Ballerina

Seeking revenge against the cult that killed her father, Eve Macarro decides to disobey the Ruska Roma's Director in order to pursue the cult's leader and find out more about her past. 

Now when I first heard about a John Wick spin-off film, I have to admit that I wasn't really excited. I like John Wick because of Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski. So when you remove them both from the equation, what do you even have left? You get something like The Continental spin-off series, I guess. And while that show isn't necessarily regarded as bad, it also isn't considered to be as good as the mainline films.

So I have to admit that my expectations for this spin-off were definitely low - especially after Len Wiseman was announced as the director. No offense to the guy; I'm just not the biggest fan of his movies. And when the official reviews for Ballerina started pouring in, I wasn't all that surprised to learn that it was getting mixed reactions.

But why do I mention all of this? So I could seem like a Ballerina hater? No. I just want to paint a clear picture that explains how I had my doubts about this spin-off's quality. That way, you'll believe me when I say that this movie is totally fucking awesome! I have no idea why critical reactions appear to be so low, because Ballerina absolutely ROCKS!

There was no point in the film where it felt like I was even watching a spinoff; the action, the music, the locations, the characters, and even the weird secret societies, all made the movie feel like a mainline John Wick film. Sure, the movie may not be as sleek as it's predecessors, but that doesn't make it any less good. And Ballerina is just as good as any of the John Wick movies.

It should be noted that Chad Stahelski was reported to have worked extensively on reshoots - and given how seamlessly the film ties in to the rest of the franchise, I do happen to believe those reports. Because if I didn't know any better, I would've thought I was just watching John Wick: Chapter 5.

Maybe that was the point of this spin-off; to prove that the world of John Wick can, in fact, carry on without its titular character. If that is the case, then I think Ballerina did a wonderful job of proving just that.

Ana de Armas is fantastic in the lead role. She's delivered plenty good performances in other movies before, but she definitely carries this movie on her back. And her character, Eve, is an admittedly interesting one. I found her revenge quest to be thoroughly engaging, especially since it involved some incredibly entertaining action sequences. But I especially enjoyed how her story felt personal.

When John Wick's puppy died in the very first film, that was a personal tragedy that audiences could relate to. One that allowed viewers to root for him while he was on his revenge quest. But as more sequels started coming out, the further away the story got from being about his tragic loss. So his movies started feeling less and less personal. They were still good! They just started feeling a little cold and distant is all.

Conversely, when this movie begins with Eve losing her father at a really young age, the audience is immediately able to feel for her loss. Sure, it may have been a simple narrative beat, but it was also an effective one. One that allowed her story to be defined by this loss. Which, in turn,  helped in making Ballerina the first John Wick film in a long time that actually felt personal. And those personal stakes helped me stay invested with Eve and her story.

I would gladly watch more movies that focused on Eve's character. So if John Wick's story ever does come to a conclusion, or if Keanu Reeves becomes too old to continue performing his own stunts, I fully believe that this franchise could continue with Ballerina.

That doesn't mean Eve is replacing John Wick; far from it. The two characters may share an uncanny ability to kill people effectively, but that's about where their similarities end. And John Wick is on a whole different level than Eve. He's the Baba Yaga! And he shows up in Ballerina just to make that point.

So the John Wick franchise could very well continue with both of these characters. But if the mainline films must come to an end one day, then the Ballerina movies could potentially carry this franchise on its own in the future.

Which is funny. Plenty of John Wick knockoffs have come out since the original film was released in 2014; and the only movie that came CLOSE to the same level of quality, was the John Wick spin-off! I guess nobody can John Wick like John Wick.

So don’t let the mixed reactions sway your opinion; if you’re a fan of the John Wick films, I promise that you will also enjoy this spinoff.
Do yourself a favor, and check this one out in theaters!