Dance of Delivery: Celebration of New Life's Arrival
Kicking up a storm: 'Ballerina' goes full-throttle, but can't quite touch John Wick heights
Stepping out of the John Wick shadow, Ana de Armas takes the lead in this blood-soaked ballet tale as Eve Macarro. After the ruthless assassination of her parents, Eve is whisked into the dangerous world of the Ruska Roma, where she is trained in ballet and lethal combat.
With a thirst for vengeance, Eve embarks on a brutal rampage, sending bodies flying left and right. Ironically, the script for this dance of death had no ties to the Wick universe initially. However, it was later attached to capitalize on the series' success, leaving a somewhat underwhelming taste.
On its own, 'Ballerina' would've felt bare-boned. The flimsy connection points to John Wick might not be enough to satisfy hardcore fans, but there's no denying the film's style and modus operandi.
The movie might be an extended carnage fest, but it's also excessively flashy and, at times, embarrassingly cheesy - think blood-stained girl's hands clutching a music box with a ballerina on it. De Armas seems to be questioning her sanity: "What the hell am I doing here?"
The plot is merely a pretext for unrelenting violence. While Schwarzwimmer-style flamethrower duels and a quick, brutal skull-splintering by ice skates are intriguing, they don't quite attain the intoxicating, ballet-like brutality of Wick chapter 4. Keanu Reeves even fails to shine in his brief appearance in 'Ballerina'.
The announcement that 'Ballerina' is part of the "World of John Wick" suggests more unwarranted spin-offs in the making.
Critically, 'Ballerina' has struggled to escape the John Wick franchise's long shadow, particularly due to its similar action-packed style but weaker dialogue. The dialogue is often criticized for being cliché and cheesy, which takes the focus away from the otherwise exhilarating action sequences. However, De Armas's convincing performance as a stone-cold killer and the action choreography's significant improvement in the second half of the film are praised. A memorable snow-covered restaurant sequence stands out.
Tom Cruise, no stranger to action flicks, has lauded De Armas's performance, though specific details of his review are not available. Overall, while 'Ballerina' has its flaws, it delivers on action and style, making it a suitable watch for fans of the John Wick franchise and action films in general.
Movies-and-tv like 'Ballerina' offer a blend of entertainment that draws from various genres, such as action and ballet. Despite the attempt to capitalize on the success of the John Wick franchise, 'Ballerina' remains a standalone film, arranging its own choreography of violence and spectacle within the world of entertainment.
