‘Ballerina’ — A Worthy John Wick Spin-Off with Killer Action

The world of John Wick expands after four movies and one TV show with a spin-off set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4 called Ballerina. The biggest question I had walking into my screening of Ballerina was, “Did we really need this movie?” It was up to writer Shay Hatten, director Len Wiseman, and star Ana de Armas (Blonde) to convince the world that you could do John Wick without John Wick (well, kind of). 

We open with meeting Eve and Javier, who find themselves under attack by a group of men led by the Chancellor. Hiding in the walls, Eve witnesses this group of men eventually killing her father. Shortly after, Winston Scott meets Eve outside the courtroom, leading her down a path of meeting the Director and starting down the path of “revenge.” 

John Wick movies are known for their high-intensity action sequences with sprinkles of storytelling. Thankfully, writer Shay Hatten doesn’t stay stuck in the idea of developing a full-blown origin story. Instead, we’re given a glimpse of the early days and what motivates Eve to follow the path she is on.

If John Wick can take down everyone and keep walking, why can’t Eve? In a world that consistently says we don’t need a woman James Bond, movies like Ballerina appear to remind us that women can kick ass too. The fight choreography, action sequences, and weapon use throughout the movie match everything we’ve ever seen within this franchise. It’s too bad that the Academy is waiting until 2028 to add the stunt category because Chad Stahelski and his team would be locked in for a nomination. 

Ana de Armas brought her A-game in the role of Eve. Armas has been hit-and-miss throughout her career with questionable project selection, but she just might be a bona fide action star that we need. This genre is overstimulated with plenty of men at the forefront, leaving little room for the women. Armas impressed me quite a bit with her ability to deliver in the high-octane hand-to-hand combat sequences while also conveying a little emotion. 

The choice of making Eve not as “cold-blooded” as John Wick but to have subtle emotion was a nice touch. However, there is one glaring mistake they made with Eve that really irked me. The culmination sets the stage for a one-on-one with Eve and Wick, and why they chose to belittle Eve in this moment almost makes the rest of the movie look bad. I understand that John Wick is “him,” but to knock the main character of your movie down a peg to remind us of that was a bad look. 

After John Wick: Chapter 4, this franchise has become accustomed to overstaying its welcome in the run time. While the film doesn’t reach the near-three-hour mark, it does overstay its welcome. You don’t notice the reshoots much as you are watching, but you can pinpoint moments where you are like, “This could’ve been cut out.” It should’ve been a tight hour and forty-five minutes, and we would’ve had a damn near perfect movie.  

Ballerina is an absolute blast, blending perfectly into this universe. Outside of my minor complaints about the runtime and some aspects of the writing, the film ranks among the franchise’s best. Len Wiseman understood the assignment in the director’s chair, while Ana de Armas became an action star in front of our eyes. If you are a fan of the John Wick universe, this is a must-see on the big screen with a packed audience.

Ballerina is now playing in theaters.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5