BALLERINA
(director: Len Wisemen; screenwriter: Shay Hatten; cinematographer: Romain Lacourbas; editors: Nicholas Lundgren, Jason Ballentine; music: Tyler Bates, Joel J. Richard; cast: Ana de Armas (Eve Macarro), Anjelica Huston (The Director), Gabriel Byrne (The Chancellor), Lance Reddick (Charon), Catalina Sandino Moreno (Lena), Norman Reedus (Daniel Pine), Ian McShane (Winston), Keanu Reeves (John Wick), David Castaneda (Javier), Rita Fukushima (Petra), Sharon Duncan Brewster (Nogi); Runtime: 125; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Gaven Brivik, James Newberry; Lionsgate; 2025-USA/Hungary)
“A stylish John Wick spinoff that smoothly blends together ballet and martial arts.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
A stylish John Wick spinoff that smoothly blends together ballet and martial arts, but creatively falls short because of its weak dialogue and uninteresting plot.
There’s a cameo by John Wick (Keanu Reeves) to help bring back some memories of him in prior films.
Director Len Wisemen (“Live Free or Die Hard”/”Total Recall”) and screenwriter Shay Hatten keep things moving along at a fast clip (except for its dull middle part).
When a child, Eve’s dad (David Castenada) is slain in front of her by a creepy cult leader called the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). Eve becomes an orphan and is taken in by the Ruska Roma group led by The Director (Anjelica Huston). The group teaches her the martial arts and ballet, and stays afloat financially by getting contracts for hit jobs.
Eve lives for the day she can get revenge on those who killed her dad. This comes when she’s a young adult (Ana de Armas).
Her revenge begins by messing with the Chancellor’s crew of Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus) and Lena (Catalina Sandino Moreno). She’ll also check-out if she can trust Winston (Ian McShane), the manager of the underworld’s Continental Hotel, the concierge Charon (Lamce Reddick, in his last role), as she gets on with her unfinished business. This leads to a high body count, as the diminutive actress excels in the fight scenes.
The ballerina Eve, who we never see in a tutu, is obsessed with Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, which is played throughout on her music box.
The movie takes place between the third and fourth John Wick movies.
REVIEWED ON 6/10/2025 GRADE: C+
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