Review: ‘Ballerina' lives up to the John Wick legacy, if only in finding new ways to die

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2 days ago

Ballerina, a spinoff from the John Wick movies, flaunts its Russian connections, particularly with Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Music from the ballet is meshed in with the franchise's signature tune. A major action sequence is set in a snow-laden town, adding a wintry touch to a set of films that has elements of the Western. In her quest to confront her tormentor, Ballerina 's heroine Eve is both white swan and black swan.
The Swan Lake connection provides the veneer of a raison d'etre to a movie that is nearly the obverse of the first John Wick production. Len Wiseman's film, written by Shay Hatten, weaves in events and characters from the John Wick universe.
Eve's single-minded quest for revenge, the brutal runs-in with opponents at every turn, the comically serious rules of engagement that govern her world, the stay at the Continental hotel meant for assassins – Ballerina is John Wick reheated and re-served, with a few fresh ingredients.
Eve (Ana de Armas) is moulded by the Russian Roma woman known simply as the Director (Anjelica Huston) from orphan into fearsome assassin with additional ballet skills. Eve proves better at pointing guns than at pointe work, breaking away from the Director after she traces her father's killer, the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne).
The dull backstory out of the way, Ballerina settles into what these films do best: living in the moment – rather, trying to survive it. A store selling arms and a cafe are among the spaces that Eve tears up in her mission, proving herself to be a lot like John Wick (Keanu Reeves). Fire is added to ice in the superbly filmed extended climax. The knives, guns and flame-throwers are out. Even a snow boot comes handy.
The Continental New York's boss Winston (Ian McShane) has a cameo, as does John Wick himself. Reeves's presence electrifies the 127-minute film – he's much better at playing the death-proof, mildly ironic assassin than Ana de Armas, who mostly brings glum athleticism to her role. In any case, Ballerina is about the brilliantly executed action sequences rather than Eve's emotional arc.
The films have elevated slaughter to an art form. The battles between Eve and the hordes trying to kill her have a kinetic, improvised quality, which make them the most believable thing in a film that isn't even remotely trying to be plausible.
Flawlessly executed action choreography has kept John Wick going for four films. The fifth movie lives up to the John Wick legacy, if only in terms of finding new ways for people to die.
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