Ballerina, the first John Wick spin-off film is here and the question on everyone's mind is does it live up to the high standards set by the franchise? The answer is complicated.
Ballerina Review
In 2014, Keanu Reeves' assassin thriller John Wick was released and the rest is history. His stoic, man-of-few-words character and the fascinating world he inhabited became a cultural phenomenon. As with anything successful, spin-offs were inevitable. First there was the forgotten show The Continental, which suffered for several reasons but the main one being it was completely Wick-less. Now, after a long production history that included reshoots by John Wick master director Chad Stahelski, the first spin-off film is here. Ballerina (aka From The World of John Wick: Ballerina), tries to carve its own bloody path with varying results.
Ballerina features some great stunt action and fight choreography, inventive and bloody in ways we haven't yet seen in the Wickverse. Ana de Armas throws herself into the role of Eve with solid determination and grit. She is not merely a knockoff, “gender swapped” John Wick, she stands on her and fights like a girl. Reeves' cameo moments are a definite highlight for fans, even if they serve as a reminder that there are better movies in the franchise. Without Stahelski’s vision, Ballerina often suffers by feeling like a generic action film, bogged down by heavy exposition. But when it lets the overstuffed plot go in favor of carnage, Ballerina becomes a fun watch.
Young Eve Macarro (Victoria Comte) watches as her father (David Castañeda) is murdered by a group of assassins, led by a man named the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). She vows revenge despite her only clue to their identity being an “X” scar on their wrists. She is taken in by the Director (Anjelica Huston) and the Ruska Roma becomes her new home. Twelve years later, Eve (de Armas) is finally ready to take on missions. But when she is attacked by a man bearing the same “X” scar, she becomes hellbent on tracking down her father's killers. Against the orders of the Director, Eve goes after the cult of assassins. Her journey will lead her to a Scandinavian town, the Chancellor, and possible answers about her parents' mysterious past.
For about the first two-thirds of its runtime, Ballerina sets out to check off all the boxes for a John Wick movie: revenge story, nightclub fight scene, assassin politics and squabbling, as well as the obligatory trip to the NYC Continental and another to whatever local abode houses The Sommelier. The Continental moments meant we got to spend time with Winston Scott (Ian McShane) and Charon (and the late, great Lance Reddick, in his final film role). But this female assassin's quest for revenge lacks the same emotional oomph as Wicks. For one she never saw who killed her father, so the inevitable final confrontation with The Chancellor lacks the depth needed to drive home the relief she must feel to finally face him. Two, the movie often relies on these cameos and of course Wick himself to justify its existence.
Some would argue that Reeves' cameo should have been kept a secret, and I can see the merit in that. However, based on the lackluster response to the show and him being the reason these films work the way they do, it was smart to reveal he would show up somewhere. Otherwise, I have a strong feeling a lot of fans would have sat this one out. Surprisingly, he gets not one but two appearances. The first acts as an overlap with John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum, when Wick happens to meet Eve during his meeting with the Director. They have a brief conversation that establishes that they are utterly opposed in terms of story arc. He wants to leave this world behind, telling her to use the door before it closes. While she wants nothing more than to do what the great Baba Yaga does. Then the big moment happens later with Wick playing a key role in the finale. Although it derails the idea that Ballerina is trying to be its own thing, I couldn't help but smile and enjoy watching Wick do what he does best. I just love that character. I was also grateful they didn't try to make Eve stronger or more skilled than Wick. She only gets the upper hand on him once when they face each other and you can tell it was something he allowed for his own motives.
Though Eve feels like a less fleshed out Black Widow in a Rated R movie, de Armas throws herself into the role. Eve never seems delicate but rather vicious for her size, fueled by a raw desperation. Once she learns to “fight like a girl”, the action ramps up with the stunt coordinators making use of de Armas petite build to stage some interesting sequences. My favorite fight of hers was when she had only hand grenades as weapons which forced her to get inventive in order to take the nameless baddies down while not blowing up herself. Each fight sequence attempts to top the last in terms of blood and wackiness. If you ever wanted to see a flamethrower standoff OK Corral style, Ballerina has you covered. I just with her ballerina training came more into play. Sure she has great balance but so does Wick. Her ability to dance and move like a ballerina should have been utilized more in some of these fights, particularly one that takes place on ice.
Reeves is great, no surprise there. The Boogeyman is once again terrorizing bad guys. “It's just one man!” Sure is, good luck with that. Byrne's Chancellor and his group of followers are pretty fascinating in theory. How a cult could arise within the world of John Wick's professional assassins is intriguing enough. But when you learn that they can gain access to the Continental and are so bad that the other killers give them a wide berth? I need that movie and information ASAP. Unfortunately, Shay Hatten's script isn't as interested in those answers as I am. Byrne is solid in the role as a cult leader and ruthless killer. I just wish we knew more about his corner of the world.
Verdict
Ballerina features some fun, bloody stunt sequences, and inventive fight choreography. de Armas' Eve manages to stand tall and do her own thing, despite playing in a very precise sandbox. I enjoyed watching her take down guys with grenades and defying the Director with a stubbornness perfect for this world. Reeves, along with the other cameos will be a highlight for fans, and will likely lead to rewatches of his entire story. Does Ballerina reach the bar set by its predecessors in the franchise? No. But is it entertaining enough to watch as a fan of John Wick? Yes. Eve's story isn't over. I hope if they revisit her in a future Ballerina installment that the script locks in on one or two plot points and then lets de Armas take it from there.
Ballerina is in theaters Friday, June 6. It is rated R for strong/bloody violence throughout, and language with a runtime of 2 hours and 5 minutes.
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