Ballerina Review: A Thrilling Action Movie That Relies Too Much On John Wick

Will the masses flock to a "John Wick" movie without John Wick (Keanu Reeves)? That's been the question on a lot of minds ever since the controversial ending of "John Wick: Chapter 4" permeated through the pop cultural consciousness. Alas, in the wake of "Ballerina," the first to be released of the many planned "John Wick" spin-offs currently in development, that question will go unanswered.

"Ballerina" has been marketed under its full title, "From the World of John Wick: Ballerina," because Lionsgate knows everyone and their mother has already released some kind of Wick clone with fierce, balletic gunplay and brutal hand-to-hand combat all drenched in bisexual lighting schemes. While this one is the first canon spin-off and not just another convenient doppelgänger, it does rely more heavily on the presence of Keanu Reeves' iconic boogeyman than the trailers might suggest. 

For someone enamored with the Wick-verse who just wants a new fix from that world, "Ballerina" is an unequivocal success. Ana de Armas holds her own as Eve Macarro, a dancer turned assassin trained by the same family that made John Wick such a violent threat. But is her story, on its own, enough to sustain interest — or its own sequels? That is harder to parse.

Ana de Armas stars as the titular ballerina Eve Macarro, a woman on a lifelong mission of revenge to kill The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), the man responsible for her father's death when she was a little girl. But as in other "John Wick" films, the labyrinthian rules of the "John Wick" universe cause all manner of dramatic complications centered around debts, obligation, and tradition. Eve was taken in by the Director (Anjelica Huston) of the Ruska Roma, where she grows from being one of their theater's best dancers to one of their most gifted operatives. We watch her graduate into doing protection work until her assignments bring her back into contact with the group she's been running toward her whole life. But the family cannot sanction her personal quest, as it would violate the treaty they have with the Chancellor's organization. 

In classic "John Wick" fashion, we watch Eve take on all comers, fighting with her fists, feet, and an ornate array of firearms. She even crosses paths with the Baba Yaga himself, as "Ballerina" takes place both during "John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum" and before "John Wick: Chapter 4." It says a lot about de Armas as a performer that in those moments where the two go toe-to-toe, she holds her own. The biggest takeaway from "Ballerina" is that between her training on "No Time to Die" and real-life proximity to movie magic maniac Tom Cruise, de Armas is an absolute natural at playing action star. She possesses such presence and intensity, yet wrung through the same inherent babyface sympathy we felt for her in "Knives Out." But while she stands out, her character doesn't always.

The developmental history on this one is a bit strange, but it's odd in a way that directly informs the shape of the film itself. Screenwriter Shay Hatten wrote "Ballerina" on spec as its own standalone revenge thriller, but Lionsgate felt it was of a piece with the world of John Wick, so it was optioned as a spin-off, with Hatten himself brought in as one of the writers on the third film tasked with massaging his own story into the established mythology we all know and love. Without directly reading his original draft, it's unknowable what was altered or adapted to fit the two worlds together, but watching the film, it's pretty clear where the seams have been stitched. Thematically, "Ballerina" operates on a similar level to the other movies in the series, but there is a distinct shift from the way the world has been built up to now.

The other films feel distinctly like a tabletop gaming enthusiast DM'ing a neo-noir themed road map, while the various narrative turns in "Ballerina" feel a little more boilerplate, until someone makes a direct reference to The Continental or we see fan favorites Winston (Ian McShane) and Charon (the late Lance Reddick) make appearances. As a result, the thrust of Eve's arc and its plot particulars are hard to get into until they cross paths with the entities and organizations we're already familiar with. Which brings us back to the John Wick problem.

It's no secret that this movie's release was delayed a year because "John Wick" director Chad Stahelski was brought in to do extensive reshoots (allegedly without the presence of "Ballerina" director Len Weisman, who is no action slouch himself) to improve upon the carnage and bring the spin-off closer in quality to the mainline of films. What that means is that all the fight scenes and shoot-outs are marvelous crowd pleasers, but much of the non-violent narrative bits that stitch it all together are severely lacking. Without getting into heavy spoiler territory, there is a point in this film where the story feels like it is naturally wrapping up, albeit on less than satisfactory terms, before much of Eve's arc seems to be pushed aside for a new final act more broadly inclusive of John Wick himself.

In some ways, it saves the picture, as the last set piece is a fantastic one. But in others, it exposes the central issue with building a franchise outward from its core star. Sure, Stahelski and Keanu Reeves were able to salvage this before it damaged the brand, but the tricks they pull off here won't work for the other planned expansions. If they want to make other films in this world, they're going to need to invest in and trust in new stars. Ana de Armas here is incredible. If they give her another outing, she just needs a story they can hang on her and her alone, without calling in the calvary.

"Ballerina" hits theaters on June 6.