‘Ballerina’ Movie Review: Ana de Armas’ ‘John Wick’ Spinoff Impresses With Its Action Scenes, Keanu Reeves’ Cameo Lands Unevenly (LatestLY Exclusive)

Ballerina Movie Review: When you hear an established franchise is taking the spin-off route to expand its universe, there’s a certain trepidation in how you receive the news. You know it’s just the studio’s way of stretching its IP so it can keep sailing on fans' love for the character. Most times, the results turn out to be underwhelming. In the case of Ballerina - well, let’s hold that judgment for a future spin-off, maybe. Damn! I forgot, we had The Continental series already, right? Well, Ballerina definitely dodged a bullet by not letting down Baba Yaga this time! ‘It Kicks Ass’: Tom Cruise Praises Ana de Armas for Her Action-Packed Film ‘Ballerina’.

Directed by Len Wiseman, Ballerina is the first spin-off movie 'From the World of John Wick'. That tagline matters - it’s a world quite different from our own. In this universe, there’s a decent chance that every second person might turn out to be an assassin, either working for a cult or freelancing. There’s even an Austrian town entirely populated by assassins. One wonders, when they're not killing anyone who trespasses, what kind of conversations do these people have during small talk? Oh wait - better not give Lionsgate any more spin-off ideas!

'Ballerina' Movie Review - The Plot

Ballerina, like the original John Wick film, is basically a revenge story - except this time, no dog dies and no car gets stolen. We’re back to the cliche now - avenging murdered family members… sigh. As a child, Eve witnesses her father’s death in a brutal assault carried out by a mysterious assassin cult led by someone known as the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). Winston Scott (Ian McShane) brings her to the Director (Anjelica Huston), who enrols her in Roma Ruska, a school that trains ballerinas, who also happen to be assassins.

Watch the Trailer of 'Ballerina':

As an adult, Eve (Ana de Armas) has become a skilled assassin, though not without some initial setbacks. During a mission, she kills a couple of assassins bearing the same insignia as the cult members who attacked her father. Naturally, despite warnings from Roma Ruska not to pursue them, Eve goes rogue, embarking on a bloody journey from New York to Prague to uncover the truth and face her father's killer.

'Ballerina' Movie Review - Welcome to The Universe You Already Know!

The plot brings back several familiar elements from the John Wick universe: the Continental chain, its New York head Winston Scott, his trusted concierge Charon (the late Lance Reddick, in his final screen appearance), the bounty-assignment system, and more. Roma Ruska and its director were introduced in the third film; so we’re on familiar ground and don’t need to relearn the rules - like why you can't kill anyone inside a Continental hotel, or why everything seems to be lit in neon. This familiarity allows us to dive into a new journey with a new character, while the story explores weirder corners of this already bizarre world.

While the plot follows a pretty standard revenge arc - including Eve’s mission tying in with rescuing a young girl, the daughter of a former cult member (Norman Reedus) - what makes Ballerina worth the ticket is its brisk pacing, sharp action, and, most importantly, a protagonist who’s actually compelling to follow.

'Ballerina' Movie Review - A Compelling Protagonist

Let’s start with that last point. Eve isn’t a legend in this world like John Wick. Most people have no clue who she is when she bursts into their lives with guns blazing and knives flying. She’s not a rookie exactly, but she’s still far from being Baba Yaga-level. That said, her clever use of her environment to gain the upper hand in fights would certainly make Wick proud.

Yes, her revenge story goes down a cliché path, and a third-act twist doesn’t quite land emotionally - but her relentless pursuit of answers about her father’s death is thrilling regardless. Also, Ana de Armas is generally awesome, and watching her do John Wick-style mayhem just adds to that. We may never get that No Time to Die spin-off she deserved, so let’s be grateful for this one.

'Ballerina' Movie Review - Fun Action Scenes

While Ana nails the role (and arguably brings more emotion to it than her predecessor), what truly elevates Ballerina are the action sequences. They don’t feel watered down compared to the earlier films, and there are plenty of standout moments. The fight at the Prague Continental, the attack on a weapons showroom (where Eve blasts a killer behind a closed door and the explosion conveniently creates a path to the next room), and the ambush at Hallstatt all impress.

The use of international locations - a Wick staple - and stylish night-time cinematography also work well. The kills may not reach the same level of visceral discomfort as John Wick 3, but a couple of them are quite gory. And with the film moving briskly from one set piece to the next, the momentum rarely lags.

The highlight of the film? The climactic fight scene where Eve gets hold of a flamethrower and just goes full chaos mode. There’s even a flaming duel that’s honestly just pure fun. I mean, isn’t that exactly what we signed up for?

As for the villain - Gabriel Byrne’s Chancellor - he’s okay. The role doesn’t give him much room to be menacing beyond being a very possessive cult leader. If anything, I wish Catalina Sandino Moreno’s character had been given more to do on the villain side - it would’ve made Eve’s final confrontation even more impactful.

'Ballerina' Movie Review - John Wick Cameo

Of course, since this film is set in the 'World of John Wick,' Baba Yaga himself makes a cameo, appearing in two key scenes. You might be wondering how he’s even alive after the last film - never mind, John Wick 5 is already in development - Ballerina is set between John Wick 3: Parabellum and John Wick 4.

Is his presence necessary? I mean, who doesn’t love Keanu Reeves in arguably his best role - yes, even better than Neo (okay, that’s me). I liked his first appearance at Roma Ruska, which ties in neatly with the events of Parabellum, and the advice he gives Eve sets her on her path. John Wick Chapter 4 Movie Review: Keanu Reeves Impresses for the Fourth Time in This High-Adrenaline Actioner with Masterful Stuntwork!

His second appearance, where he’s assigned to kill Eve, left me with mixed feelings. First, we know he’s not actually going to kill her, even though he totally could. Second, his scene - he even gets to "Baba Yaga" some enemies - pulls focus from Eve’s big revenge moment. Third, it doesn’t really make sense for him to take up a random assignment when, timeline-wise, he should be recovering from brutal injuries. I get why the filmmakers wanted him in the film, but I wish they’d used him more sparingly. Or maybe just keep him in some post-credit stinger.

'Ballerina' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

So, does Ballerina earn its place in the John Wick universe? Mostly, yes. It doesn’t rewrite the assassin rulebook, but it doesn’t need to - it just needs to dance to the same rhythm and land its hits. And with Ana de Armas dutifully leading the charge, some slickly choreographed action, and just enough neon-drenched madness to keep things fun, it pulls that off with style. And the end suggests that there is a possibility that we can see John Wick and Eve partner up in John Wick 5, so that's something exciting, right?

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 13, 2025 11:16 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).