In the almost 11 years since the first John Wick was released, almost every stunt-heavy film and especially hit-man ones have been compared to it. And rightfully so, as it took a basic premise and made it fun and engaging again. The fact it brought Keanu Reeves’ back into the limelight is also a wonderful bonus. As one would expect, though, all good things must come to an end, and as the original series “wrapped” its story, the question became what would fill the void in this universe to give fans what they want. While the lackluster show The Continental didn’t deliver on its promise, there was some hope that Ballerina would do what it couldn’t and give us a worthy follow up. For the most part it does and scratches the John Wick itch, but it goes too hard in a few areas that made this feel more like an appetizer than a true main course.
Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) has sworn revenge on the people responsible for the murder of her father. Orphaned at a young age, she chooses a life of hardship with the Ruska Roma where she trains to become a perfect killer. Under the watchful eye of The Director (Anjelica Huston), she succeeds in this goal and becomes one of their most successful assassins. Her thirst for revenge hangs ever present over her, and as she begins to pick up clues about the men who ruined her life, she will gamble everything on the chance to right the wrongs of her past, even if it means losing her future.
I think one thing we were all worried about was if this was simply going to be a John Wick rehash just with a female protagonist, and in some ways, it really is. Which isn’t to say that de Armas doesn’t hold her own. She is a fierce combatant who has the grit and tenacity to accomplish her mission despite facing insurmountable odds. However, there are just a few too many similarities that don’t quite let her stand out.
As enjoyable and entertaining as Ballerina is, it never manages to fully escape the shadow of John Wick which looms large over it. While her path does take her to different places, they mirror each other in many ways. Chasing bad guys through a club? Yup, seen that before. Going through the “final boss” level facing hundreds of goons to get to her real target? Been there, done that. Which isn’t to say it’s bad just not unique.
And then there is the biggest sin of all – Wick himself. It’s not a spoiler to say he’s in it as it’s all over the trailers, but while his small cameo at the beginning is wonderful, he shows up in act three, and it undermines everything she has accomplished. We didn’t need it. We know where this takes place, and it bonks you over the head with the ending and makes it more anticlimactic than anything else.
Despite being derivative, it’s a blast to watch, and the stunts and action are just as good as anything we have seen. De Armas is a powerhouse as Eve, and the inevitable sequel they set up has me excited to see that so long as they learn from the mistakes made here. I always say I love it when a movie is given an assignment, and it aces the exam. Ballerina not only took the test but tried to do a lot of extra credit to eke out a higher grade which didn’t help. It should have had enough faith in its characters and story it was trying to tell and let that play out instead of cramming all this extra in. I’ll add it to my collection and definitely watch it again, but I’ll do so wistfully wishing for what could have been instead of what it merely is.