Remember in SUPERMAN (1978) when Lex Luthor described how “some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it’s a simple adventure story” whereas others can “read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe”? I felt like the makers of the new film BALLERINA could be the former. They view the JOHN WICK series from which it came as little more than a series of stunts and shoot-em-up’s, but that is far too simple a read. There’s lot more to the exceedingly clever Wick cinematic universe that this film mostly ignores. Instead, BALLERINA is a one-dimensional and morose sequel where director Len Wiseman and screenwriter Shay Hatten have not only failed to unlock the secrets of the Wick universe, but they’ve done their star Ana de Armas and their audience zero favors.
Here are just five mistakes that egregiously contradict the franchise:
MAIN CHARACTER EVE MACARRO IS NOT A RELUCTANT PROTAGONIST
The adult Eve Macarro (de Armas) is single-mindedly out for revenge on the man responsible for killing her father when she was a child. Full-stop. That’s it. Eve has no other qualities. She’s not clever, sexy, or even particularly well-dressed. Unlike Wick, she’s not reluctant at all and thus, it’s hard to root for such a boring, robotic lead. Eve is more of a conceit here, not a character, one that begin with the idea of creating a female take on Wick. THE ACTION DEFINES THE TERM OVERKILL
The action is drawn out and boring. Too many fights. Too many shots. Too many deaths. John Wick wins by being a better shot, a better fighter, and sensible about when to fight or flee. Eve can’t shoot very well, she takes forever to vanquish her victims, she gets pummeled and tossed about like a rag doll, and outside of an ice skate and a flame thrower, her arsenal feels pedestrian. It’s not exhilarating. It’s boring. And ultimately, exhausting.
NO ONE FOLLOWS THE RULES
Despite the presence of hotel manager Winston Scott (Ian McShane), the ballet company’s director (Anjelica Huston) and yes, Continental Hotel regular John Wick (Keanu Reeves), few of the precious rules introduced in the previous four films and TV series are observed here. Neutral areas are turned into shooting galleries, bounties are placed on heads flibbertigibbet, and no one’s word is worth a damn this time out. What’s the point of world-building if the story isn’t going to follow the rules of its universe? Every sport needs guide rails, even those that hunt man.
DE ARMAS’ DOUBLE IS ALL TOO APPARENT
What made John Wick miraculous as both a character and franchise was that star Reeves, well over 50, was doing most of his stunts. The filmmakers shot the film to showcase such facts as well with long takes and elaborate choreography showing Reeves clearly doing most of it. That doesn’t seem to be the case here. I doubt De Armas, despite extensive training, is being thrown around so in every scene, or doing her ballet routines for that matter, and there are far too many shots of Eve’s face being obscured by her wig, clothing, etc. It feels…artificial.
IT’S ALL LUDICROUS, SO WHERE ARE THE LAUGHS?
Reeves could get a laugh by saying, “Yeah…I think I’m back” in his stoic, unflappable, John Wick way. And because of that, the previous screenwriters gave him plenty to say that had wit. Same with Winston and other characters. But sadly, there is very little humor here. Even the killing lacks a genuine, biting cleverness.
One could go on…why isn’t Eve undercover as a ballerina to justify the title, doing her revenge tour while performing Tchaikovsky throughout Europe? Why does Norman Reedus disappear halfway through the film? How did the villain, played by Gabriel Byrne, raise an entire village of assassins? (And what job do they claim on their tax returns?) And why is there not even a quick stolen kiss between Eve and Wick when he shows up to meddle in her plans? The two actors shared more chemistry when they played antagonists in the 2015 thriller KNOCK KNOCK. Come to think of it, De Armas was better playing a similar character in her scene-stealing role opposite Bond in 2021’s NO TIME TO DIE.
Still, despite all these mistakes, BALLERINA will likely make enough money to warrant a follow-up. Let’s hope that when Eve returns she can rise above the original sin here and unlock the secrets of this film universe. Maybe she could start chewing gum.
