The world of John Wick is one that I have always enjoyed visiting, so when I heard that there was a spin-off film starring Ana De Armas in this universe, my anticipation was high for another entry in this bombastic action franchise. Despite some rumblings about a troubled production with extensive reshoots, I remained hopeful that the project had been salvaged. Unfortunately, that optimism was premature, as Ballerina is a significant step down in quality for the series.
This film falls into the trap of stripping away the mystery and ambiguity that made the story of John Wick so intriguing, instead relying far too heavily on explanations of the origin of our new protagonist, Eve Macarro (who was briefly glimpsed in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, then played by Unity Phelan). The connections to the established lore of the John Wick franchise that are folded into Ballerina often feel unnecessary and superfluous. I found myself emotionally detached from the action – which is a real shame, considering that the stunt craftsmen continue to operate at the top of their game. There is not a single issue I have with the execution of the action in the film, which runs the gamut from bone-crunching hand-to-hand combat, to the combination of martial arts and gunplay known as “gun fu” that the John Wick films first made so popular, to exceedingly creative and brutal uses of incendiary devices. And not to mention a third act set piece with dueling flame throwers that, in a more emotionally engaging film, would have demanded an entire paragraph of analysis. But because of the severe lack of narrative weight and stakes I felt within those sequences, I find myself wanting to brush them aside as major disappointments – which is entirely unfair to the stunt folks putting their bodies on the line.
If nothing else, Ballerina made me further appreciate the stark efficiency of the John Wick films directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Derek Kolstad. In those movies, you fully appreciate the meaning behind every punch thrown (and absorbed) by Keanu Reeves’ titular character. I will not spend time elaborating here, but you can learn everything you need to know about Wick’s motivations in the first fifteen minutes of John Wick (2014). However, with Ballerina, as directed by Len Wiseman and written by Shay Hatten, the audience is constantly told why they need to feel a certain way, rather than shown it with the language of filmmaking. It is also quite obvious that this was a female protagonist with little to no female creative input in the writing process. How frustrating that the creative powers that be felt the need to consistently remind the audience that Eve Macarro/Ana De Armas is a woman, rather than just allowing her to exist as a woman with the agency she already possesses.
Despite my qualms with Ballerina, I do sincerely hope it succeeds enough to inspire Lionsgate and other studios to put their resources into more action films with female leads. But I also hope those productions are much more thoughtful and compelling than Ballerina.
Featured Photo Credit: Larry D. Horricks | Lionsgate