Ballerina, otherwise known and marketed under the less catchy but more specific title From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, is a spinoff in the Wickverse, further expanding the lore and array of characters in the seedy world of assassins. Featuring a ballet dancer briefly glimpsed in John Wick: Parabellum, Ballerina brings action-packed perfection back to the big screen.

Eve MaCarro (Ana de Armas as adult, Victoria Comte as child) loses her father to a group of assassins who invade their home. Seeking refuge at the New York Continental hotel, Eve receives an offer from hotel owner Winston (Ian McShane) to join the Ruska Roma, which is led by the stoic Director (Anjelica Huston). Over the next 12 years, Eve trains as both a ballerina and an assassin, hoping to one day hunt down the people responsible for her father’s death and seek revenge.

Ballerina is bloody, funny, and adrenaline-fueled. Starting off slow, the film eventually picks up its pace and finds its footing from the second act onwards, delivering one juicy action scene after another. Ana de Armas is terrific as the titular character, believable both as a dancer and a deadly killing machine. Her punches carry weight and her kicks have heft, a huge improvement over her stunt work in the 2023 action film Ghosted, in which she starred alongside Chris Evans. Keeping up the standard set by the rest of the franchise, the action sequences are choreographed perfectly, captured with fluid camera work and creative angles. This film even features some of my most favourite action set pieces in the franchise so far.

Despite having sung its praises and enjoying it tremendously in the cinema, I did find the film slightly disappointing in retrospect. The biggest reason is that I had higher expectations for the action sequences. John Wick films are best known for their fluid action sequences that are almost balletic. It is the blend of the highly choreographed martial arts action style in Eastern films with gunplays and brawls of the West that give the John Wick films a flair and fluidity in gun action not seen elsewhere before. There is even a term coined for this hybrid, “Gun-Fu”, a play on the word Kung-fu from Chinese martial arts.

It is therefore underwhelming that a film titled ‘Ballerina’ featuring a ballet dancer missed out on opportunities to lean further into the dance aspect of its action sequences. I ended up thinking the film was essentially just a female version of John Wick with a bit more backstory and training, minus the novelty. Creative and enjoyable as the action sequences are, it felt as if the filmmakers thought outside the box, but only just.

Another quibble I have is with John Wick’s involvement in the story. To be fully honest, I had no idea how extensive John Wick’s appearance would be in the film, as I had avoided the trailer. Therefore, it was a surprise when Keanu Reeves showed up in a particular moment during the film. While I love his role in this film and how the film explores some parallels between him and Eve, his appearance screws up the timeline of the franchise. This may not be a big issue for many, but I wish the filmmakers had found another way to make it work rather than shoehorning John Wick into the film.

The music by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard is electrifying in Ballerina. I was not a fan of their score for John Wick: Chapter 4. Therefore, I was delighted to find them back in form for this film. Particular highlights of the score include “Eve to Hallstatt” and “Great Hallstatt Bake Off,” both excellent examples of the distinctive sound they are adding to the franchise’s canon of remarkable music.

All in all, Ballerina is an entertaining addition to the Wickverse that will please and satisfy fans of the franchise, and action fans in general. While I find it lacking in out-of-the-box creativity with its action sequences, the film still delivers. Perhaps most importantly, it might introduce the world to a potential new action star in Ana de Armas.

Author: Chia Jing Heng (andreusjh99)