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Rating
Synopsis
After witnessing her father’s murder, young Eve Macarro (Victoria Comte) gets taken in by the Director (Anjelica Huston) for training. Years later, Eve (Ana de Armas) has become an accomplished ballerina and assassin known as a Kikimora. Following several successful contracts, Eve asks the Director about the cult that killed her father to exact her revenge. Despite the Director’s warnings, Eve pursues the cult, seeking help from Winston (Ian McShane) at the New York Continental. He leads her to Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus), a cultist staying in Prague with his daughter, Ella (Ava McCarthy). It turns out Daniel left the cult to protect his daughter, but they find and shoot him before kidnapping Ella. Eve finally arrives in the cult’s hometown, Hallstatt, where their leader, The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), demands her death. Soon, the Director catches wind of her disobedience and hires John Wick (Keanu Reeves) to deal with her.
Review
Much like last year’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Ballerina feels unnecessary yet still entertaining in its own right. While I enjoyed my time watching this movie, it seems like Lionsgate made it as a quick cash grab. Granted, it’s not as poorly executed a cash grab as Disney’s live-action remakes, but it’s still noticeable. The fact that we’re getting a spin-off instead of a true sequel gives the impression that Lionsgate is desperate. However, considering they released Borderlands, The Crow, and Megalopolis last year, all of which bombed, this makes some sense. Still, I’m worried that a new wave of spin-offs might diminish the main series by proxy and lead to franchise fatigue. Regardless of what the future holds, Ballerina still serves as a standalone action movie with plenty to offer. While not as strong as the main John Wick series, this movie delivers the stylized action we’ve come to expect.
Ana de Armas is easily the best part of the movie, delivering a stone-cold performance as Eve Macarro. She exudes confidence while showing a vulnerable side that goes against the “girl boss” stereotype of similar female-led action movies. Like Keanu Reeves, she effectively takes down bad guys but also takes a licking, making her badass moments more impactful. The big standout scene is when she roasts cultists with a flamethrower, eventually dueling with another flamethrower. Oscar nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno also stands out as Lena, a rival assassin working with the cult to eliminate Eve. Gabriel Byrne makes for a compelling villain, and Anjelica Huston delivers alongside Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick. Sadly, Norman Reedus feels somewhat wasted in his minor role, amounting to nothing more than a plot element. Also, Keanu Reeves feels like a cameo shoehorned in to ensure audiences know this is a John Wick-adjacent movie. Still, the fight scene between him and de Armas is another highlight of the film.
Considering he hadn’t directed a movie since the 2012 remake of Total Recall, Len Wiseman’s direction is surprisingly solid. Granted, it’s hard to tell how much of it was him, given the reports of Chad Stahelski massively reshooting scenes. However, according to more recent articles, Wiseman confirmed that there were no reshoots but rather additional scenes filmed. Regardless of that, the action sequences possess the signature fluidity and kinetic energy for which the series is known. Admittedly, some quick-cut editing and insufficient lighting make certain scenes hard to follow, but it’s not super distracting. Additionally, at only slightly over two hours long, the movie maintains a good pace and never feels padded. This movie is essential for John Wick fans, but casual viewers can also enjoy it as a standalone action film. Overall, Ballerina isn’t as strong as the main series, but it has plenty of good elements as well.
Ballerina is in theaters.
