“You want to win? Change the terms.”
When it comes to bringing thrills to its action, Ballerina fires on all cylinders just as much as its source franchise that is John Wick. This 2025 spin-off takes place between the events of John Wick’s 3rd (Parabellum) and 4th (Chapter 4) installments. Ana de Armas leads the film as Eve – a trained assassin/bodyguard on a quest for revenge of her father’s death.
Just when you thought they can’t come up with exciting fight scenes as any of the John Wick movies we’ve seen, here comes Ballerina showcasing its own gracefully-executed throwdowns. There were several sequences that kind of lean to what we see in Jackie Chan films where every item at close range gets to be used as a defense armor or a lethal weapon. Skate shoes? Kitchen Utensils? Fire hose? No problem. And as far as actual lethal weapons were used, they were still able to squeeze inventive ways of their utilization that is both painful to see and at the same time entertaining to elicit a chuckle.
But as far as de Armas’ efforts to put a persistent and visceral appeal to her Eve, the movie fails to breathe a richer character for her. It was, on my count, roughly 4 times that she says the mantra ‘for her father’ which adds nothing beyond her established motivation and the movie was just fine with that. There were side characters introduced that might seem significant but the movie doesn’t go to great lengths to establish them which ultimately failed to serve the film’s plot as a whole.
Which I can say is the same case of shoehorning Keanu Reeves in this one. He still delivers the threatening aura of the Baba Yaga we knew – consistent headshots and pulse-pounding close combat but it seems that his true role in all of this is to be a constant signpost for fans that this spinoff really exists in the Wick Universe and his presence will conjure a sense of familiarity. But this film would definitely have work on its own without him staying too long in the picture.
Indeed, Ballerina brings a great level of enterainment on the big screen. There were so much standout action set pieces here – the grenade and flamethrower segments especially. The movie doesn’t directly leave you with a cliffhanger but it kind of opens possibilities of looming dangers and larger world to come to future installments. If you’re looking for high-octane scenes, this movie got you covered just don’t expect much on the story department.
Rating: *** /5.
