Synopsis
Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.
What We Thought:
Ever watch a John Wick flick and wonder what it would be like if they replaced Keanu Reeves with the world’s most beautiful actress? Well Ballerina is that movie and it is awesome. Because of the delays and reshoots, I wasn’t sure if Ballerina would work or fall flat on its toes. After seeing the movie, all the waiting was worth it.
Taking place after John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum, it is filled with John Wick Easter eggs, but it is still very much Ana de Armas’ movie. It has a cold open explaining where her character Eve comes from and the events that bring her to Anjelica Huston’s character. Then it jumps to the time frame of Parabellum and sends Eve on a murder spree like any good John Wick movie. The John Wick franchise got started because they killed his dog and stole his car and he had to come out of hiding to seek his revenge. In Ballerina, Eve’s past comes back when she sees a symbol on someone and she goes out to destroy everyone with ties to that symbol. Tiny dancer starts dropping bodies and I was very much there for it.
What the film does best is make the action realistic. Ana de Armas is absolutely gorgeous, but she’s pretty small. Eve is trained in dance and violence, but in the real world, a smaller woman like Ana would get destroyed by the big hulking bodyguards and assassins of her world. The film is smart to show her “fighting like a girl” and taking down men in ways no man wants to be taken down. She also throws grenades everywhere to defeat the size and strength advantage. A gun or knife levels the playing field, but one on one confrontations in the real world are usually won by the bigger fighter, the movie doesn’t hide the fact that Eve gets her butt whooped repeatedly, but it also does a great job showing how training and fighting dirty can balance things out.
It’s also an absolutely beautiful film to look at. John Wick 4 was visually stunning and despite having a different director, Ballerina captures the same visual aesthetic. Director Len Wiseman directed Kate Beckinsale in Underworld so I knew he could handle a female led action flick, but he also paints a beautiful picture with fantastic lighting and visuals. The coloring and shading mixed with overhead shots and backdrops you expect from a John Wick movie 100% makes Ballerina fit the universe. It’s violent like the previous four films, but also just as beautiful to look at. Add in a great score and music and the film is very much part of the cinematic world it claims to be in.
I loved Ballerina. I cheered on the violence and clapped repeatedly. I would have watched it again immediately afterwards. Wiseman and de Armas make a fantastic duo and I hope it gets multiple sequels. If you love the John Wick franchise you’ll love Ballerina as well. The wait was worth it because the resulting film is very much what it should be. There are plenty of Easter eggs and characters from the established franchise, but it’s every bit an Ana de Armas tour de force showcase. I’m ready to see it again.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Directed by: Len Wiseman
Written by: Shay Hatten
Based on Characters by: Derek Kolstad
Produced by: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Chad Stahelski
Cast: Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, with Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves
The Nerds Templar 