From the World of John Wick: Ballerina

Slapdash storytelling and anemic performances hamper this action romp

Lance Reddick and Ana de Armas make a deal in Ballerina.

As a little girl, Eve (Ana de Armas) witnessed the brutal murder of her father by a cult leader (Gabriel Byrne). Alone in the world, a mysterious man named Winston (Ian McShane) offers to take her to her father’s people.

Dear old dad, as it turned out, was a member of the Ruska Roma, a tribe of assassins and bodyguards that are trained in deadly arts and ballet. Eve dedicates herself to becoming the best the Ruska Roma has to offer, as she wants nothing more than to avenge her father’s death.

Can Eve take down a brutal assassin cult by herself? What happens when she runs into John Wick?

The John Wick Franchise is one of the most consistently entertaining action franchises. Some people love The Fast and The Furious movies, but for me, John Wick remains consistently fun, with impressive action sequences and an interesting world. Which is why it pains me to say I found the latest expansion of the John Wick universe underwhelming at best.

The problems start with the script, written by Shay Hatten and Derek Kolstad. It’s clear they’re trying to write a girl power narrative, but it feels condescending. Eve is told she can be a protector and is positioned as a bodyguard who just so happens to use lethal force. This is a far cry from the cold-blooded assassins in the Wick world. The movie positions women as inherent protectors and inherently good, which… seems rather patronizing.

It’s also irksome that the Ruska Roma are now a legitimate dance school as well as a lethal bodyguard training ground. While it does answer several mysteries about the Ruska Roma, the answers are disappointing and the school now seems toothless.

Finally, poor Eve can’t even be the lead in her own story. John Wick (Keanu Reeves) shows up and takes over. The people who encounter him are terrified or in awe of him. Eve can’t really best him in a fight. The movie is so concerned with proving Wick’s bona fides that they diminish Eve as a character.

Not that there’s much character to diminish. Action franchises tend to be a little light-handed with the characterization, but Eve is very nearly a blank slate. We get no real meaningful relationships other than the one with her father, and most of the time, she just seems blank. It doesn’t help that Ana de Armas looks like a scared kitten throughout most of the action sequences.

Director Len Wiseman, who has yet to make a film worth paying to see, can’t handle the extended action sequences as well as main series director Chad Stahelski. Stahelski is a former stuntman and coordinator, who framed extended fight sequences like a dance. He has respect for the work of stunt choreography and allows for long takes to really show off the fights. Wiseman, who may be best known for putting his ex-wife Kate Beckinsale in progressively tighter leather pants in every film they made together, can’t seem to capture the dance-like quality of the action. That’s a real shame, since the movie is called “Ballerina”.

The biggest treat of the movie was getting to see Lance Reddick again. Reddick filmed some scenes as Charon before he passed away unexpectedly. It’s great to see him, but man, I wish it had been in a more rewarding film.

Verdict: This is a slog.

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is rated R and is available in theaters.