In the world of John Wick, there are rules and consequences, and copious miles of blood, whilst folks search for vengeance. Ah, the shrewd element of death lurks around every corner, not because of some local assassin’s guild. But, in a weary sense, it’s almost an unwavering commitment for this latest spinoff, Ballerina, to stop every so often to remind you, “Yeah, this is in the world of John Wick and it takes place after Chapter 3 – Parabellum.”
On one hand, it’s understandable, but the mere notion, let alone reasoning, of why a spinoff should exist is that it should deviate into its territory to appease folks of a thrilling series, not for Lionsgate to think, “Crap, we need another title and more box office commitments until we do Chapter 5!” As we touched on in the Karate Kid: Legends film recently, the idea of bringing back Keanu Reeves (and Ian McShane) tiptoes to a line of self-indulgence, even if both are very fun in their own right, and are tokens of “added elements” for this latest installment. Reeves gets a fantastic cameo in the first act, before nearly trouncing the third act with a story already on wobbly legs. And McShane keeps his presence integral and relatively neutral, so he serves more as a “guardian” than a friend, which has already been invested in the other main titles. (And a moment for Lance Reddick, as this is his final on-screen appearance, released posthumously.)
Anyway, the plot follows a young Eve (Victoria Comte) witnessing the death of her father from a rival underworld gang, with their mark being a conspicuous “X” ingrained on their wrists. Clutching her wind-up ballerina doll, she meets Winston (McShane), who takes her to the Ruska Roma to learn and train in the assassin traditions under the Director (Anjelica Huston) from Chapter 3. Twelve years later, the adult Eve (Ana de Armas) now has the skills to exact vengeance upon those who took her father years before, led by the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). So, Eve disobeys the Ruska Roma’s orders and inquires where to find this gentleman and finish her “contract.”
Yup, no dog this time. So, while it remains a tragic note to start on for the backstory, it does become very rote and vapid. It appears the screenwriters desperately want you to forget the drive as to why Eve is out hunting, and want to get to the incredible, nifty action sequences that this franchise has banked its efforts extremely well on. And, of course, they are the main sell here, offering inventive ways to keep the choreography fresh and eye-popping, as Eve runs around using any environmental aspect or improvised weapon to get past the waves of collateral. However, it lacks some oomph because it resembles a run-of-the-mill on-the-run-and-gun film, as some character revelations and the story unfold mediocrely.
As the leading role here, Ana de Armas does a formidable job and, much like in No Time to Die, she proves she can carry the mantle for an action star role. And it is a treat to see Reeves return, even if he should’ve been used to a lesser degree in the third act (despite him getting some kick-ass beats in). Overall, Ballerina does its best when it deviates from the world of John Wick affairs, and sustains itself thanks to de Arma’s committed performance. For the future, though, Lionsgate should remember that the branding should prioritize superior quality and franchise-specific delicacies rather than reminding you of what you liked over the past eleven years. Otherwise, we could discuss soon (lachrymosely) why John Wick became “Marvel-ized.”
