Rating of
3/4
Danse Macabre
Chris Kavan - wrote on 06/13/25
While it may be easy to dismiss Ballerina as John Wick... but a girl - it turns out that having the man behind John Wick (that would be Chad Stahelski) come in to fix some issues - early test screenings for the film were apparently quite disastrous - turns this from a spinoff into an action film that can hold it's own against the Wick Juggernaut.
While Ana de Armas may seem like a strange choice to play the badass lead, she takes some early advice from her Ruska Roma superior and learns to "fight like a girl" - and whether it's a somewhat alarmingly sharp skate, an axe or high explosives - believe me, she truly utilizes every weapon at her disposal. But her journey begins with a sudden attack, a death and a helping hand from none other then Winston (Ian McShane) himself. He brings her to the attention of The Director (Anjelica Huston) who sets her up with Ruska Roma - and the training is brutal and unforgiving. But as she progresses and proves to be a truly powerful killer - and protector - she finds herself facing her past when she recognized a specific scar.
Even thought it may cost her everything, she seeks out a dangerous cult - one that has an agreement with both the Ruska Roma and the Continental - run by the enigmatic Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). After tracking down a man named Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus) - she finds herself in what appears to be a rather quaint village - only the entire population wants her dead. Not only that, but because of what this could mean for Ruska Roma, she even attracts the attention of the Baba Yaga himself - John Wick (Keanu Reeves in a small but welcome appearance).
Thought John Wick has by far the higher body count, Ballerina seems somehow more... brutal. Lots of blood - bodies exploding, sharp instruments to the face - that kind of thing. The violence here isn't limited to just guns and the occasional bladed weapon - it's much more primitive. It also hits harder - people get thrown around A LOT in this one - and through A LOT of things. But beyond the violence there is a story here - vengeance, yes, but also family - in more ways than one.
The film also hints at a continuation but the film didn't exactly set the world on fire so I'm unsure whether we'll get to see Armas continue to kick ass or not. If you're an action fan and don't mind a fair bit of blood, this holds up just as well as John Wick. It may have needed a helping hand to get straight but in the end I think the reshoots were well worth the effort.
