From the World of John Wick: ‘Ballerina’ Film Review
by William Lindus
Part of the magic of the John Wick franchise lives in the vibrant world-building that is stuffed into every nook and cranny of each film. John Wick doesn’t live in our world; no, he lives in a world where assassins engaging in hyper-violent massive melees are a common occurrence any given city street, in a world where the Continental Hotel and its rules and the customs of the families and tribes of criminals and bounty hunters are never to be crossed, less one suffer the consequences. Expanding this world is the clumsily titled From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, a story of revenge set loosely during the third John Wick film, and starring Ana de Armas as an assassin from the Ruska Roma organization who seeks retribution against the cult that killed her father when she was a child.
And while Ballerina delivers on the promise of fun, frenetic kills set to elaborate set pieces, it unfortunately feels as though it merely lives in the world of John Wick, instead of expanding it.
Each action set piece is designed with the ‘rule of cool’ in mind. A fight might focus on a specific improvised weapon, from ice skates to kitchen pots and pans, or it might highlight a sequence showcasing explosives, or blades, or flame throwers, or pistols. Where Ballerina shines is in arranging these set pieces one after the other, always promising another spectacle, another bombastic moment to make you stand up and yell ‘Fuck yes!’
But it is in arranging these set pieces that Ballerina shows its flaws; lacking here is the connective tissue that should draw each sequence together. The script makes sense from a purely narrative perspective, but compared to the rich, vibrant world that these films usually inhabit, the sensation is more akin to going through the motions. Each bridging moment lacks real motivation beyond moving to the next plot beat, resulting in a story that feels more stale than necessary.
Kudos, of course, to Ana de Armas, who proves herself to be a very capable action star. In her fight sequences, she gives as good as she gets (and then some!), delivering hits and kills that feel grounded within the world. She’s a believable addition to the world of John Wick, and it is unfortunate that her character was given only the most threadbare of motivations. Also lacking here are memorable one-liners, which shouldn’t be a requirement, but still feels like a missed opportunity given the number of quotable lines that Keanu Reeves had in the main John Wick series.
Ultimately, I’m probably being unfair to From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. It is a perfectly serviceable action film with some incredible sequences that had me on the edge of my seat. But, unfortunately, it is also the lesser of the John Wick films, and I can’t help but feel as though a bit of script tightening couldn’t have turned this into something truly special.
3.5 out of 5 Bear Paws