20 hours ago
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What started as a simple tale of a hitman coming out of retirement to avenge his dead dog has ballooned into four films, with one more on the way, a television series, and now a spin-off film featuring a completely different but equally capable assassin with an axe to grind. Eve witnesses her father’s death at the hands of a gang marked only by a scar in the shape of an X on their wrists. With no one to turn to, she joins the elite squad of killers known as the Ruska Roma, who train her to become a one-woman army.
In many ways, Ballerina is a carbon copy of the first film, but refreshingly centres on a much less refined character. Where Keanu Reeves’ Wick was cold and calculating, Ana de Armas’ Eve is a novice. She’s still learning the ropes, which makes the action in the film feel chaotic. It’s shot and choreographed with the same level of intricate detail as the rest of the John Wick films, but here, the fight scenes are shaped by character. At one point, Eve is told that her size will make her an easy foe to defeat, prompting her to get creative in her fight to survive.
She’s scrappy and willing to fight dirty, treating the audience to action that’s both suspenseful and surprising. It’s also a more comedic movie than I expected. While the main storyline deals with grief in the face of tragedy, some moments boldly veer in the opposite direction, embracing cartoonish levels of humour. The tone doesn’t always match, but the bits are so brief they hardly disrupt the narrative. Instead, they offer a welcome release of tension – without which Ballerina might have felt like a bit of a slog.
The story goes in a direction that can only be described as a soap opera. There are twists and turns that feel needless, and certain plot developments get dispatched quickly like they never happened. On the other hand, Ballerina has some outlandish elements that make little to no sense when pondered for more than a moment, but that’s par for the course in the world of John Wick, and a beloved staple of the franchise.
Through it all is Ana de Armas who fits comfortably in a world where her dainty physique shouldn’t make an impression but does all the same. She’s a force to be reckoned with and anchors the film with her singular goal, despite her messy approach to achieve it. The action is consistently compelling all the way through with a finale that’s exciting and gripping, cementing the film’s ranking among the very best of John Wick adventures.
Rating: Big Screen Watch
Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies
English (US) ·