Ballerina review – A propulsively flamboyant John Wick spin-off
This tale of an elite female assassin played by Ana de Armas is not terribly original – but it's the very definition of a summer treat.
This propulsively flamboyant spin-off set in the world of John Wick satisfies enormously, despite being a not terribly original tale about an elite female assassin.
The plot takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, when Wick (Keanu Reeves) is on the run from the High Table. The focus is now on Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) as she sees her father Javier (David Casteneda) murdered by mysterious members of an ancient cult marked with X wrist brands, and led by the evil Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne).
Taken under the wing of The Continental manager Winston (Ian McShane), young Eve is adopted by the shadowy Ruska Roma organisation. There, in the Suspiria-like environs of a New York theatre, she is trained in ballet, assorted martial arts and lightning fast gun etiquette under the watchful eye of the Director (Anjelica Huston).
Proving herself combat ready after foiling a Chinese mafia abduction in – where else – a neon-drenched ice disco, Eve then goes rogue after tracking down ex X cult member Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus). Like her father before him, he is trying to free his young daughter from the Chancellor’s insidious clutches.
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After an explosively fun skirmish in a Prague arms emporium, Eve finally learns the location of the cult’s base - a picture postcard Alpine village community where everyone’s a killer, from the chalet cafe barmaid to the local tourists. But her arrival unlocks past family secrets and so John Wick is sent by an enraged Director to halt any possibility of warfare between the two factions that could shatter their 1000 year truce.
Having previously shown her stunt chops as Cuban CIA agent Paloma in No Time to Die, de Armas shines here with a cool integrity, imbuing her character with sensitivity, credibility and purpose. She really goes high intensity mode in every single epic action moment that is marshalled by director Len Wiseman (Underworld).
An amazing Manhattan car crash sequence must have the Fast and Furious crew furious they never thought of it. Meanwhile, there’s great fun to be had in Eve’s inventive use of television remote controls, ice skate blades, flamethrowers, plus the usual arsenal of ice picks, meat mallets, katana swords and firehoses.
Elsewhere the typical gallery of eccentrics play their high-camp parts with suitable tongue-in-cheek finesse. It’s always great to see McShane’s gravitas in full swing, while Huston channels Cher complete with a hilarious Belarus accent, and Byrne hams it up in the final snowy showdown. There’s also a sad goodbye to Continental concierge Lance Reddick in the actor’s final screen appearance.
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Overall, the film veers only slightly away from the established John Wick template, but brings enough of its own freshness to justify its existence. It is a pace-perfect, slick designer thriller that is the very definition of a summer treat.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina will release in UK cinemas on 6th June 2025.
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