Ballerina Review
Len Wiseman picks up the reins of the latest in the John Wick franchise, this time starring Ana de Armas as the titular Ballerina.
Ana de Armas as Eve in Ballerina. Courtesy of Lionsgate
Bellerina, officially titled From the World of John Wick: Ballerina—quite a mouthful—isn’t a John Wick movie per se, rather it’s another story of revenge set in the same world. While far better than the other Wick-adjacent project, Peacock show The Continental, it doesn’t reach the heights of the movies in the mainline franchise. Still, Len Wiseman, creator of the Underworld films, does admirable work with the action and that’s worth the price of admission.
Keanu Reeves does appear as John Wick. He crosses paths with this movie’s protagonist, Eve Macarro, played by Ana de Armas, sometime around the events of John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (2019). Eve is orphaned when her father Javier (David Castañeda) is murdered by a group led by a man known as The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). She’s taken in by the Ruska Roma school, an assassin organization under cover of a ballet theater, and its Director (Anjelica Houston). Once grown, she seeks vengeance on those who killed her father. Naturally, a lot of people die.
Anjelica Huston as The Director in Ballerina. Courtesy of Lionsgate
The world of these movies becomes increasingly sillier with each entry, and Ballerina is no exception. This time, the villains are a cult of killers with “no rules” who inhabit an idyllic Austrian village in the mountains. The worldbuilding and plot may be ridiculous, but they set the stage for fantastic, creative action sequences, particularly in the film’s latter half, that stand out from the rest of the franchise. A quaint restaurant, lots of grenades, flamethrowers—these are the general ideas of my favorite segments, which I won’t spoil. They’re a lot of fun.
Ana de Armas doesn’t have the same charm as Reeves in the other movies, who delivers his absurd dialogue and faces over-the-top situations with his trademark idiosyncrasy. However, she’s a great physical performer here, shining in the movie’s action sequences and gunfights. Aside from Reeves, other characters from the franchise make cameos, some more signifiant to the plot than others. Lance Reddick makes a posthumous appearance as Continental concierge Charon in his final screen role. Ian McShane delivers some cringy dialogue as Winston.
Ana de Armas as Eve and Keanu Reeves as John Wick in Ballerina. Courtesy of Lionsgate
Aside from the action, the movie is largely forgettable. But, for this series, that might be enough. This is a bombastic, loud action film that respects the series’ dark humor in its violence, and I’m happy Len Wiseman was able to pull it off.
Ballerina opens in theaters Friday, June 6.
