From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Review by Ryan Michael Painter
Whenever I talk about why I love the John Wick films, it always comes back to the world building that Derek Kolstad worked into the first film. While some would describe the film as the story of a man who goes to extremes to avenge the killing of his dog, I’d call it a film about the unseen world of assassins where a man goes to extremes to avenge the killing of his dog.
So, Ballerina, a film that makes John Wick a secondary character, should be able to pick up on the momentum of the original film in the same way that the three Wick sequels did. Right?
**NOTE: You can read Ryan’s review below, then listen or watch as he and Mark discuss the film in more depth. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
125 minutes, Rated R
Directed by: Len Wiseman
Written by: Shay Hatten
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.
Ana de Armas stars as Eve Macarro, a young woman who has been raised and trained to be an assassin by the Ruska Roma family. The bulk of the film’s narrative sees Eve embark on an unsanctioned mission to find the group who were responsible for the murder of her father. This journey sees Eve navigate her way through the underground world established in the first Wick film.
Ballerina isn’t on par with the Wick films. Few films are. It is, however, a strong action film that entertains without tarnishing the franchise in any way. The truth of the matter is that Len Wiseman, who is best known for his work in the Underworld franchise, is a solid director. I would have hired him for this project. He’s just not on the same level as Chad Stahelski who directed or co-directed the four Wick movies. When it comes to filming action sequences, few are.
Also, the screenplay by Shaw Hatten, who co-wrote the third and fourth Wick films, doesn’t feel as groundbreaking. I wouldn’t say that the Wick films were entirely original. In many ways they took the best of action films and gave it a new spin. Where the Wick films reveled in the genre’s tropes, Ballerina feels held back by them. It’s familiar without being as innovative.
The one thing that Ballerina pulls off that should be celebrated is that it is able to use Wick as a secondary character in a way that makes sense. He’s not shoehorned in. He doesn’t steal the spotlight.
Ultimately, I’d happily sit down for a sequel made by the same team of filmmakers. Ana de Armas is a fantastic action actress, and Eve is compelling enough that I want to see what comes next for the character. Hopefully the sequel would operate in an unexplored space.
Ballerina is in theaters June 6 and stars Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, with Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves.
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