Much like the films’ main character, the John Wick franchise won’t die. That’s not necessarily a bad idea for anyone who enjoys action set pieces that feature gun fights, realistic hand-to-hand combat, and even the thinnest of plots. John Wick 4 showcased the completed arc of Keanu Reeves’s character to a somewhat satisfying degree. However, the series created by Derek Kolstad brought us a short-lived TV show, and now Ballernia, starring Ana de Armas. The hope is that Armas will carry the franchise and that the movie will open the door for other stories to be told.
What’s presented is a rehash of old ideas, a messy plot, and some terrific action pieces that amount to a barely passable movie.
Ballerina (or marketed as From the World of John Wick: Ballerina) puts filmmaker Len Wiseman behind the camera. The script, written by frequent John Wick writer Shay Hatten, introduces a somewhat new figure, Eve, played by Armas, into the John Wick world. Eve witnesses the death of her father as a child at the hands of The Chancellor, played by Gabriel Byrne, and is on a Baba Yaga-style warpath of vengeance. Basic plot details that sound familiar to John Wick, but Hatten tries it from a different angle.
The writing from Hatten is enough to keep the Ballerina movie moving forward, for the most part. Eve’s sights are set on her mission, and a little detour happens during that journey. Daniel Pine and his daughter, Ella, played by Norman Reedus and Ava Joyce McCarthy, respectively, cross paths with Eve. The inclusion of the father-daughter dynamic is an interesting direction to take this franchise, and it’s something that hasn’t been explored much. Yet, the movie makes almost nothing of the setup.
Hatten’s introduction of Daniel and Ella allows Eve to rethink her mission, giving the movie a more emotional punch that’s ultimately wasted. Ballerina shifts from a story of vengeance to a hostage/kidnapping situation and drops the plot within ten minutes of its introduction. What makes the idea even more insulting is that the plot is revisited near the end of the Third Act, which was perplexing to see. It’s as if Hatten or the director/directors—more on that later—forgot the characters and made a poor attempt to incorporate them into the movie. It doesn’t stop there.
One thing that these movies are known for is their plots, which are often the least complex. I wasn’t looking for anything significant, but Ballerina should make sense. A predictable Third-Act character reveal is set up at the beginning of the movie, which is subsequently wasted, never earned, and falls flat. A significant plot point in the film is that Eve’s father, David Castañeda, is trying to escape this cult of mercenaries with his daughter.
The concept of fanatics in the John Wick world is a new and intriguing idea that opens the door to numerous possibilities, but little is revealed about this group. We got at least some valid information about the mysterious High Table in the first John Wick. In Ballerina, they might as well have been moving targets with prerecorded cliché phrases. Sadly, the most wasted material in the movie is John Wick himself.
To put it bluntly, John Wick did not have to be in this movie. I love me some Keanu Reeves. The man is charming as f**k and awesome to see as Wick. Yet, there was no reason for the guy to be in the movie. Ballerina takes place between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick 4, and the inclusion of the character raises more questions than answers. The addition comes across more as a lack of confidence in allowing the movie to be its own thing and more of an attempt just to put butts in theater seats.
It’s not all bad—barely.
The first half of the movie sticks to what the John Wick movies are known for. There’s an action set piece that takes place in a club, which isn’t too bad to watch, but it’s not anything new. It’s by the second half that Ballerina tries something new. Eve is forced to fight her way out, using only hand grenades, which comes off as original and fun to watch.
Later in the movie, she relies on a flamethrower against a horde of bad guys before confronting the penultimate boss fight. The choreography and camera work reminded me of the “Dragon Breath” sequence in John Wick 4 and were truly astonishing to watch. Yet, it should be mentioned that these two sequences at the midpoint of Ballerina are a clear indicator that two different people directed this movie.
It has been rumored that Wiseman’s directing was not up to snuff and that Chad Stahelski reshot most of the film. The evidence becomes increasingly apparent as the Ballerina unfolds, particularly when I notice how well the thought-out action, story, and set piece work together. The grenade fight came off as a director who was more familiar with this world and how to make the action flow more naturally. Ballerina features a big “fight for survival” setup in the Third Act that led me to believe someone with more confidence behind the camera and a better understanding of this world took the reins of the film.
Ballerina sets itself up with a sequel in mind, hopefully carrying this franchise when Keanu Reeves finally taps out. The film had numerous opportunities to try new things in this world, but dropped the ball in almost every aspect. Armas does a decent job as a “rough around the edges” assassin, but Wiseman and Hatten might need to step away from this franchise. The second half is serviceable, yet Ballerina is just a massive mess of a movie.