Stylish and action-packed, but a long way from the knockout it could’ve been.
Ballerina is a fun-enough addition to the ever-expanding John Wick universe. If you’re coming for the fight choreography, you won’t be disappointed. The action is top-tier: sharp, brutal, and beautifully staged. It holds its own against the Wick films, which is no small feat. That alone makes it worth a watch, even if it ends up carrying most of the movie.
Ana de Armas as Rooney brings intensity and physicality to the role, and her presence is strong throughout. The film delivers some standout sequences, especially in the third act, where the choreography, lighting, and music blend into a ballet of chaos that feels true to the franchise’s style.
The story itself works fine on paper. There’s enough motive and emotional setup to give the violence purpose, and you can feel the filmmakers trying to add weight to the journey. But where it falls short is in the delivery. The execution doesn’t stick the landing. It feels like the emotional moments are hitting their marks on paper but not connecting on screen. That’s a shame, because the original John Wick was able to thread that emotional line so effectively.
One moment in particular stood out as hard to ignore: Eve is relatively new to being an assassin, and yet she tears through a town of veteran killers like she’s been doing this for decades. It asks audiences to suspend reality a lot more than the franchise normally demands. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it pulled me out of the story more than once.
All that said, I still had a decent time. The pacing is tight, the visuals are slick, and the action is the kind you pay to see on the big screen. But this one should’ve been amazing, and it just didn’t come close to that bar. I’d probably check out a sequel… but I’d wait until it hits streaming.
