On June 4, cinemas began to showcase the action movie «Ballerina», starring Ana de Armas as a deadly assassin. The film is a spinoff of the popular action franchise «John Wick» starring Keanu Reeves, and the events take place between the third and fourth parts of the main series. In this review, we analyze how reasonable the emergence of such a plot branch looks and whether it is interesting to watch a Cuban-Spanish beauty with a machine gun in front of her.
Genre action movie
Director Len Wiseman
Starring Ana de Armas, Angelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick
Premiere movie theaters
Year of release 2025
Website IMDb, official website
Little Eva’s father died in her arms when the girl was only 12 — this is how his meeting with the scoundrel who leads a mysterious cult located somewhere among the picturesque alpine mountains ended. At the suggestion of the hotel owner «Continental» Winston Scott, the child is placed under the «tutelage» of the Clan Director «Ruska Roma». Here, he is taught not only graceful pas de bure or sison tombé, but also how to punch and shoot.
After «ballet teachers» conclude that their student is finally ready to «go on stage», the girl is confronted by those responsible for her father’s death. Now she’s ready to do anything to take revenge on the villains, and even the legendary Jordan Jovanovic, better known as John Wick, is not in her way.
Let’s immediately outline the target audience of «Ballerina» — the film is primarily intended not so much for ordinary action movie fans as for fans of «John Wick». And, perhaps, Ana de Armas personally. That is, those who have long accepted the rules of the absurd game and resigned themselves to the sheer conventionality of the local hypertrophied world order.
And it is based on the fact that every person you meet, whether it’s a seductive beauty or an old man who is a janitor, are all dangerous assassins ready to come around the corner at any moment. To finish off the protagonist. Or in our case, the heroine. Usually, the last man standing, and this is what makes the series similar to video games, is ready to fight an unlimited number of opponents, while minimizing the consequences of their injuries.
The movie is supported by implausible but extremely spectacular fight choreography (and this completely offsets the on-screen madness) and a surprisingly pretentious mythology with all those gold coins, some ridiculous codes, and surprisingly dysfunctional hotels.
In this context, «Ballerina» is really «John Wick» in a skirt. The only difference is that Keanu Reeves’ character appeared before the viewer as a natural God of the killing trade, while Eva Macarro — is still more about the story of formation, and, as a result, the heroine’s vulnerability is still appropriate
As a story, there is practically no plot as such. But it’s probably not needed. If you manage to endure the first half hour until the adult line replaces the children’s line, it will be more fun. During her killer drills, Eva will learn the golden rule that will certainly help her in her battle with the physically more powerful bull. Namely, — a blow to the causal place, which will pass for a real cheat code (remember the video game references). And how can we not recall the legendary «tiger claws» trick in the youth comedy «The New Guy» (2002).
As for the agenda, we are also waiting for hostile Asians in a neon nightclub (we’ve seen this somewhere before); and a visit to the hotel «Continental», where we will meet not only Daryl Dixon, but also the last time the late Lance Reddick was at the reception desk; and a trip to a godforsaken wilderness covered with harsh snow, reminiscent of Soviet gloom. When we’ve already mentioned the long-vanished state, we also see the facade of the Tarkovsky Theater, whose «Stalker» flashed in another action movie about a tough warrior — «Atomic Blonde» (2017).
If you look at the path of de Armas’s character, you get a moderately exciting journey along a path well trodden by cult predecessors. Grueling workouts in the spirit of Rocky through «can’t», on moral and volitional (somewhere here the sound of the iconic «Eye of the Tiger» is missing) — once. Rambo’s brave cauterization of the wound — twice. In a particularly difficult moment, a fire hydrant comes to the heroine’s rescue, just as John McClane once needed it — despite the fact that the New York cop used the equipment for other purposes — three.
And to make it really hot in the frame — use burning «evil spirits» flamethrower style Ellen Ripley. So, along with Charlize Theron, Ana de Armas deserves the status of an atomic brunette. However, to shine as a blondes she’s no stranger to it either.
The main musical theme is «Hand That Feeds» by Halsey and Amy Lee of Evanescence. The same Evanescence that was heard in «Daredevil» 2003 model with his probably the coolest track Bring Me to Life, and in the scene when another fighting lady Electra was preparing for the decisive battle.
Somewhere in the background, the always steadfast John Wick is fussing, and his appearance is not so much necessary as pleasant. It is he who will begin to talk about choice, as if imitating the conclusions of his friend Keanu Reeves an uncle with two pills in his hands.
All of this is, of course, great — an attractive Cuban-Spanish woman fights off a bunch of extras, wields grenades effectively and, most importantly, efficiently, ruthlessly breaks villains’ arms and smashes their faces. But at the end of the second hour, such ugliness, or, on the contrary, splendor (it depends on who you ask), begins to get terribly tiring. Not to say that this is a critical flaw. The same scene «flamethrower vs. fire hydrant» is as absurd as it is brilliant. Or the episode with the skates — looks cool. However, in the end, it’s still hard to get rid of the feeling of being overwhelmed by the continuous action.
«Ballerina» turned out to be a far from outstanding, straightforward and extremely implausible, but tolerable movie attraction. After all, one would not turn one’s tongue to say that the neon-covered Ana de Armas is in any way something bad.
