John Wick: Ballerina

The John Wick franchise, especially its sequels, have always been characterised by relegating the plot to a third tier of importance, behind the fight choreography and stunts, and also behind atmosphere or what you could describe as "style": being as inventive as possible with the development of the fight scenes, filming them in a way that makes ultra-violence seem somewhat beautiful, almost like... a ballet.

As the sequels went by, John Wick Chapter 4 got to the extreme that story and dialogue were reduced to a bare minimum, and it didn't matter that plot devices and character motivations were almost nonsensical, as long as they glued together long, looooong action scenes, that were quite literally non-stop. But they had to start with something: a character presentation that really made you connect, empathise, and really fall in love with the character. The first John Wick movie was a masterclass in that regard: starting with something as simple as a revenge quest for a dog that suddenly became part of a much larger and mysterious universe, with a hefty amount of self-parody and absurd humour.

Ballerina, the first proper John Wick spin-off, has to deliver on both sides: offering an action spectacle in line with the craziness that we've come to expect with the John Wick sequels, as well as presenting a new protagonist that is as compelling as Wick, being something more than just a female version of him.

It is with pleasure that I can confirm that the movie gets the first part right (this is a huge action festival with some incredible fight scenes), and that was really the most important part, because after all this is part of the John Wick series. The other part, everything related to characters and script... is mostly right, although there are some problems that make the film feel more generic and too serious.

Starting with, if not the bad, certainly not the most exciting aspects of the movie, Ana de Armas' character, Eve, is not particularly interesting: she has a cliché origin story, she is fuelled by the typical revenge desire, but lacks the human touch that Keanu Reeves' Wick had. While far from being someone you would call "charismatic" in a traditional sense, I found it easier to connect with Wick, maybe because he avoided most stereotypes from action heroes: he was simply a regular guy who just wanted to chill, and then suddenly you find out he is an impossibly skilled assassin working for an also impossible deep underground crime world.

The absurdity of the whole premise and how the worldbuilding gets much bigger than anyone could imagine is what made those movies so interesting beyond the pure visual pleasure of the fights. Now, after four films and a TV series revealing its secrets, it is hopeless to think you can elicit that initial surprise, an almost sense of wonder as the true scale of the criminal world unfolds in the sequels. I will never forget how John Wick Chapter 2 ended and suggested that basically every person in New York City was an assassin trying to hunt Wick, but only after midnight: it was so ridiculous that it was then when I realised how special this series was.

Ballerina does recreate some moments like that (with a whole village), but the tone is much more serious and the character introduction is a bit too long (and feels too similar aesthetically to Marvel's Black Widow). With the large amount of reshoots, I wouldn't be surprised if most went to the second half of the movie, to make it feel more like a John Wick film in terms of absurd scale and senseless mayhem, without needing long flashbacks or character exposition that kill some of its "magic".

It is nevertheless interesting to watch a new portion of the John Wick universe (which includes small roles for Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and yes, Keanu Reeves). And while Ana de Armas' character is not the most interesting lead, she is fully committed to the physical side of the job, and that is really the main draw for any John Wick saga movie.

The action scenes are plentiful, almost countless, probably more than you would expect if you were to compare it to John Wick 1, which looks relatively tame in comparison (although not as many as John Wick 4, thankfully because this didn't need to go beyond two hours, let alone three). As with the best parts of the saga, you get a lot of moments of "I can't believe they did that!", strings of fight scenes that don't go anywhere narratively but are simply cool to watch, a lot of "oof" and "aagh" as Ana de Armas uses everything from hammers to grenades to plates and ice skates as weapons to make each fight feel distinct. And the town in the Alps where most of the movie takes place is so damn beautiful and is used to the fullest, almost like a sandbox game.

And, finally, the crown jewel, a lengthier than expected fight scene that takes the gun-fu formula but exchanges guns with flamethrowers, that is worth the price of admission alone. It is a shame that the Oscar for Best Stuntwork will not be given this year (starting in 2027 for movies released in 2026) because it is a marvel to see how Ana uses a flamethrower as if it was nothing, setting ablaze dozens of bad guys, all of that in frame, with the fire enveloping the camera in a way that I almost felt uneasy (in the best way possible) when watching it. A "hold my beer" moment for director Len Wiseman, all the stunt team, and of course Ana de Armas, fully committed to making the most spectacular film possible.

In the end, while Ballerina feels a bit too cliché even for the John Wick franchise standards, and Eve is not the most charismatic character in the world, the movie does have its moments of absorbing world building that provides more questions than answers, and the John Wick cameo is really well thought out. And the action scenes? They are a total blast, have an excellent use of location and environment, and there's one particular scene that will go down as one of the best fight scenes in the history of action movies. It's maybe not the best in the franchise, but a confident start of a new spin-off series that is worth watching at the cinema.