If there's one thing I love, it would be being absolutely awed by a movie, especially one which I had zero expectations of. “Ballerina” is a perfect case in point.
Prior to Ballerina, I hadn't seen any movies from the ‘John Wick’ franchise. I was surprised to know that such a franchise even existed. The thought of it only came to mind when the screen name ‘John Wick’ was used in this film and my mind went into a spiral. “How could Keanu Reeves use the screen name in more than one film? Was this done on purpose?” and a bunch of other questions came to mind. It was only after a discussion with a friend that I knew that there existed a franchise. Without further ado, let's dissect the last installment of this franchise, shall we?
About The Movie.
The film begins with young Eve witnessing the murder of her father by a group of men with a significant hand scar/tattoo. Shortly afterwards, she is taken to a company directed by a lady who claims to have known her father. Here she would train to be a ballerina and at the same time a Ruska Roma; a trained assassin who can either be a protector or a killer.
Twelve years later, Eve has gone through all the necessary training required of a Ruska Roma and is ready to find her father's murderers. Fueled by revenge, she defies her director's orders not to embark on this dangerous mission and goes ahead to take on a town inhabited by the perpetrators. With every raving step, she gets closer to the leader of the ‘cult’ that murdered her father but her director intercedes by sending in her best assassin, John Wick, to end her. Would Eve succeed at her mission or would the organisation's smoothest and most revered assasin stop her?
This action thriller film was released on the 6th of June, 2025. Directed by Len Wiseman, the film has a runtime of 2 hours and 5 minutes. It stars veteran actors like Ana de Armas, Lance Reddick, Keanu Reeves, Catalina Sending and Ian McShane.
My Opinion
Ballerina's plot is a straightforward one; with Eve seeking revenge for her father's murder and by doing so, defying all orders given to her by her director. This bit of the film was very much appreciated because it brought focus. Everything wasn't happening all at the same time, instead, the viewers knew what Eve wanted and were now left to watch her try to grasp it.
The action scenes were undoubtedly the strongest parts of this film with impressive choreography and a variety of creative fight scenes. I remember thinking to myself “now this is how properly acted out action scenes should look like”. Eve's resourcefulness, determination, fierceness and motive make her an even more compelling protagonist.
While the action scenes were excellent, some subplots were less appealing. Plots like Eve's relationship with her estranged sister or Eve's budding relationship with a fellow Ruska Roma in training. These plots felt very underdeveloped.
This brings me to the characters, most of which were also very underdeveloped. Among the characters, only Eve(the protagonist) and Ian McShane(the primary antagonist)had fully fleshed-out backstories. The rest of the characters were not given enough screen time to make a significant impact.
One of my favorite scenes from this movie was the scene where Eve fought fire with water. It was particularly satisfying to watch because I had always wondered which element would win in a battle, water or fire?
Recommendation and Rating
Despite the flaws, Ballerina is an entertaining addition to the John Wick franchise. I would give it an 8/10 rating.
If you're closely following up the films in this franchise or you're just in need of a thrilling action film, Ballerina is worth checking out.