Ballerina Review

 

Ballerina is an action thriller movie and a spin-off to the John Wick franchise set in between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4. Summit Entertainment, Thunder Road Films, and 87North Productions did production with Lionsgate serving as distributor. Shay Hatten wrote while Len Wiseman directed.

The story is, when Eve was a young girl she and her father Javier were on the run from the Cult, during this time Eve's father was killed. Years later Eve is highly trained assassin and hasn't let go of wanting revenge. Now she sets out to find the ones who brought her misery all of those years ago.

Initial Reaction

It's very simple as to why I wanted to see this. It's a John Wick spin-off and being a fan of those movies I wanted to see this as well.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

There are two slight issues. One being the pacing. The first half is very focus with setup. Which wouldn't be a bad thing had it not being delaying so much of the revenge plot. Thankfully the second half onwards finds a good rhythm. Speaking of plot, let's move on to the story. I'm not gonna sugarcoat this but yes, yes it's a very simple revenge plot. But I do think it's kinda saved because you're given a lot of fun stuff. And I do say "kinda" because while I didn't hate Eve investigating of where to find the Cult, I did notice some of the clues she needed did just so happen to pop up at just the right place at just the right time.

Pros

One pro is the cinematography. Much like the mainline John Wick films, Ballerina has gorgeous visuals. And the locations look beautiful. Whether it's a neon lit or snowy like the Alpine village, the location are eye catching. But let's talk action. How is Ballerina with action? Well it does start off pretty shaky l, but as the movie goes on there's a huge improvement. It's brutal as well as stylish. I especially loved the final fight in the village. Grenades going off, bullets flying, and even the use of a flamethrower. Truly some fun stuff. But the biggest praise goes to Ava de Armas' performance. While some aspects could've been stronger Ava keeps a strong performance through and through. She brought a perfect mix of vulnerability, grace, and strength.

Overall while somethings could've used more work, Ballerina is a good spinoff. If they ever make another spinoff or sequel to this, I wouldn't be opposed. Especially if they learn from their mistakes.

My final rating is, Okay.

So that's all for me. Come back on Thursday, Jun 12th, for the final chapter in my Road to The Fantastic Four: First Steps with my review of Fantastic Four (2015). Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.