For the most part, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is a solid summer spectacle—action-packed, boldly stylistic, and featuring a killer soundtrack, it’s undoubtedly a blast at the theatre. Despite the fact that Ballerina exists in the same universe as John Wick (and includes cameos from Keanu Reeves), the film effectively stands on its own and should be perceived as its own thing.
As a leading star, Ana de Armas continues to prove that there’s no role she can’t effectively steal and make thoroughly memorable. Here, especially, de Armas’ ability to capture raw pain soars off the screen, allowing the story’s thematic beats to come to life in a boldly compelling manner.
Anjelica Huston’s the Director, says it best: everyone has sadness, but not everyone has pain. And the embodiment of a deep, achingly visceral pain is something Ana de Armas excels at, making her role as Eve Macarro one that’s so captivating that it’s thrilling she’s in this universe. It’s exciting to follow her journey, and more importantly, it’s evocative to see a woman lead a role like this. Ballerina is so brilliantly choreographed and directed that every fight sequence feels like a dance you can’t look away from.
Len Wiseman isn’t new to this area, given everything he’s done with the Underworld series, but Ballerina also feels inherently lived in. Sure, we know some things from the John Wick universe, but it also feels like we’ve been with Eve longer than we have, which makes every beat of the movie an absolute joy to watch. The characterizations are what shine here apart from the action, and it’s what makes getting a second and potentially third film exciting.
The lesson here, in more ways than one, is about endurance and a woman’s agency. It’s coated with flashing lights and sequences to focus on the idea of what happens when a woman is allowed to make her own choices, whether driven by vengeance or familial loyalty. It examines the endurance that comes from pain and the gentleness that comes from not wanting to see others in the world suffer in the same way you did. This area is where de Armas’ character journey feels so raw and earnest. With it, she becomes the type of layered and multifaceted character to follow to all ends of the earth. (It also feels fitting that we get a woman like Eve and Yelena Belova in the same year!)
Now, the only part of Ballerina that doesn’t exactly stick the landing is the last twenty minutes or so. These characters are so captivating, and the revelations we get about them work so well that the final chunk of the action sequences feels less enthralling. It’s fun, sure. And again, the choreography does something riveting with every move, but it could’ve stuck a better landing with a slightly shorter runtime to balance it all. Unfortunately, by the end, it feels redundant.
Still, Ballerina is a worthy summer blockbuster to run to the theatres for. It’s made for the big screen, with stunning visuals, and the original score from Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard, as well as Evanescence’s “Fight Like A Girl” (feat. K.Flay), complete a soundtrack that deserves a surround sound experience.
Ballerina is now playing in theatres.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Lionsgate