US EditionReview: 'Ballerina' Repeats Familiar Moves — without John Wick
- Ana de Armas stars as Eve, an orphan sent to Ruska Roma, a ballet-fronted assassins training facility, in the movie Ballerina currently playing in theaters.
- The film, directed primarily by Len Wiseman with Chad Stahelski involved in reshoots, serves as a John Wick spinoff following Eve's path of revenge after her father's murder by a cult led by The Chancellor.
- Ballerina features highly stylized violent action, including a notable flamethrower duel between Eve and Dex, alongside mentorship from Nogi, played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster, who does not get a major fight scene herself.
- Ana de Armas remarked, "It was not just a little fire—it was like the fire," highlighting the intense flamethrower sequences that contribute to the film's two-hour runtime of action.
- Though not intended as a new franchise, Ballerina's success could lead to a return for de Armas, yet critics note Len Wiseman's reliance on familiar visual 'greatest hits' raises questions about creative originality.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Review: ‘Ballerina’ lives up to the John Wick legacy
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 connecti…
'Ballerina's Secret MVP Reveals More Details About Chad Stahelski's Reshoots
Photo by Michael ShelfordWhen Sharon Duncan-Brewster found out she was going to be in a John Wick spinoff, she didn’t know what to expect. Prior to being cast in Ballerina, she had only seen one John Wick film.“I knew there’s a bit of fighting and there’s a bit of action and there’s fast cars going on,” Duncan-Brewster tells Inverse. But apart from that, all she knew was that it starred Keanu Reeves — a factor that made her answer an immediate y…
In the offshoot of the series, Ana de Armas takes over the role of avenger. But this is just a better pin-up girl, decorated with weapons and kung fu. Keanu Reeves was a different caliber than John Wick.
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