The John Wick franchise has cemented itself as one of the greatest action films of the past decade. The world is now expanding with its first spin-off, Ballerina, as it takes on a female lead played by Ana de Armas. As John Wick director Chad Stahelski takes a back seat after four films, Len Wiseman tells a tale of vengeance with a female assassin introduced in the third movie. While it seems like Wick’s story has ended, another story begins to unfold. It is another entertaining installment in this ever-growing world that Stahelski and lead actor Keanu Reeves have created. What we get in Ballerina is a worthy addition thanks to the incredible action delivered by Armas.
From The World of John Wick: Ballerina takes place between the third and fourth films as it tells the story of Eve Maccaro, a young woman on a quest to avenge the death of her father at the hands of a powerful cult. She puts herself in harm’s way once she joins the famed Ruska Roma, the assassin organization that Wick once belonged to. As she goes deep into the criminal underworld, Eve must face her fears as she goes up against some powerful enemies and her path of vengeance comes with a big cost.
As it is on paper, Ballerina is a full-on entertainer filled with action that will keep audiences invested. Ana de Armas proves to be a bonafide action star with her incredible performance both emotionally and physically. When it comes to the stunts, we see Armas going through the ringer in this role that is tailor-made for her after her impressive turn in No Time To Die. While most of the action sequences don’t match with the mainline films, Ballerina still delivers on that front with its incredible action sequences.
What the film does struggle with is its story. Even though there is a lot to pull from in the world of John Wick, using familiar story beats makes the movie predictable at times. There’s also a lack of character development in some of the characters, especially with the villain known as the Chancellor, played menacingly by Gabriel Byrne. There isn’t enough background info when it comes to this mysterious cult that the Chancellor leads and its connections to Eve. What the film lacks is compensated by the inventiveness of the action scenes and Ana de Armas’s promising performance.
Ballerina excels at delivering action much like the John Wick films. The spin-off gets to find new ways of giving audiences what they crave in these types of movies with its incredible use of weapons in these elaborate set pieces. There is some perfection in how these action scenes are executed, with the second half giving perhaps the best that the series has to offer. The franchise has found a way to create art through these action sequences and Ballerina adds to that sentiment by continuing with that style of filmmaking.
To tie this movie together with the franchise, we do get some familiar faces so audiences know that this is still very much in that same world. Keanu Reeves makes his presence known throughout the movie without overstaying his welcome, casting a big shadow on Ana’s character as she goes through a similar path of vengeance as he has. We also get some other actors like Angelica Huston, Ian McShane, and even the late Lance Reddick to help our heroine on her journey. They each serve a purpose and are not wasted during their time on screen.
Armas brings some humanity to the franchise with her acting abilities on screen. Keanu Reeves’ John Wick doesn’t show much emotion but you do often feel his pain because of the tragedy that befalls him in the beginning. With Eve, we get that at the get-go and we stick with her as she develops and grows as an assassin in the Ruska Roma. Eve also realizes that she has to use what she has to her advantage to overcome her male enemies. That’s what sets her apart from John Wick and it works to a degree. There are some instances where she may come out clean in a fight or may come unfazed by some big explosions, but that is the disbelief that one has to contend with when watching an action film as stylized as this.
Ballerina may not be on equal footing as the John Wick films, but it doesn’t have to be compared to that to stand on its own. With incredible action sequences and Ana de Armas’ performance, it gives what fans want in an action movie. It respects the John Wick brand while giving a new flavor to the likes of Eve. Once the craziness of the action unfolds, that’s when the film truly captures what makes this franchise so great. Perhaps we can rest easy to know that the world of John Wick is still thriving with someone else in the reins.
From The World of John Wick: Ballerina is now playing in theaters.
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