s turn as Eve’s mentor, Nogi, as she plays this role like the character’s experience is evident and I like her and Eve’s relationship.
In terms of the old faces, Angelica Houston and Ian McShane both reprise their roles perfectly with their usual sense of gravitas and personality as The Director and Winston respectively both serving as different kinds of “Parental” figures in Eve’s journey, while it was nice to see Lance Reddick (who sadly passed away in 2023) one last time as The Continental’s concierge, Charon. Now the big re appearance here is that Keanu Reeves does indeed reprise his role as John Wick for a couple of scenes and I’ll be honest… his appearance slows the movie down. Now I don’t mind the way he is utilized in the beginning and I get the thematic reasoning for him showing up later on (to show the parallels between him and Eve), but I felt the way most of his scenes are placed did give off the vibe of putting him there for commercial reasons and it hurts (the otherwise very strong) pacing. I felt his screentime could’ve gone to other character like Daniel and Lena as that would’ve benefitted the feature way more.
All in all, I found Ballerina to be a very satisfying extension of the John Wick world, that manages to stand on its own two feet successfully. It is more of a conventional kind of actioner compared to the other entries, and I felt Reeves’s role could’ve been minimized more in service of other characters, but that doesn’t change the fact that the story is still engaging, the ideas are interestingly presented, the visuals are strong, the action is spectacular and creative, Ana de Armas as Eve is a compelling lead, and the cast puts in great work. For those who want to spend more time in this world, this will do the trick, but even if you haven’t seen a Wick film, I think this works very well as a stand alone revenge action film. I’m glad that everyone involved took their time in making the best film possible and it makes me even more excited for whatever else is cooking in the Wick pipeline whether it is Donnie Yen’s upcoming spin-off focused on Caine (HELL YES!!!) or Shannon Tindle’s announced anime prequel (also exciting!) as this shows that this is a world that is ripe for more exploration. It may not quite be on the level of the previous four… but the fact that a spin-off like this is this good, shows just how good of track record this series has!
Rating: A-
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