“Ballerina” is directed by Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard, Total Recall) and stars Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049, Knives Out), Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family, Prizzi’s Honor), Gabriel Byrne (Hereditary, In Treatment), Lance Reddick (Bosch, The Wire), Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead, The Boondock Saints), Ian McShane (Deadwood, Kung Fu Panda), and Keanu Reeves (Point Break, The Matrix). This film is about a woman who trains as an assassin and seeks revenge following the death of her father.

Yeah, I’m thinking the “John Wick” franchise is back! But this time, it is not Wick’s film. He is in it, but the star of the show this time around is Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro. This marks the franchise’s first film spinoff. On the television side, there is also “The Continental,” which I have admittedly yet to see. But every time I watch a proper “John Wick” film, I am reminded of how much potential this franchise has when it comes to its lore. There are tons of stories that could be told within the walls of the many Continental hotels. With “Ballerina” being the franchise’s first film spinoff, does it compare to the proper movies? Honestly, it is worthy of the “John Wick” name.

“Ballerina” is better than I thought it would be. And I feel stupid for saying that. For the record, I was looking forward to this film for multiple reasons. First off, none of the “John Wick” movies have let me down so far. In fact, I find every movie in this franchise to be better than the one that came before. Not all of them are perfect. Some of them are much better with the action than the story. But the franchise is well-rounded from movie to movie. Second, Ana de Armas is in the lead role. This is the actress’s first appearance in this franchise, but I have been dying to see her in this role ever since I first heard about it. I have been hoping de Armas could take on a role like this since watching her in “No Time to Die.” She easily stole the show with her short but sweet appearance. Yes, you could argue in terms of the action genre that maybe she got a big spotlight in Netflix’s “The Gray Man,” but that movie was so mediocre that I almost forgot that it existed. Plus de Armas did not play the main character, unlike Ryan Gosling. “Ballerina” is a much larger showcase of what de Armas can do in these types of films. On top of that, she is an actress who I project could rack up a ton of Oscar noms if given the right roles. While “Ballerina” may not be Academy Award-winning in every regard, it did win me over with Ana de Armas’ presence.

Before we continue with the positives regarding Ana de Armas’ role, I must note that I also went into this film a tad worried despite my excitement. While I was excited to see Keanu Reeves as John Wick again, I was also wondering why he was in this film. What was his purpose? I will not spoil much, but he is in a lot more of the film than the marketing led me to believe. And it was fun to see him on screen once again. I will take any dose of Keanu Reeves I can get. He is breathtaking.

This is also the first film in the franchise where Chad Stahelski does not have a directing credit. That credit instead goes to Len Wiseman. Stahelski’s lack of directorial power specifically does not worry me. If anything it gives the opportunity for someone to bring in a fresh take on the property. That said, the film’s action sequences are often stylistically consistent with the previous movies. Whether they are done on massive, colorfully lit set pieces… Run on extensive, smooth shots… Or involve constant running and gunning, these look like something Chad Stahelski would come up with. Partially because he did. Well, sort of. While the action sequences are the product of Wiseman himself, Stahelski did have a helping hand with enhancing those sequences through reshoots. I think whatever they did may have been worth it because this movie cost $90 million to make, and every dollar looks like it has flown onto the screen. I have to go back to watch the other movies to verify, but this may be the most vibrant and colorful the “John Wick” franchise has ever looked. That might be odd to say considering the film is fairly dramatic and bloody. But if I were to buy myself an OLED TV, “Ballerina” would make for a great test movie.

I said I would go back to Ana de Armas, and now is the time. There are few compliments one can give an actor as positive as “I cannot see anyone else playing their role.” That happens to be the case for Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro. And that says something, because the same character was portrayed by Unity Phelan in “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.” For the record, Phelan has very limited acting credits, so I have no problem with de Armas replacing her. De Armas does not disappoint here. She continues to prove she is an action star.

Not only does de Armas handle the choreography given to her with perfection, but she always maintains an aura of toughness and determination. She may be small, she may be pretty sometimes, but she can pack a punch. I also liked getting to know about a bit of her backstory. She seems to have developed her recently mentioned toughness and determination partially because of how hard she was pushed as a ballet dancer. Her childhood also was not perfect in more ways than one. 

There are a couple great action films out right now, both of which are part of major franchises. Since May, you had “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” and a couple weeks later came “Ballerina.” If you had to ask me which of these two films I recommend you watch first, my mind would go to “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.” But “Ballerina” is not far behind. Do not sleep on it. In fact, “Ballerina” actually outshines “The Final Reckoning” in some ways. For starters, the pacing in “Ballerina” is significantly better. There is never a boring moment in either movie. But you can sometimes feel the weight of “The Final Reckoning” whereas “Ballerina” is a consistently thrilling ride. Speaking of consistency, the film never shifts much in tone. At times “The Final Reckoning” gets into Saturday morning cartoon territory with its dialogue and villain. Even with some hyperbolic action and funnier moments, the overall vibe of “Ballerina” maintained a sense of grit.

That said, the film is, as I said earlier, not going to win every Academy Award. I will give props to the technical side like the production and costume design, the cinematography, as well as the film editing. This film undeniably looks grand, even if the scale seems to take a dip from the previous couple of “John Wick” movies. But there are times where the story lacked hints of engagement. The dialogue, while not bad, is not the best I ever heard. It is also not as emotionally investing as it could be. At times the film tries to go for the emotions, but I did not care for the supporting cast enough to feel those emotions.

But this film already has so much going for it to the point where I can forgive its faults. In true “John Wick” fashion, “Ballerina” shows how you do action shots and choreography. Never once did I look at a scene and wonder who was fighting who or feel jarred by how many takes the editor could splice together in a span of 10 seconds. There are also some cool action scenes involving objects as unusual as dinner plates. Once again, while it is not Keanu Reeves’ movie, he is great in it. He handles all of his material with excellence. He does not phone it in. And Ana de Armas puts on a performance that is arguably better than what this movie deserves. I left “Ballerina” not only wanting to see more of Ana de Armas in action roles, but also more of her in this specific role. Despite the screenplay’s faults, this character has potential. I did like what we got of her backstory, I will give the movie that. Maybe that could be expanded in later films or you can give her something better in the present to work with. “Ballerina” is a solid start for Eve Macarro, unless you technically count “Chapter 3.” Hopefully if she comes back, the crew can find a way to keep up the good work.

In the end, as far as the “John Wick” franchise goes, “Ballerina” is a weaker installment. It might even be the weakest. But like I often say about Pixar movies, even lower tier “John Wick” is still good. Per usual, the action is world class. The production design is astounding. The camerawork and lighting are top notch. The climax is wildly entertaining. There is a lot to enjoy about this film. I have no clue how many people are going to go see this film in the long run. I have my doubts it will be remembered as a “success.” But if you are an action junkie, there is a lot to like here. I would definitely watch it a second time. I am going to give “Ballerina” a 7/10.

“Ballerina” is now playing in theaters. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for Wes Anderson’s latest film, “The Phoenician Scheme.” Stay tuned! Also coming soon, I will share my thoughts on “The Life of Chuck,” “Materialists,” and “Elio.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Ballerina?” What did you think about it? Or, is there a rising action star who caught your eye in recent years? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!