Let's dance: John Wick's successor on point as vengeful assassin
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
(MA, 125 minutes)
4 stars
Cuban actress Ana De Armas absolutely stole the movie from under the nose of Daniel Craig when she played the Cuban spy in the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die, and she's been a box office A-lister since.
She is spectacular in this action flick that, in case the overly bloated and narratively descriptive film title doesn't give it away, fits somewhere into Keanu Reeves's John Wick films.
If I were to guess, I'd say it takes part around the third Wick film, because Keanu does indeed play a small but essential part in Ballerina as his John Wick character, and we learn one of the reasons he might have found himself disavowed by the secret assassin underworld in John Wick: Chapter 4.
His presence serves to both connect the new character to that film franchises's universe, but also hands the torch over to a very capable successor, probably studio insurance in case Keanu decides he's too old to pretend to be a karate expert assassin.
De Armas also plays a professional assassin and as the film opens we begin with her origin story, as the younger Eve (Victoria Comte) who has her idyllic island life destroyed with the arrival of a mysterious gang of black-clad killers, each carrying a heavy 'X' scar on their arms.
Her lighthouse keeper dad is apparently also a retired assassin in hiding, having stolen baby Eve away from this crew that were intending to bring her up as a future killer.
Dad once again saves Eve from this crew, particularly its enigmatic leader The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), but at the cost of his own life.
It seems that killing is to be Eve's destiny anyways, as years later we meet the grown-up Eve (De Armas), placed in the care of The Director (Angelica Huston), who runs an assassin training academy disguised as a professional theatre school.
It is here that Eve learns the ballet skills that give the film its name, dance being just a part of the curriculum that teaches these future death machines quick reflexes and incredible strength.
And it is here that Eve first meets John Wick, a former student and member of the assassin clan Ruska Roma that The Director is the head of.
Eve isn't just any baby killing machine though, she has her own vendetta against her father's killers driving her and vows to stay and continue learning only as a means to find the mysterious crew with the X scar.
And she eventually does, and it doesn't go well for anybody.
Fans of the John Wick films will get a heap more of the stuff they love: exquisitely choreographed fight sequences and lashings of ultra-violence delivered with a sense of humour.
For newcomers, I'll say there's so much to enjoy about this film, as long as you're pre-disposed to liking those things I just mentioned.
Among the film's many gifts to viewers is the way director Len Wiseman, his writer Shay Hatten, weapons master Marek Bocek and the very long list of stunt coordinators in the credits work with Ana De Armas to make her a plausible assassin.
One of the assassin school coaches (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) orders Eve to "fight like a girl"' by which she means to understand that while she may not match the strength of many male opponents, she should understand where her strengths are.
It's a real joy to watch Eve work a room grabbing pots, pans, kitchen knives, and her ballet training to despatch dozens of men, and it is just really lovely team work from the film production crew, such professionalism.
I'll enjoy more of these in years to come, I'm sure, as it is just really bloody fun to watch.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
(MA, 125 minutes)
4 stars
Cuban actress Ana De Armas absolutely stole the movie from under the nose of Daniel Craig when she played the Cuban spy in the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die, and she's been a box office A-lister since.
She is spectacular in this action flick that, in case the overly bloated and narratively descriptive film title doesn't give it away, fits somewhere into Keanu Reeves's John Wick films.
If I were to guess, I'd say it takes part around the third Wick film, because Keanu does indeed play a small but essential part in Ballerina as his John Wick character, and we learn one of the reasons he might have found himself disavowed by the secret assassin underworld in John Wick: Chapter 4.
His presence serves to both connect the new character to that film franchises's universe, but also hands the torch over to a very capable successor, probably studio insurance in case Keanu decides he's too old to pretend to be a karate expert assassin.
De Armas also plays a professional assassin and as the film opens we begin with her origin story, as the younger Eve (Victoria Comte) who has her idyllic island life destroyed with the arrival of a mysterious gang of black-clad killers, each carrying a heavy 'X' scar on their arms.
Her lighthouse keeper dad is apparently also a retired assassin in hiding, having stolen baby Eve away from this crew that were intending to bring her up as a future killer.
Dad once again saves Eve from this crew, particularly its enigmatic leader The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), but at the cost of his own life.
It seems that killing is to be Eve's destiny anyways, as years later we meet the grown-up Eve (De Armas), placed in the care of The Director (Angelica Huston), who runs an assassin training academy disguised as a professional theatre school.
It is here that Eve learns the ballet skills that give the film its name, dance being just a part of the curriculum that teaches these future death machines quick reflexes and incredible strength.
And it is here that Eve first meets John Wick, a former student and member of the assassin clan Ruska Roma that The Director is the head of.
Eve isn't just any baby killing machine though, she has her own vendetta against her father's killers driving her and vows to stay and continue learning only as a means to find the mysterious crew with the X scar.
And she eventually does, and it doesn't go well for anybody.
Fans of the John Wick films will get a heap more of the stuff they love: exquisitely choreographed fight sequences and lashings of ultra-violence delivered with a sense of humour.
For newcomers, I'll say there's so much to enjoy about this film, as long as you're pre-disposed to liking those things I just mentioned.
Among the film's many gifts to viewers is the way director Len Wiseman, his writer Shay Hatten, weapons master Marek Bocek and the very long list of stunt coordinators in the credits work with Ana De Armas to make her a plausible assassin.
One of the assassin school coaches (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) orders Eve to "fight like a girl"' by which she means to understand that while she may not match the strength of many male opponents, she should understand where her strengths are.
It's a real joy to watch Eve work a room grabbing pots, pans, kitchen knives, and her ballet training to despatch dozens of men, and it is just really lovely team work from the film production crew, such professionalism.
I'll enjoy more of these in years to come, I'm sure, as it is just really bloody fun to watch.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
(MA, 125 minutes)
4 stars
Cuban actress Ana De Armas absolutely stole the movie from under the nose of Daniel Craig when she played the Cuban spy in the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die, and she's been a box office A-lister since.
She is spectacular in this action flick that, in case the overly bloated and narratively descriptive film title doesn't give it away, fits somewhere into Keanu Reeves's John Wick films.
If I were to guess, I'd say it takes part around the third Wick film, because Keanu does indeed play a small but essential part in Ballerina as his John Wick character, and we learn one of the reasons he might have found himself disavowed by the secret assassin underworld in John Wick: Chapter 4.
His presence serves to both connect the new character to that film franchises's universe, but also hands the torch over to a very capable successor, probably studio insurance in case Keanu decides he's too old to pretend to be a karate expert assassin.
De Armas also plays a professional assassin and as the film opens we begin with her origin story, as the younger Eve (Victoria Comte) who has her idyllic island life destroyed with the arrival of a mysterious gang of black-clad killers, each carrying a heavy 'X' scar on their arms.
Her lighthouse keeper dad is apparently also a retired assassin in hiding, having stolen baby Eve away from this crew that were intending to bring her up as a future killer.
Dad once again saves Eve from this crew, particularly its enigmatic leader The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), but at the cost of his own life.
It seems that killing is to be Eve's destiny anyways, as years later we meet the grown-up Eve (De Armas), placed in the care of The Director (Angelica Huston), who runs an assassin training academy disguised as a professional theatre school.
It is here that Eve learns the ballet skills that give the film its name, dance being just a part of the curriculum that teaches these future death machines quick reflexes and incredible strength.
And it is here that Eve first meets John Wick, a former student and member of the assassin clan Ruska Roma that The Director is the head of.
Eve isn't just any baby killing machine though, she has her own vendetta against her father's killers driving her and vows to stay and continue learning only as a means to find the mysterious crew with the X scar.
And she eventually does, and it doesn't go well for anybody.
Fans of the John Wick films will get a heap more of the stuff they love: exquisitely choreographed fight sequences and lashings of ultra-violence delivered with a sense of humour.
For newcomers, I'll say there's so much to enjoy about this film, as long as you're pre-disposed to liking those things I just mentioned.
Among the film's many gifts to viewers is the way director Len Wiseman, his writer Shay Hatten, weapons master Marek Bocek and the very long list of stunt coordinators in the credits work with Ana De Armas to make her a plausible assassin.
One of the assassin school coaches (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) orders Eve to "fight like a girl"' by which she means to understand that while she may not match the strength of many male opponents, she should understand where her strengths are.
It's a real joy to watch Eve work a room grabbing pots, pans, kitchen knives, and her ballet training to despatch dozens of men, and it is just really lovely team work from the film production crew, such professionalism.
I'll enjoy more of these in years to come, I'm sure, as it is just really bloody fun to watch.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
(MA, 125 minutes)
4 stars
Cuban actress Ana De Armas absolutely stole the movie from under the nose of Daniel Craig when she played the Cuban spy in the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die, and she's been a box office A-lister since.
She is spectacular in this action flick that, in case the overly bloated and narratively descriptive film title doesn't give it away, fits somewhere into Keanu Reeves's John Wick films.
If I were to guess, I'd say it takes part around the third Wick film, because Keanu does indeed play a small but essential part in Ballerina as his John Wick character, and we learn one of the reasons he might have found himself disavowed by the secret assassin underworld in John Wick: Chapter 4.
His presence serves to both connect the new character to that film franchises's universe, but also hands the torch over to a very capable successor, probably studio insurance in case Keanu decides he's too old to pretend to be a karate expert assassin.
De Armas also plays a professional assassin and as the film opens we begin with her origin story, as the younger Eve (Victoria Comte) who has her idyllic island life destroyed with the arrival of a mysterious gang of black-clad killers, each carrying a heavy 'X' scar on their arms.
Her lighthouse keeper dad is apparently also a retired assassin in hiding, having stolen baby Eve away from this crew that were intending to bring her up as a future killer.
Dad once again saves Eve from this crew, particularly its enigmatic leader The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), but at the cost of his own life.
It seems that killing is to be Eve's destiny anyways, as years later we meet the grown-up Eve (De Armas), placed in the care of The Director (Angelica Huston), who runs an assassin training academy disguised as a professional theatre school.
It is here that Eve learns the ballet skills that give the film its name, dance being just a part of the curriculum that teaches these future death machines quick reflexes and incredible strength.
And it is here that Eve first meets John Wick, a former student and member of the assassin clan Ruska Roma that The Director is the head of.
Eve isn't just any baby killing machine though, she has her own vendetta against her father's killers driving her and vows to stay and continue learning only as a means to find the mysterious crew with the X scar.
And she eventually does, and it doesn't go well for anybody.
Fans of the John Wick films will get a heap more of the stuff they love: exquisitely choreographed fight sequences and lashings of ultra-violence delivered with a sense of humour.
For newcomers, I'll say there's so much to enjoy about this film, as long as you're pre-disposed to liking those things I just mentioned.
Among the film's many gifts to viewers is the way director Len Wiseman, his writer Shay Hatten, weapons master Marek Bocek and the very long list of stunt coordinators in the credits work with Ana De Armas to make her a plausible assassin.
One of the assassin school coaches (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) orders Eve to "fight like a girl"' by which she means to understand that while she may not match the strength of many male opponents, she should understand where her strengths are.
It's a real joy to watch Eve work a room grabbing pots, pans, kitchen knives, and her ballet training to despatch dozens of men, and it is just really lovely team work from the film production crew, such professionalism.
I'll enjoy more of these in years to come, I'm sure, as it is just really bloody fun to watch.
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Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
‘We've got a pretty good story': John Wick director Chad Stahelski teases Chapter 5
Chad Stahelski has a "pretty good story" for John Wick: Chapter 5. After the titular hitman's apparent death in 2023's John Wick: Chapter 4, Lionsgate has greenlit a fifth outing for Keanu Reeves' assassin, and Stahelski, 56, has teased the script he and scribe Mike Finch wrote is coming along nicely - though will only go ahead with the movie if they "crack" the story. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about continuing John Wick's story after his supposed end in Chapter 4, the filmmaker said: "I'm not going to lie to you, it's a bit of a conundrum. Me and Mike Finch — the writer on 4 who's also writing 5 — we've got a pretty good story that I think is cool. Once we have a 50-page book, and if we're feeling it, we'll sit with Keanu and shape this thing. "Look, everybody seems to want it. It's a matter of whether we crack it. We're actively working on it. It's just … is it going to be satisfying?" Stahelski added that while Lionsgate wants John Wick: Chapter 5, the sequel isn't locked in just yet. He explained: "The studio would very much will it into existence, I'm sure, at some point. Look, they've been great and they've asked us to really try and we have a really good couple of ideas and we're going to try." The filmmaker added that even if John Wick: Chapter 5 ultimately doesn't come to fruition, he and his creative team will likely discover plenty of other ideas that could be reworked for a spin-off in the process of developing the movie, such as the Ana de Armas-starring Ballerina. Stahelski said: "If we go down the road of John Wick 5 and build this story and decide this isn't right, there are probably going to be 10 other things we'll discover that we'll use for other things. "It's a great creative exercise. It's being in the room riffing with people we love. That's nothing but wins." Ballerina - which also stars Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, Lorenza Izzo, Anjelica Huston and the late Lance Reddick - follows Eve Maccaro, a deadly assassin who seeks vengeance for her family's murder and unleashes her fury against those who wronged her. The film is also set to include John Wick as an adversary of Macarro's, though Stahelski revealed this wasn't always in the plan, and he was initially "kind of against" bringing in Reeves' assassin. He explained: "That wasn't in the original script. To be honest, I was kind of against it. But I do see the benefit and we wanted to help out [director Len Wiseman]. "We had just opened John Wick 4 and it was huge. He couldn't go back to the model of the first John Wick and do a little $18 million indie thing and try to build it up. "In order to stay in the same game, you got to give him a fighting chance. And the easiest way to transfer that over — at least, from the studio point of view — was have Wick in Ballerina in a special timeline."
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Let's dance: John Wick's successor on point as vengeful assassin
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (MA, 125 minutes) 4 stars Cuban actress Ana De Armas absolutely stole the movie from under the nose of Daniel Craig when she played the Cuban spy in the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die, and she's been a box office A-lister since. She is spectacular in this action flick that, in case the overly bloated and narratively descriptive film title doesn't give it away, fits somewhere into Keanu Reeves's John Wick films. If I were to guess, I'd say it takes part around the third Wick film, because Keanu does indeed play a small but essential part in Ballerina as his John Wick character, and we learn one of the reasons he might have found himself disavowed by the secret assassin underworld in John Wick: Chapter 4. His presence serves to both connect the new character to that film franchises's universe, but also hands the torch over to a very capable successor, probably studio insurance in case Keanu decides he's too old to pretend to be a karate expert assassin. De Armas also plays a professional assassin and as the film opens we begin with her origin story, as the younger Eve (Victoria Comte) who has her idyllic island life destroyed with the arrival of a mysterious gang of black-clad killers, each carrying a heavy 'X' scar on their arms. Her lighthouse keeper dad is apparently also a retired assassin in hiding, having stolen baby Eve away from this crew that were intending to bring her up as a future killer. Dad once again saves Eve from this crew, particularly its enigmatic leader The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), but at the cost of his own life. It seems that killing is to be Eve's destiny anyways, as years later we meet the grown-up Eve (De Armas), placed in the care of The Director (Angelica Huston), who runs an assassin training academy disguised as a professional theatre school. It is here that Eve learns the ballet skills that give the film its name, dance being just a part of the curriculum that teaches these future death machines quick reflexes and incredible strength. And it is here that Eve first meets John Wick, a former student and member of the assassin clan Ruska Roma that The Director is the head of. Eve isn't just any baby killing machine though, she has her own vendetta against her father's killers driving her and vows to stay and continue learning only as a means to find the mysterious crew with the X scar. And she eventually does, and it doesn't go well for anybody. Fans of the John Wick films will get a heap more of the stuff they love: exquisitely choreographed fight sequences and lashings of ultra-violence delivered with a sense of humour. For newcomers, I'll say there's so much to enjoy about this film, as long as you're pre-disposed to liking those things I just mentioned. Among the film's many gifts to viewers is the way director Len Wiseman, his writer Shay Hatten, weapons master Marek Bocek and the very long list of stunt coordinators in the credits work with Ana De Armas to make her a plausible assassin. One of the assassin school coaches (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) orders Eve to "fight like a girl"' by which she means to understand that while she may not match the strength of many male opponents, she should understand where her strengths are. It's a real joy to watch Eve work a room grabbing pots, pans, kitchen knives, and her ballet training to despatch dozens of men, and it is just really lovely team work from the film production crew, such professionalism. I'll enjoy more of these in years to come, I'm sure, as it is just really bloody fun to watch. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (MA, 125 minutes) 4 stars Cuban actress Ana De Armas absolutely stole the movie from under the nose of Daniel Craig when she played the Cuban spy in the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die, and she's been a box office A-lister since. She is spectacular in this action flick that, in case the overly bloated and narratively descriptive film title doesn't give it away, fits somewhere into Keanu Reeves's John Wick films. If I were to guess, I'd say it takes part around the third Wick film, because Keanu does indeed play a small but essential part in Ballerina as his John Wick character, and we learn one of the reasons he might have found himself disavowed by the secret assassin underworld in John Wick: Chapter 4. His presence serves to both connect the new character to that film franchises's universe, but also hands the torch over to a very capable successor, probably studio insurance in case Keanu decides he's too old to pretend to be a karate expert assassin. De Armas also plays a professional assassin and as the film opens we begin with her origin story, as the younger Eve (Victoria Comte) who has her idyllic island life destroyed with the arrival of a mysterious gang of black-clad killers, each carrying a heavy 'X' scar on their arms. Her lighthouse keeper dad is apparently also a retired assassin in hiding, having stolen baby Eve away from this crew that were intending to bring her up as a future killer. Dad once again saves Eve from this crew, particularly its enigmatic leader The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), but at the cost of his own life. It seems that killing is to be Eve's destiny anyways, as years later we meet the grown-up Eve (De Armas), placed in the care of The Director (Angelica Huston), who runs an assassin training academy disguised as a professional theatre school. It is here that Eve learns the ballet skills that give the film its name, dance being just a part of the curriculum that teaches these future death machines quick reflexes and incredible strength. And it is here that Eve first meets John Wick, a former student and member of the assassin clan Ruska Roma that The Director is the head of. Eve isn't just any baby killing machine though, she has her own vendetta against her father's killers driving her and vows to stay and continue learning only as a means to find the mysterious crew with the X scar. And she eventually does, and it doesn't go well for anybody. Fans of the John Wick films will get a heap more of the stuff they love: exquisitely choreographed fight sequences and lashings of ultra-violence delivered with a sense of humour. For newcomers, I'll say there's so much to enjoy about this film, as long as you're pre-disposed to liking those things I just mentioned. Among the film's many gifts to viewers is the way director Len Wiseman, his writer Shay Hatten, weapons master Marek Bocek and the very long list of stunt coordinators in the credits work with Ana De Armas to make her a plausible assassin. One of the assassin school coaches (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) orders Eve to "fight like a girl"' by which she means to understand that while she may not match the strength of many male opponents, she should understand where her strengths are. It's a real joy to watch Eve work a room grabbing pots, pans, kitchen knives, and her ballet training to despatch dozens of men, and it is just really lovely team work from the film production crew, such professionalism. I'll enjoy more of these in years to come, I'm sure, as it is just really bloody fun to watch. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (MA, 125 minutes) 4 stars Cuban actress Ana De Armas absolutely stole the movie from under the nose of Daniel Craig when she played the Cuban spy in the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die, and she's been a box office A-lister since. She is spectacular in this action flick that, in case the overly bloated and narratively descriptive film title doesn't give it away, fits somewhere into Keanu Reeves's John Wick films. If I were to guess, I'd say it takes part around the third Wick film, because Keanu does indeed play a small but essential part in Ballerina as his John Wick character, and we learn one of the reasons he might have found himself disavowed by the secret assassin underworld in John Wick: Chapter 4. His presence serves to both connect the new character to that film franchises's universe, but also hands the torch over to a very capable successor, probably studio insurance in case Keanu decides he's too old to pretend to be a karate expert assassin. De Armas also plays a professional assassin and as the film opens we begin with her origin story, as the younger Eve (Victoria Comte) who has her idyllic island life destroyed with the arrival of a mysterious gang of black-clad killers, each carrying a heavy 'X' scar on their arms. Her lighthouse keeper dad is apparently also a retired assassin in hiding, having stolen baby Eve away from this crew that were intending to bring her up as a future killer. Dad once again saves Eve from this crew, particularly its enigmatic leader The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), but at the cost of his own life. It seems that killing is to be Eve's destiny anyways, as years later we meet the grown-up Eve (De Armas), placed in the care of The Director (Angelica Huston), who runs an assassin training academy disguised as a professional theatre school. It is here that Eve learns the ballet skills that give the film its name, dance being just a part of the curriculum that teaches these future death machines quick reflexes and incredible strength. And it is here that Eve first meets John Wick, a former student and member of the assassin clan Ruska Roma that The Director is the head of. Eve isn't just any baby killing machine though, she has her own vendetta against her father's killers driving her and vows to stay and continue learning only as a means to find the mysterious crew with the X scar. And she eventually does, and it doesn't go well for anybody. Fans of the John Wick films will get a heap more of the stuff they love: exquisitely choreographed fight sequences and lashings of ultra-violence delivered with a sense of humour. For newcomers, I'll say there's so much to enjoy about this film, as long as you're pre-disposed to liking those things I just mentioned. Among the film's many gifts to viewers is the way director Len Wiseman, his writer Shay Hatten, weapons master Marek Bocek and the very long list of stunt coordinators in the credits work with Ana De Armas to make her a plausible assassin. One of the assassin school coaches (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) orders Eve to "fight like a girl"' by which she means to understand that while she may not match the strength of many male opponents, she should understand where her strengths are. It's a real joy to watch Eve work a room grabbing pots, pans, kitchen knives, and her ballet training to despatch dozens of men, and it is just really lovely team work from the film production crew, such professionalism. I'll enjoy more of these in years to come, I'm sure, as it is just really bloody fun to watch. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (MA, 125 minutes) 4 stars Cuban actress Ana De Armas absolutely stole the movie from under the nose of Daniel Craig when she played the Cuban spy in the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die, and she's been a box office A-lister since. She is spectacular in this action flick that, in case the overly bloated and narratively descriptive film title doesn't give it away, fits somewhere into Keanu Reeves's John Wick films. If I were to guess, I'd say it takes part around the third Wick film, because Keanu does indeed play a small but essential part in Ballerina as his John Wick character, and we learn one of the reasons he might have found himself disavowed by the secret assassin underworld in John Wick: Chapter 4. His presence serves to both connect the new character to that film franchises's universe, but also hands the torch over to a very capable successor, probably studio insurance in case Keanu decides he's too old to pretend to be a karate expert assassin. De Armas also plays a professional assassin and as the film opens we begin with her origin story, as the younger Eve (Victoria Comte) who has her idyllic island life destroyed with the arrival of a mysterious gang of black-clad killers, each carrying a heavy 'X' scar on their arms. Her lighthouse keeper dad is apparently also a retired assassin in hiding, having stolen baby Eve away from this crew that were intending to bring her up as a future killer. Dad once again saves Eve from this crew, particularly its enigmatic leader The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), but at the cost of his own life. It seems that killing is to be Eve's destiny anyways, as years later we meet the grown-up Eve (De Armas), placed in the care of The Director (Angelica Huston), who runs an assassin training academy disguised as a professional theatre school. It is here that Eve learns the ballet skills that give the film its name, dance being just a part of the curriculum that teaches these future death machines quick reflexes and incredible strength. And it is here that Eve first meets John Wick, a former student and member of the assassin clan Ruska Roma that The Director is the head of. Eve isn't just any baby killing machine though, she has her own vendetta against her father's killers driving her and vows to stay and continue learning only as a means to find the mysterious crew with the X scar. And she eventually does, and it doesn't go well for anybody. Fans of the John Wick films will get a heap more of the stuff they love: exquisitely choreographed fight sequences and lashings of ultra-violence delivered with a sense of humour. For newcomers, I'll say there's so much to enjoy about this film, as long as you're pre-disposed to liking those things I just mentioned. Among the film's many gifts to viewers is the way director Len Wiseman, his writer Shay Hatten, weapons master Marek Bocek and the very long list of stunt coordinators in the credits work with Ana De Armas to make her a plausible assassin. One of the assassin school coaches (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) orders Eve to "fight like a girl"' by which she means to understand that while she may not match the strength of many male opponents, she should understand where her strengths are. It's a real joy to watch Eve work a room grabbing pots, pans, kitchen knives, and her ballet training to despatch dozens of men, and it is just really lovely team work from the film production crew, such professionalism. I'll enjoy more of these in years to come, I'm sure, as it is just really bloody fun to watch.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sky News AU
'Out of touch': Nicole Kidman slammed after recommending $680 massage treatments when visiting Sydney
Nicole Kidman has revealed her top five places to visit when she's back in Sydney, including a jaw-dropping massage at a luxurious day spa. The Sydney-native, 57, recently chatted to The New York Times to reveal the places she finds 'comfort and ease' when she returns to the harbour city. Kidman's picks range from free spots like the Royal Botanical Garden to an ultra-exclusive day spa. 'Every time I return to Sydney, there's a feeling of comfort and ease,' she told the newspaper. 'This city is where I grew up, where my sister and her family live, where my children love to spend their holidays.' Her favourite places to visit include the Royal Botanic Garden, The Art Gallery of NSW, day spa Venustus and the Harbour pools. Iconic pie shop Harry's Café de Wheels in Woolloomooloo also made Kidman's hit list. While four of the five are accessible to any visitor or resident, the Six Hand Body Massage at luxurious day spa Venustus starts from a whopping $1059. 'They just know how to take care of people, and their treatments are amazing, especially after a long flight,' the movie star said. 'A massage at Venustus will have you ready to go to take on the city.' 'Thanks Nicole for recommending a spa where, for a mere (starting at) $687 (AUD) I can get a massage,' one person said. 'Why the high end spa? It's incongruous with the others that are all free or very low cost,' another fan pointed out. 'Seems like hidden advertising or something and detracts from the whole article.' Despite primarily residing in the United States since 1989, Kidman and her husband Keith Urban have maintained strong links to their homeland. In Sydney, the couple own six combined apartments overlooking Sydney Harbour in Milson's Point. The Kidman-Urban clan also own a breathtaking 45-acre rural property called Bunya Hill in the Southern Highlands, complete with cattle and alpacas. The family typically spend the Christmas holidays in Australia and host a private New Year's Eve party at their sprawling Sydney apartment.
