‘Ballerina’ Review: This Assassin’s Dance Stumbles Before Sticking the Landing

“Ballerina”, although satisfactory as an action movie, struggles to shine brightly within the impressive world of the John Wick franchise. The film features the young assassin Eve Macarro’s vengeance quest, which unfortunately suffers when compared to the brilliance of Chad Stahelski’s Keanu Reeves-driven series. Despite a slow start, “Ballerina” improves in the second half, showcasing some exciting action scenes and editing skills. Despite its flaws, the film maintains an enjoyable, unpretentious spirit throughout, offering some fun moments for fans of the John Wick series.

– “Ballerina” is an action movie that falls short in comparison to the revered John Wick franchise, struggling to stand out among its superior predecessors, especially in terms of its choreography and dialogue.
– The film revolves around Eve Macarro, a dancer-assassin on a revenge mission to avenge her father’s murder and ultimately crosses path with John Wick who is sent by the Director to stop her.
– Despite some weak points, “Ballerina” gains momentum in the final act with its thrilling, chaotic stunt work, serving as a decent bridge between films in the John Wick series.

“Ballerina,” an action movie of modest quality, will likely struggle under the enormous influence of one of the greatest modern franchises, John Wick. It finds it hard to elude the exceptional Keanu Reeves’ four-film series, particularly when its flaws are compared directly with the virtues of Chad Stahelski’s movies. Nevertheless, this young killer exhibits some learned skills from her mentor. Like “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” the initial part of “Ballerina” demands more tolerance than the latter half, when the action escalates and even the cutting/choreography sharpens. The final third of the movie is essentially one long, silly action sequence, providing the kind of unadulterated entertainment one desires from a “From the World of John Wick” flick.

“Ballerina” seems to be set between “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” and “John Wick: Chapter 4,” although the timeline is somewhat disjointed given Wick’s roles in this film and the immediate succession of chapters 3 & 4 to one another. The film focuses on Eve Macarro, a character briefly seen as a dancer-assassin in “Parabellum”, played by Ana de Armas, who, after her father was killed by hitmen and taken in by a tribe of assassin/bodyguards, is tutored by Anjelica Huston, who plays the head of assassins/bodyguards clan.

The early action scenes, directed by Len Wiseman (who hasn’t directed action, much less a movie in over a decade), will disappoint franchise fans accustomed to clear, concise, and well-planned action. Unlike its predecessors, “Ballerina” falls into the trap of quick cuts and camera swinging to disguise lackluster fight choreography and stunts. However, cinematographer Romain Lacourbas ensures we don’t lose sense of the setting but Jason Ballantine’s overzealous editing detracts from the narrative, especially for avid John Wick followers.

Some light comes from Eve’s quest for vengeance for her dad’s murder which leads her to cross paths with Norman Reedus at a Prague Continental, who steers her to the Chancellor. As she torches his empire (often literally), the “Director” calls in Wick himself to stop her.

A magnificent sequence in a snow-covered restaurant marks the return of Byrne’s Chancellor and an improvement in both the movie’s narrative and action. This is followed by the film’s most amusing scene featuring a television paying homage to some comedic influences on these films, like Buster Keaton and The Three Stooges.

“Ballerina” maintains its momentum into the final third but Reeves’ reappearance seems more of a fan delight than a plot necessity. While Reeves has a bigger part in the climax that one expects, de Armas offers an okay performance. Notably, the movie’s dialogue, according to Shay Hatten’s script, is cheesier than the franchise’s norm, often resorting to clichés rather than developing character. This is also apparent in some aspects of the action.

Despite its weaknesses, when “Ballerina” hits the right notes, it does so well. Its best scenes feature Eve being chased by an entire European village intent on killing her. This is wildly entertaining stunt work by silent comedy fans. Perhaps “Ballerina” should be seen not as separate from John Wick, but as a bridge from one film in the franchise to the next. In that context, it serves its purpose well.

RATING: 3 out of 5 stars.

Ballerina: From the World of John Wick is in theaters on June 6th, 2025.