by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
One of the most exciting aspects of the rich and dynamic John Wick universe is that there are so many different factions, tribes, and organizations, with plenty of history, conflicts, and characters to explore. Wick himself is such a haunting and intimidating presence that sparks fear in everyone who crosses his path, and his tale of revenge, retribution, and revolution was expertly told over the course of a four film. But there are many more characters with their own stories, backgrounds, and missions to explore. The franchise’s first cinematic spinoff (after Peacock’s series The Continental) does not shy too far away from Wick’s realm of the Ruska Roma. Trained in the same tradition as Wick, we have Ana de Armas’ Eve. A ballerina and assassin, her father was murdered by a dangerous tribe, and she seeks vengeance. Buckle up… here we go again.
After the first four films were directed by Chad Stahelski, Len Wiseman is the credited director on From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, and that is one of the more challenging things to reckon with here. Because from reports, it seems like Ballerina really is Stahelski’s film in the end. Almost the whole film was reportedly reshot by Stahelski, which led to its one-year delay. The scenes shot by Wiseman and his crew are fairly apparent — they have more of his Underworld aesthetic, versus the distinct look of Stahelski’s John Wick works. Ballerina might be a Wiseman film in name, but it really isn’t, and doesn’t feel that way. There is serious clunkiness in the first act, which highlights the clashing of Wiseman and Stahelski’s work.
But when the film moves into its second act, it doesn’t look back, becoming the full-blown action thrill ride that you would expect from this franchise. Romain Lacourbas’ cinematography is filled with detail and flair. He crafts dynamic shots, with the action being brought to life in fully in-camera. And the action itself is impressive as always. Its cool atmosphere with rich, colorful lighting gives the film an engrossing feeling. Plus, its good sense of humor leads to moments with legitimately hilarious laughs.
You expect the action to deliver in these films, but does Ballerina offer up an engaging new story? Eve certainly makes for a cool and empathetic new hero. Her father was murdered by a mysterious tribe of warriors, so she is taken in by The Director (Anjelica Huston) to become a Ruksa Roma, where a career of being an assassin becomes her new focus. But one fateful mission uncovers an X on an enemy’s wrist, opening the door for Eve’s newly invigorated journey to get vengeance for her father. Revenge stories are quite familiar for this franchise, but Ballerina manages to stay fresh, featuring interesting twists and turns. The world building is well done here, even if some of the narrative groundwork in the first act is delivered in a clunky fashion.
Namely, though there are plenty of returning characters, most of them don’t get a ton to do. While the Director and John Wick (Keanu Reeves) make the biggest impacts on the story, Wick’s presence comes across as if it was a later addition, along with Stahelski’s reshoots. But at least his connections to Eve make sense in the context of their backgrounds and her vengeful mission. Late revelations flesh out Eve’s background and how it fits into the greater underworld of the franchise. When it comes down to it, Ballerina has enough story and connection to build up Eve, and to give her lots of opportunities to take out goons in the most creative ways.
de Armas is of course the star of this film. She delivers all the physicality with zeal and energy. You can feel her struggle, as she portrays a newer assassin who is still learning her craft. de Armas is naturally charming and charismatic, and she goes against type to be cold and distant, which she does a fine job with. Reeves is John Wick for sure, and he sells every minimal line of dialogue and all his physicality. Huston is tough, with some bites as The Director. Her legendary presence is definitely welcome. Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick do their thing well, and are glad additions to the film. Veteran actor Gabriel Byrne brings presence and arrogance to the ruthless and refined The Chancellor, the leader of the antagonistic, brutal tribe of killers. Norman Reedus is a bigger name added to the mix, and he is solid in his limited screen time. But the real shoutout needs to go to all the stunt performers who fill out so many of the other characters, and sell every bit of the action and mayhem. They are the real MVPs of this top tier action franchise.
The wrinkles from the clashing directors are obvious, but Ballerina is still a wild, exciting, and entertaining thrill ride. The action is creative, with flamethrowers, kitchen instruments, and grenades… so many grenades, and Eve is a skilled, intense, and crafty protagonist with plenty of missions in her future. The film shows the promise of expanding the Wick universe — here’s to hoping the road is a little smoother for the next go-around.
Rating: Liked It
Ballerina is currently playing in theaters
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