The John Wick franchise has cemented itself as a staple of modern action cinema, giving us four incredible films and a handful of in-universe spinoffs. Ballerina is a thrilling companion piece to the John Wick films, delivering high-octane action in spades. Even though it’s not so graceful in its storytelling, this is a worthy addition to the Wick-verse.
Whereas past spinoffs like Nobody and Atomic Blonde channeled the franchise’s spirit, Ballerina ties itself tightly to the core Wick lore. We visit familiar locations, are reintroduced to familiar faces, and the in-universe rules are tightly followed. From the get-go, it’s clear Ballerina isn’t simply cashing in on the John Wick name - this is a true extension of the legacy built in Chapters 1 through 4. It’s also not a copy-cat, as it forges its own style while staying true to the fundamentals this series was built on.
Ironically, given the film’s title, the gorgeously choreographed ballet-style action is absent here. Instead, Ballerina takes a grittier, and at times messier approach, mirroring Eve’s less experienced combat style. It makes frequent use of the surrounding environment during every violent encounter, where any object in arm’s reach becomes an improvised weapon. The framing isn’t quite as immersive, and some sequences do lose clarity in the chaos, but it always packs a punch. Although we never get anything as extraordinary as Chapter 4’s Dragon Breath sequence or Chapter 2’s silenced subway shootout, there’s plenty of creativity put into every action scene - especially one absolutely scorching sequence in the final act.
Ana De Armas steps into the lead role as Eve, and as always, she’s a joy to watch. Even when the script underwhelms, she delivers enough charismatic bad-assery to compensate. There are plenty of returning faces from the franchise too, including Angelica Houston’s “Director”, who plays an integral role in Eve’s upbringing and training. The Baba Yaga himself also makes an appearance, in a much larger role than expected. It’s always great seeing Keanu do his thing, but I wish his role was smaller, so De Armas could really make this project her own.
This franchise is known more for its fascinating world building than it is for strong writing, but it’s always gotten by with a lean, to-the-point style of storytelling. Unfortunately, this is where Ballerina stumbles, with an incredibly formulaic revenge plot that does the pacing no favours. Whenever the action comes to a halt to advance the plot or build on Eve’s personal stakes, it becomes glaringly obvious how underwhelming the script actually is. It’s serviceable, but its attempt to get the audience truly invested on an emotional level misses the mark by a mile.
Ballerina is thrown off-balance by its clunky narrative, but dazzles with a collection of well orchestrated, immersive action sequences. Ana De Armas’ Eve is a force to be reckoned with, and a compelling addition to this growing world of assassins. For everyone asking if this is a worthy addition to the John Wick franchise - Yeah, I’m thinking it is.
3.5/5
Review by: Benjamin Garrett