Ballerina: From the World of John Wick Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

The world of John Wick opens up more with this new spin-off, which follows a female assassin as she seeks revenge for her family's murder. Is it a joy killer?

Genre: Action / Crime / Thriller  

Director: Len Wiseman

Cast: Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Ian McShane, Norman Reedus, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ava Joyce McCarthy, David Castañeda, Keanu Reeves & Lance Reddick.

Run Time: 124 min.

US Release: 05 June 2025

UK Release: 06 June 2025

German Release: 07 June 2025

It is finally here! The long-awaited, fan-anticipated spin-off to the Baba Yaga saga, starring the beautiful Ana de Armas, got released for the silver screen. Worrisome news surfaced when the film was pushed back by a year, to make space for extensive reshoots. While opening up principal photography again, to film new sequences, is nothing out of the ordinary, pushing back the release a whole year, to completely redo two arcs, is not good. More surprising is the fact that Ballerina - from the world of never-ending subtitles - turns out to be a fun, brutal action flick! 

So follow my lead as we judo our way through this explosive review!

An assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma organisation sets out to seek revenge on a secret cult, after its members killed her father years ago. 

The idea for the premise started more as fan fiction by writer Shay Hatten, who was inspired after watching the second chapter of John Wick. Lionsgate approached him in the summer of 2017, acquiring the rights to it. The concept was then included in Chapter 3: Parabellum, in a short scene. Chad Stahelski approached director Len Wiseman in mid-2019, convincing executives to hire him. In 2021, de Armas entered negotiations as the lead actress. Filming began in late 2022, entering post-production early 2023. 

However, Lionsgate execs did not like what they saw and hired Stahelski, without Wiseman,  to oversee three to four months of extensive re-shoots, pushing back release by a complete year, plus causing widespread rumours across the web. 

By now, it should be clear that this franchise does not build on deep character exploration, but on “cause-and-effect” action segments. Ballerina is no different. That said, what distinguishes it from the main movies is the opening set-up, grounding Eve, while exploring her background. The first third is a “calm before the storm” situation, in which the viewers get to know the leading persona, her devastating past, as well as her drive to be emotionally invested in her quest. 

It also opens up this mystical world further by journeying deeper into the organisation of the Ruska Roma, its structures plus laws, just like introducing the mysterious Cult. This gives the world-building a fresh spin that hasn’t been experienced yet. Nonetheless, the re-filming did leave its mark, as the plot feels even thinner than most Wick flicks, with tonal inconsistencies, as well as a lack of identity that makes it stand on its own. 

The dialogue distinguishes itself by making use of a lot of esoteric, nearly spiritual talk. Once again, Eastern folklore is used to describe some of the lore. Unfortunately, it misses the wit that the main installations are known for.

Ana de Armas, who plays the protagonist Eve Macarro, gives an incredible physical performance in this spin-off, doing a lot of her stunts herself. The narrative makes it clear that she is not going to be the female counterpart of the infamous hit men, but that as a female assassin, she needs to be resourceful to even out the odds. This sets her apart as a distinguished character in this world.

It was clear that Keanu Reeves would return in some sort of way. I was hoping it would have been as a callback, since it plays in between the third and fourth chapter. Unfortunately, Wick himself gets more screen time than expected, overshadowing at times the lead in her movie. 

Gabriel Byrne gives a nuanced rendition as the main villain, “The Chancellor”. A man who hides in the shadows while letting others do his dirty work. His twisted view of the world, in combination with his silver tongue, is what truly makes him dangerous. 

Veteran actors Angelica Huston and Ian McShane return to reprise their roles as The Director and Winston, respectively, giving the plot gravitas, as well as a sense of familiarity.

I completely forgot that Lance Reddick had filmed specific parts before passing away. Seeing him one last time as Charon gave his legacy a nice send-off. 

The camera work was done by cinematographer Romain Lacourbas, who adapted to the visual flair of the franchise. Long takes of action sequences are employed, displaying the physicality of de Armas. To stop the repetitiveness of combat scenes, an array of different fighting styles, just like weapons, was used - the one with the flamethrower is especially memorable. Most impressive is the ingenuity to use simple objects, like pipes, frying pans or even ice skates. A lot of the segments are drenched in the neon colours of pink, red, blue and purple, underlining its noir aesthetic.

It has been revealed that about ninety per cent of the film is making use of practical effects, grounding the story further, whilst giving the optical aspect beautiful realism. That said, its inconsistency between action sections can detract from the immersion. While it tries to base its combat in realism again, it also intertwines a couple of scenes where a lot of suspension of disbelief is needed. The stunt work is again a highlight, using amazing choreography.

The sound effects include footsteps, sounds of distant cars, trams or even winds, to immerse audiences in the environment. The music, composed by Tyler Bates, draws from the John Wick tracks, yet is original enough to set it apart. The use of classic ballet tunes underlines the plot, adding an emotional background.

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Verdict: With everything that went wrong during production, I wasn’t even sure how to feel about this action-thriller anymore. It was on my watchlist for 2025, though I was expecting a huge disappointment. Why it was decided to give Len Wiseman the reins as regisseur is unclear to me, as I find him to be an inept director. It is therefore even more impressive what the whole team managed to pull, after Chad Stahelski took over, re-shooting much of the feature. The story is effective, though it has trouble finding a unique tone of its own. The dialogue includes direct talks, however lacks the cleverness of the franchise. The cinematography is gorgeous, specifically the framing of fights. Ana de Armas gives the premise much energy, though the inclusion of John Wick detracted from the main character. I was entertained throughout its runtime and will give it the same score as John Wick: Chapter 2 - a well-deserved 8.0 out of 10. 

Although it has its shortcomings, Ballerina is worth seing in cinemas on a big screen! This is an action spectacle worth praising! Do you agree with me? Leave a comment to let me know your thoughts. Thank you, as always, for reading!