Eve Macarro finds herself alone when her father is assassinated by the criminals he wanted to escape and leave behind. An orphaned Eve, wanting revenge for her father’s murder, joins the Ruska Roma, training for the day she can strike back. During her missions, she investigates the mysterious cult responsible for the actions that put her on the revenge path. Going against the orders of her superiors, she sets out for revenge, only to find an entire town of assassins prepared to thwart her attempt at striking back.
I was a relative latecomer to the JOHN WICK bandwagon, but I won’t deny that the films are ultra-violent and entertaining. The prospect of a spin-off set in this universe certainly sounded intriguing, and this moviegoer was certainly ready to be entertained. In BALLERINA, the paint-by-numbers plot is basically just an excuse to unleash action scene upon action scene on the viewer. Fortunately, the scenes in question are pretty damn entertaining, and the make the movie good enough to recommend.
The title character is portrayed by Ana de Armas, quickly becoming one of my favorite young actresses. Even though BALLERINA is violent actioner first and a movie that puts its plot second, she certainly sells the part. The beautifully choreographed action scenes the movie relentlessly throws at viewers are handled well and quite capably by the leading lady.
The supporting cast, thankfully, fares just as well. These include the leader of the Ruska Roma, portrayed by Anjelica Houston, Ian McShane as the Continental Hotel Manager, Norman Reedus as a mysterious man our heroine encounters who may have ties to the murderous cult who took out her father, Gabriel Byrne as the central antagonist known simply as the Chancellor, and of course, Keanu Reeves reprising his role as John Wick himself, albeit in more of a supporting capacity.
BALLERINA definitely delivers when it comes to action. As far as R-rated titles go, it’s definitely one of the most relentless I’ve ever seen when it comes to realistic violence. The crowded theater I saw this screening with at AMC Town Square was in awe and applauding nearly every one of these moments. If stylized, tightly choreographed action scenes are your cup of tea, BALLERINA serves them up like no other movie in recent memory.
BALLERINA has a few flaws holding it back from perfection. The story is a pretty paint-by-numbers revenge tale we’ve seen a million times before, and the film is fairly predictable. There’s very little plot; it’s basically only what’s required to get from one action scene to the next. The movie has no “breathing room” whatsoever to speak of, and is perhaps a bit too relentless at times. The screenwriters also can’t help but bring John Wick into the film, when you have to wonder if his presence was really needed (though the audience I saw the film with seemed pretty impressed that he showed up). The purpose of a spin-off is to have something that stands on its own in its respective fictional universe, and bringing in the titular hero of the other films seem somewhat contradictory to this. Still, the film succeeds more than it falters.
BALLERINA is a solid enough spin-off set in the JOHN WICK universe despite its flaws. There’s not much of a plot, and what we do get we’ve experienced in a million other movies. But it’s the beautifully choreographed ultra-violent action scenes that sell the movie. It’s definitely worth seeing, but not for the squeamish – it most definitely earns its R rating.