BALLERINA. Ana de Armas Deadly Dancing [REVIEW]

It began with the theft of a Ford Mustang and the killing of a puppy, and ended in full-blown chases, brawls, and gunfights against the picturesque backdrop of Paris. Over four films, the John Wick series revitalized Keanu Reeves’ career, redefined the modern action genre, and laid the foundation for a full-fledged cinematic universe. Still, even the franchise’s most devoted fans (myself included) had reason to worry about Ballerina, the first theatrical spin-off from the Wick saga. First, director Chad Stahelski stepped aside, replaced by Len Wiseman. Then came rumors of disastrous test screenings and extensive reshoots—allegedly so comprehensive that Stahelski ended up reshooting the entire film from scratch. Add to that the lukewarm reception to The Continental prequel series, and fan confidence began to waver. So how does the Ana de Armas-led Ballerina stack up against the rest of the franchise?

Credit where it’s due: after the operatic excess of John Wick: Chapter 4, the filmmakers wisely opted not to escalate things further. Ballerina is arguably the most intimate entry in the franchise since the original John Wick. Once again, it’s a tale of revenge—when we meet Eve, the film’s protagonist, she witnesses her father’s murder at the hands of mysterious assassins. She eventually ends up at the ballet academy run by the Ruska Roma (previously introduced in Chapter 3), where she spends years training in the lethal arts of marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat, all the while haunted by the memory of the man who ordered her father’s death.

One of the opening sequences features a montage that intercuts Eve’s ballet practice with her assassin training—her duality being a central trait meant to set her apart from John Wick. As fans will recall, Keanu Reeves’ character was known in the assassin underworld as Baba Yaga, while Eve is directly compared to kikimora, a mythical Slavic spirit. According to one character, this creature brought ruin to the wicked but protected the innocent and helpless (folklore experts, feel free to fact-check that). These personality contrasts between the two protagonists, however, are mostly superficial. In truth, Eve and John share more than they differ—both are written from a similar genre blueprint, which may be the film’s biggest weakness for some viewers. Ballerina doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from the core series. Say what you will about The Continental, at least it attempted to play with ’70s aesthetics and more exaggerated characters. Here, you get exactly what you’d expect. Even swapping Keanu Reeves for Ana de Armas doesn’t make a huge impact—despite a line in which Eve’s instructor tells her to “fight like a girl” (whatever that’s meant to imply).

That said, I wouldn’t call that a major flaw. If the clunky subtitle loudly advertises that we’re watching a film set in “The John Wick Universe,” then it’s clear what we’re paying for. The action scenes meet the standard we’ve come to expect. A particular highlight is the climactic sequence set in a snowy mountain town, where the arsenal includes not just rifles and fists, but flamethrowers—and even ice skates. Ana de Armas already proved her action chops in No Time to Die, and here she doubles down. She brings charisma to both the intense fight scenes and the quieter, more introspective moments—like the aforementioned ballet training montage. Gabriel Byrne also impresses as the villain, maintaining a tricky balance between outward warmth and simmering menace. Supporting roles shine thanks to familiar franchise faces, especially Keanu Reeves and Anjelica Huston.

Despite the rocky lead-up, Ballerina turns out to be another solid entry in the series. It doesn’t significantly expand the universe or raise the bar for action filmmaking—but it delivers exactly what you’d expect from a John Wick-branded story. Whether that’s enough to sustain the franchise long-term without Reeves in the lead is debatable. But for now, it’s enough to make for an entertaining two hours at the movies.