by Cyn’s Corner

“Ballerina” is the latest entry in the John Wick universe, starring Ana de Armas as a new assassin navigating the violent, rule-bound world we’ve come to know from the “John Wick” universe. Directed by Len Wiseman (“Underworld”) and written by Shay Hatten (“John Wick” 3 & 4), the film takes place during the events of “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.” Alongside de Armas, the cast includes Keanu Reeves, Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane, Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, and a bittersweet appearance by the late Lance Reddick.

I’ve been following Ana de Armas’s career since her early days on the Spanish-language series “El Internado,” back when she was just starting out and didn’t even speak English yet. She’s come a long way, and in “Ballerina” she proves once again that she’s not only a solid actor with strong emotional range, but also a capable and convincing action star. Her performance grounds the film even when the action gets a bit too stylized or exaggerated.

There’s quite a bit to like here. The film leans into what fans of the later Wick entries expect: sleek visuals, stylized violence, and creative fight choreography. Some of the kills are especially inventive, and there are moments where the choreography is tight and satisfying to watch. There’s also a healthy dose of the franchise’s signature dark humor—nothing goofy, but enough to get a few laughs from the audience (including some of the press folks at my screening).

I appreciated that the film, at least early on, acknowledged the physical limitations of its protagonist. Eve isn’t a brute-force fighter; she’s smaller, faster, and smarter. The movie makes a point to show her adapting, improvising, and “fighting like a girl”—meaning she cheats, tricks, and turns the odds in her favor. That was a welcome bit of realism … at first.

Unfortunately, that sense of groundedness fades as the film progresses. As Eve mows down wave after wave of attackers, she starts to feel less like a scrappy underdog and more like a gender-swapped John Wick. She lacks his brute strength, sure, but she still takes an implausible amount of punishment and keeps going—with barely a scratch to show for it. By the end, the action pushes believability just as much as “John Wick” 3 & 4 did, which for me was a drawback. One of the things I loved about the first “John Wick” was how raw and relatively realistic it felt. “Ballerina” leans too far in the opposite direction.

The film does provide more story than some of the Wick sequels, as it doubles as Eve’s origin tale. We get a look at her motivations, her past, and how she came to be the woman we see today. Some of the plot twists were predictable (including one involving a family member), but the one involving Norman Reedus’s character caught me a little off guard in a good way. The film is also clearly setting up for a sequel, and if it follows the Wick trajectory, that sequel will likely be even more over-the-top.

I do have a nitpick about the flashback scenes. They’re set 12 years before the main events of the film, yet Anjelica Huston and Ian McShane look exactly the same. A bit of de-aging would have helped sell the timeline better.

In the end, “Ballerina” is a mixed bag for me. I liked Eve’s origin story, some of the creative kills, and the familiar touches from the Wick universe. It didn’t irritate me as much as “John Wick” 3 & 4 did with their excesses, but it still skated a little too close to that style. Fans who enjoyed the escalation of those films will likely love this one. As for me, I found myself wishing it had pulled back just a little, and stayed closer to the gritty, grounded tone that made the first “John Wick” so compelling.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5