John Wick is one of the most successful franchises in cinema in the last ten years. The most successful in action cinema. At a time when it seems that action cinema is relegated to the margins, unable to succeed among the big hits, it came to prove that only one thing was necessary: quality to reaffirm its success.
That’s why we shouldn’t be surprised that they don’t want to abandon this tremendous success. With numerous spinoffs, some more successful and interesting than others, and with rumors of a fifth sequel on the horizon, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be able to forget about Keanu Reeves’ character anytime soon. Nor do we want to. His universe is fascinating, its high-octane action is fantastic, and everything that maintains its standards can only be celebrated.
The saga continues now with Ballerina, a movie starring Ana de Armas and directed by Len Wiseman, who has previously directed other films such as the Underworld franchise or the remake of Total Recall. Which had a significant challenge ahead, given the high level that Chad Stahelski, the regular director of the series, has maintained over the years.
A dancer in the same business as Baba Yaga
Ballerina takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4. In this film Ana de Armas plays a ballet dancer and assassin named Eve Macarro who seeks revenge for the death of her parents. To achieve this, she spent her entire childhood training under the guidance of the Ruska Roma, a crime syndicate that combines assassination with the learning of sport and performance. Ballet for the girls, and Greco-Roman wrestling for the boys.
The movie not only takes place in the same universe as John Wick, but from the beginning, it makes the parallels clear to us. John also belonged to the Ruska Roma and in fact, Eve meets him briefly during one of her visits. Explicitly connecting the movie to the franchise, even if the events of Ballerina have no effect on what happens in the John Wick films.
In other respects, it is exactly what one would expect from a John Wick universe movie. There is hyper-stylized violence, a world of assassins in the shadows that is more complex and fascinating than one might expect, and motivations that go beyond money or personal self-preservation. Although the action and image composition do not have the finesse of the John Wick films, it is still enjoyable, and the music by Tyler Bates, the regular composer of the franchise, makes the film feel, at all times, like an integral part of the franchise.
Critics and the audience can’t seem to agree
Something that critics might not fully agree on. Or not, depending on the criteria we choose, because there are many contradictory signals.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a notable 76%, with critics being quite positive about it. Even if it is far from the 90% average of the four John Wick films. Similarly, audiences gave it an A- on CinemaScore on a scale from A+ to F. But on Metacritic, where a weighted average of registered media is calculated, it has an average score of 59 out of 100. This suggests a significant divide among critics.
Although, as we have said, that was not the case for the audience. While it is true that the movie was not a blockbuster and performed slightly below expectations, it did well at the box office. Making almost 140 million dollars globally, with a production cost of 90 million dollars, it’s not John Wick, but it’s a more than acceptable performance. Is it enough to justify a sequel? You never know. But the director, Wiseman, has already said that he believes Eve should deal with the consequences of her actions in the future. And that’s why he has ideas in mind for how to continue her story.
If you’re in the mood for a good action movie or you’re a fan of John Wick, you shouldn’t miss Ballerina. Not now that it has arrived on streaming services. Because you can watch it on Amazon Prime Video, without the need to go to your nearest cinema. And what better way to check if this ballerina is up to the legendary John Wick’s standards?
