Review: Ana de Armas Propels 'Ballerina' Into A Rousing Fouetté

HOLLYWOOD, CA — In 12 years since “John Wick” burst into the cinematic universe with its unvarnished kinetic and emotional thrills, the franchise has dazzled movie fans with its propulsive and stylistic action.

In this regard, “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,” a “John Wick” spinoff directed by Len Wiseman, is no different — all deftly captured in a riveting story of vengeance and consequences.

At the heart of the new action thriller, set between the events of “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” and “John Wick Chapter 4,” is Eve Macarro, a trained ballet dancer who is as graceful as she is deadly in a world inhabited by assassins for hire.

Ana de Armas plays the titular seething danseuse, whose pursuit of revenge traces all the way back to her tragic youth. In the opening sequence, Eve sees her father murdered by a cabal of fighters dispatched by the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), the leader of a highly shadowy cult he once belonged to. Subsequently, Winston (Ian McShane), the general manager of Continental hotel, a haven for assassins, takes care of the orphan.

Over the next 15 years, Eve will spend her days and nights training rigorously with the Director (Anjelica Huston) at a ballet academy called Ruska Roma to become a ballerina-assassin. Meanwhile, she has vowed to avenge her father’s death at all costs.

When the opportunity finally comes knocking, she seizes the day and sets out on her lifelong mission. As the odds mount with the arrival of a stoic killer sent to stop Eve, she awakens her utmost ferocity to fight for her life and for her true convictions. No spoilers here, so we can’t reveal more about the mysterious hired gun.

Whereas John Wick employs gun fu to fight the baddies, Eve simply fights with any object she can grab, including forks, remote controls, pistols and machine guns. The ballerina-assassin also uses a pair of ice skates as nun chucks. In the film’s climax, get ready to be amazed, as flamethrowers will certainly not escape her grasp. The shootout is insanely fun to watch.

At the center of all the mayhem is the Oscar-nominated De Armas, who shines with a commanding presence that exudes the confidence and fierceness of a bona fide action star. Her interpretation of a woman warrior summoning her survival instincts is utterly nuanced and sublime. Like a determined ballet dancer in the throes of a grueling balletic feat, De Armas electrifies with such relatable, unbridled intensity. By the end, it feels as though the Cuban Spanish film star had just performed a rousing fouetté in one long, extended shot.

Picking up the baton from Chad Stahelski, Wiseman — a filmmaker known for the “Underworld” franchise and a “Total Recall” reboot — has managed to juxtapose a ballerina and an assassin, turning arresting balletic movements into a deadly dance. In addition, Wiseman has kept Stahelski’s influence in the stunningly well-choreographed fights.

Undeniably, “John Wick”stalwarts will be elated, as “Ballerina” captivates with long stylistic action sequences — though the movie’s pacing might feel too frenetic at times!