Ballerina (2025)
Directed by: Len Wiseman
Premise: A spinoff of the John Wick series. As a girl, Eve (Ana de Armas) was adopted and trained by a criminal organization after her parents were killed. As an adult, she seeks revenge.
What Works: Ballerina fits neatly within the John Wick universe and it offers up a lot of what fans enjoyed about the other films. These movies are primarily distinguished by their set pieces and stunt work which are staged and shot with a specific visual style. The look of Ballerina is consistent with the other films, especially the later John Wick pictures; it has slick neon colors and very fluid action and the fights play like song and dance numbers. There are a few standout sequences especially in the second half. An outdoor chase and shootout through an idyllic-looking European town is furiously violent but also has a visual sense of humor. The climax includes a flamethrower fight that is beautifully shot and among the best set pieces in this franchise. The other quality that distinguished the John Wick films was its very specific world. The story imagined a whole economy built around assassinations with crime organizations and free lancers operating under a set of rules. Ballerina expands the story world with the introduction of the Cult, a closely knit community of assassins that do not respect the rules and do not allow anyone to defect. It is an interesting addition to the story world especially in the way it changes our understanding of the stability and the rules of this world.
What Doesn’t: As was revealed in the trailer, the character of John Wick appears in this story which takes place between the events of the third and fourth films. John Wick’s early appearances situate Eve’s story within this world and complement the themes of the existing films but the ending unnecessarily shoehorns John Wick into the climax. He doesn’t actually do much and John Wick could be removed from the story without meaningfully changing it. The four-film John Wick story was about a hitman wrestling with his profession. He wanted out but kept getting drawn back in. Ballerina is a straightforward revenge tale and it’s never that interesting. The pacing of Ballerina is frequently start and stop. That’s especially true of the action scenes. There is little build up or pay off. Characters just start shooting at each other until everyone is dead. The action scenes rarely accomplish anything in terms of plot or character. Ballerina sometimes feels as though the story and the set pieces were devised separately, with the plot molded to accommodate the action sequences.
Bottom Line: Ballerina is a satisfying addition to the John Wick series. It’s not a great movie but neither was the original John Wick. This is a good introduction to a new character and it could be the start of a promising storyline.
Episode: #1052 (June 15, 2025)