The John Wick franchise has never truly been novel in its approach to titling their movies. The only time they tried to mix it up was with the really odd subtitle “Parabellum” on chapter 3. So, I shouldn’t be too harsh on this spinoff, but I just feel like there’s a better way to incorporate the familiar John Wick IP, but still focus on the “Ballerina” the story is about.
The Ballerina mentioned is Eve (Ana de Armas). The movie follows her from a tragic incident that leads her to be trained in a mysterious ballet/assassin school. (These are probably very common in Europe). Early in her training, she discovers that an opposing faction is getting involved and just may be the reason behind her trauma.
Is it wrong that I wish this movie was about a final dance off instead of a big ol’ gun fight?
The elephant in the room is the Baba Yaga, John Wick, himself. The devout fanbase for the series is already familiar with characters such as Winston (Ian McShane) and Charon (Lance Reddick) and I wish they were the only crossover characters. I wish the filmmakers trusted the audience more with the familiar fighting tropes and world-building already established. This may sound bizarre, but there is a large chunk of time featuring Wick and all it does is remind you that the movie lacks confidence in itself. Reeves is as great as ever, but it’s not good when you mentally detach from the story and wish you were just watching John Wick 5.
All that aside, let’s talk about the quality of this world of ancient assassins.
Ballerina works in all the ways that count. Rumor has it that this movie was due for release a year ago. It was received as being a little forgettable. The studio brought in Wick director Chad Stahelski to help with reshoots. It’s reported that he helped polish the movie with some action scenes and, regardless of his work, the movie aligns perfectly with the stylish, quick, clean violence shown in the previous four Wick films.
The movie takes its time to set up the ballet school and Eve’s intro to a dangerous world, but once it does, it’s a blast to watch. The close-quarter combat, the gunplay, the unique weapons that we all (should) love are all here. And it isn’t just copying and pasting Ana de Armas where Wick could be. The movie overtly tells Eve (and the audience) that she will lose every fight if she approaches enemies traditionally. Instead, she needs to fight in a way that brings the mobs to her level, even fighting dirty when necessary. She is consistently seen as the underdog and gets the battle damage to prove it, which makes the action so fun to watch when she learns to get the upper hand.
There is a story within Ballerina, but it doesn’t go deep, and just seems a little silly when it tries. What works for the franchise is just how serious it takes itself when it comes to expanding the world’s power structure with each movie. I can’t help but feel incredulous at just at expansive and ancient all of these assassin groups are.
The issue with Ballerina is that it has the same issue that I felt with John Wick 3, it’s far too long. There was a moment where Eve could have staged the big fight to end it all, but instead the movie decides to extend the movie by 20 more minutes. Great action is mentally delicious, but at some point, you can feel the cavities forming.
Ballerina is the worst movie in the John Wick world, but that means it’s still far better than most modern action movies. Ana de Armas plays the role well and gives it her all, especially in the fight choreography. The action is fun and often shockingly hilarious. These movies have truly perfected the way that violence and action should be filmed and staged. This is not a smart or original movie, but who really cares when our beloved assassin is using ice skate nunchucks. B-
Comments are closed.