Two years have passed since john Wick: Chapter 4 stunned viewers everywhere. From developing the disastrous The Continental limited series on Peacock to announcing a Caine spin-off feature written and directed by Donnie Yen, an anime-inspired prequel, and—in a somewhat contentious move—John Wick: Chapter 5—Lionsgate has now made significant steps to grow the franchise. However, Ballerina, also known as From the World of john Wick: Ballerina (2025), is responsible for all of these intriguing possibilities. Thanks to Ana de Armas's incredible lead performance, just amazing action, and a significant expansion of the franchise's backstory, the first john Wick spin-off film fortunately passes the test with flying colors.

Ballerina, which takes place between john Wick: Chapters 3 and 4, centers on Eve Macarro, an orphan who was taken in by the Ruska roma to train for their deadly protector program.  Eve develops her abilities under the supervision of The director (Anjelica Huston) before venturing into the realm of murder-for-hire alone.  She meets Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus) in the field; he is an assassin who fled from a hitman cult that has taken over a small Prague town, led by The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne).  Eve chooses to exact revenge after realizing that this is the same vicious bunch that murdered her father. 

The director asks john Wick (Keanu Reeves), the baba Yaga himself, to stop her when her actions become too well-known.  First of all, fans of Ana de Armas' far too short role in no time to die (2021) will be ecstatic.  De Armas has reinvented herself as a formidable action star in the role of Eve Macarro.  Although she is capable of handling the franchise's trademark gun-fu shooting scenes, Eve stands out because, as Sharon Duncan-Brewster's character states early on, she learns to "fight like a girl." 

In actuality, Eve uses her agility far more when fighting like a lady than when watching assassins in earlier john Wick films.  Furthermore, Ana de Armas is an expert at using her opponents' weight against them and taking advantage of their vulnerabilities with any weapons, tools, or common objects in her path. 

Ana de Armas's portrayal of Eve Macarro complements Shay Hatten's screenplay, which reportedly benefited from extra suggestions from Saltburn (2023) director Emerald Fennell.  Despite having a clear retribution plot, Eve's inexperience with assassination makes her an intriguing character from a narrative standpoint.  The audience is given a firsthand look at what it takes to climb the ladder through Eve's eyes, as she is just beginning.  Ballerina does a fantastic job at revealing a previously undiscovered aspect of this cosmos.  The Ruska Roma's customs are further explained and investigated, revealing an intriguing kind of fraternal order. 

Seeing important scenes from john Wick: Chapter 3 from a new perspective is entertaining.  Charon (the late, great Lance Reddick) and Winston (Ian McShane) are always welcome.  It becomes a little thorny at the john Wick of it all.  Wick's presence works well for most of the movie's duration.  Being an experienced killer, he provides Eve with a useful contrast and guidance.  Until the third act, when his sized-up role borders on cheap fan service, his inclusion feels natural.

Although it's not a bad decision, john Wick's goal in Ballerina's final act sticks out sharply from the rest of the movie.  That is indeed one of the few mistakes in the spine-tingling film.  Yes, the dialogue might not be as polished as in previous episodes.  But when the action is as amazing as it has ever been, what difference does it make?  Some of the most intense fight scenes and shootouts in the series are filmed by French cinematographer Romain Lacourbas (The Witcher).  One of the first highlights is a neon-lit, polar-themed nightclub scene in which Eve sneaks in with only non-lethal weapons, establishing right away what makes her combat technique unique.  And that's only the beginning. 

Ballerina previews have already revealed that Wick plays a minor part in baba Yaga's story.  A later scene gives me the intended sense of excitement at seeing Reeves in the role again, but his opening part feels more forced than I had hoped.  It serves as a reminder that while Eve is extremely similar to him, no one in this world is superior to him.  De Armas distinguishes herself from Wick by putting a feisty intensity into every combat sequence, solidifying her position as a legitimate action star.  More than anything else, I cherished the opportunity to interact with this character. 

Overall, We Just Hope The Killer Gets To dance Once Again!

Ratings:  ⭐⭐⭐☆


 
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Ballerina Movie Review

SIBY JEYYA

05/06/2025 07:52 AM