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The John Wick spinoff ‘Ballerina’ slays with style, but its dialogue has two left feet

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The John Wick film series, starting with its debut in 2014, thrives on our willingness to believe the impossible. Initially, audiences were persuaded that Keanu Reeves’ character, an assassin, could be deeply moved by a lost puppy. As the series progressed, it became clear that assassins adhere to a rigid code of etiquette, they established their own exclusive association of assassins (AAA) which offers luxury hotel accommodations worldwide, and their operations are managed through a network of rockabilly phone operators.

The stylish and grim swagger of the series, demonstrated across four movies so far and predominantly present in this spinoff prequel titled “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,” directed by Len Wiseman from a script by Shay Hatten, has generally kept us engaged. However, I found myself confused during its initial scene where a team of assassins raids a household, and the father (David Castañeda) seems unbothered that his daughter Eve (Victoria Comte) is carrying a noisy music box with “Swan Lake” playing since the movie began. Despite my annoyance, this toy will continue to play a few more times. In simpler terms, the opening scene’s confusion arises from a noisy music box playing “Swan Lake” throughout the film and the father’s nonchalant attitude towards it during an invasion scene.

Criticisms like that, which “Ballerina” certainly invites, can be countered quite simply. Given all the unrealistic elements found in these movies, isn’t it peculiar that this is your complaint? This response holds some merit. In the world of John Wick, once you’ve committed, there’s no turning back – it’s a matter of spending a penny or a pound (of trouble). Every tough choice leads to an even more challenging one, with no way out.

Gabriel Byrne’s character, the Chancellor, angrily says to Castañeda’s father, ‘Did you believe you could simply leave?’ as Eve looks on in shock. In this movie, ‘Ballerina,’ it’s clear that less talking would make it even better. At various points while watching, I found myself jotting down: ‘This dialogue is going to be the death of me.’

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In an interview, Ana de Armas stated that playing Marilyn Monroe worked to her advantage because it allowed her to tap into feelings of apprehension and vulnerability. Additionally, the intense fatigue from filming aided her in understanding the icon’s mindset.

Essentially, the movie “Ballerina” takes place prior to the occurrences of “John Wick: Chapter 4” in 2023. The main character, grown-up Eve (played by Ana de Armas), is seeking revenge, and her journey will involve encounters with Norman Reedus and Catalina Sandino Moreno as damaged members of the Chancellor’s tribe. Additionally, adult Eve will challenge the loyalty of Ian McShane’s Winston, who reprises his role as the manager of the Continental Hotel in the underworld, along with Lance Reddick’s character Charon, the concierge, in his final appearance. Keanu Reeves, as John Wick, makes a cameo in this film, acting as Eve’s mysterious mentor in her quest for vengeance.

In her capacity as a stern guardian, Anjelica Huston’s character, who heads the Ruska Roma academy – a school for budding mercenaries – took in Eve, an orphan with a troubled past. This setting was introduced in “John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum,” where it was revealed that John Wick himself was once a student under her tutelage. The Director, adorned in elaborate attire reminiscent of a black widow spider coated in gold, trains her students in both dance and combat until they’re left with wounds. In terms of maternal care, she’s not exactly nurturing – her advice to Eve about tending to a toe injury was to do so before it led to sepsis and the possible amputation of her foot.

As a film aficionado, I must admit that Eve, an exceptional student on-screen, portrays a chilling and believable antagonist, De Armas. In the thrilling sequence where Rila Fukushima’s spitfire character squares off against Eve, the fight concludes abruptly. One memorable instance is when instructor Nogi (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) encourages Eve to “fight like a girl,” prompting her to swiftly retaliate against her male opponent in an unexpected manner. Later, Eve shoots another character in a sensitive area, eliciting a humorous, high-pitched yelp. The Oscar nominee pours her physical prowess into the film, and in return, the movie spares her dialogue to avoid burdening her performance with heavy lines. Fortunately, De Armas’ expressive eyes effectively convey emotion throughout the movie.

Approximately a decade past, actresses in films similar to these were often stereotyped into the damsel-in-distress role. However, Hollywood has evolved beyond this trope by allowing women to engage in combat, but only with other female characters being introduced as the villain for each heroine. Fortunately, this transitional phase where women could fight only against other women is also becoming obsolete now.

Despite modern expectations, it’s remarkable how frequently men collide with De Armas, delivering blows to her kidneys. Her delicate structure endures severe abuse as thugs hurl her into tables and through walls. In a thrilling scene, they both seize and shatter numerous plates on each other’s heads. The rhythmic score by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard harmonizes with the sound of breaking glass. I didn’t keep count of Eve’s casualties, but her tally seems comparable to Wick’s, and she fought without wearing heels. She prefers practical boots, adorned with a grenade belt.

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Have you ever seen a highly-skilled action character effortlessly defeating villains in movies, and found yourself questioning, “Could I do that easily?

Despite her background as a ballerina, it’s not essential to the story, even when De Armas is required to maintain a serious gaze at that persistent music box during her scarce downtime. Dancing has endowed Eve with a keen instinct for timing, enabling her to swiftly pass a grenade to someone and step aside before it detonates. The fight scenes continue to be remarkable, particularly when Eve arrives in a town resembling Stepford, where every resident, from the adults to the children, are skilled in combat. In the snowy landscape, she’s assigned to manipulate heavy steel hooks on slippery floors and use an ice skate as if it were a weapon.

In this movie, the storyline was somewhat lackluster, but I must commend the creators for their ingenious staging of each action sequence. One such instance that stood out was when Eve, in the heat of the moment, discarded two lifeless bodies in a restroom and traced her path back to her vehicle, leaving a trail of chaos reminiscent of breadcrumbs in a forest. To top it off, just as Eve was about to speed away, there was an impressive crane shot that left me on the edge of my seat, although I wouldn’t want to ruin the reason behind it for others.

In the franchise, it consistently blends deep symbolism amidst its violent scenes. The climactic fight sequence in the last movie, where John Wick’s persistent desire to leave his old life behind was portrayed through an intense multi-storey battle, is still captivating. To put it simply, “Ballerina” repeatedly emphasizes its themes. There’s a lot of talk about contrasts: freedom versus duty, safety versus danger, staying put versus moving on. However, the outcome of whether Eve’s dark or light self will prevail is never doubtful. Instead, the contrasting theme is more excitingly depicted when Eve uses a fire hose to counter a flamethrower.

If you truly value his feelings (which I’ve never done), it appears that the Chancellor is obsessed with adopting children he can shape into a military force. He seems willing to jeopardize many experienced followers for just one unproven child. The fact that he cannot kidnap school-aged kids feels like an insult to his clan’s traditions. It wouldn’t be surprising if he displayed a Gadsden flag before Eve’s vengeful campaign is compared to decapitating a snake.

Regardless of whether Eve achieves her goal, the Chancellor maintains firmly, implying that “the system will persist much as it has for the past millennium.” Essentially, they’re asking us to accept a continuity linking John Wick back to Beowulf, the Battle of Hastings, and the Great Schism. It seems like they might be planning another prequel spinoff: “John Wick: The First Crusade.

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2025-06-05 22:01

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