'Ballerina' Is an Admirable Entry in the Ever-Expanding John Wick Universe

The world of John Wick continues to grow, and 'Ballerina' is a solid entry for fans of the franchise.

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina will do everything in its power to remind you of its franchise roots, as if the movie’s title didn’t already convince you of that.

The aesthetics are the same. The score is the same. The buffet of choreographed violence is still there. Many familiar franchise players make an appearance, including you-know-who. For what it’s worth, you’ll never once feel shortchanged by the promise that this is “from the world of John Wick.”

And to its credit, Ballerina does do a great job earning its place in the franchise. Ana de Armas is menacing in her vengeful quest as Eve Macarro, a worthy successor to Keanu Reeves should all of this continue, though I do wonder how many henchmen and second-rate assassins must be left in this world to kill.

But where Ballerina shines is when it gives itself a chance to try something just a little bit different. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a breath of fresh air given the lengths it goes to emulate the rest of the series, and I find it debatable how necessary it was to throw John Wick himself into it. But I understand the reasoning and I can live with it, especially when the film has set pieces that stand on their own as some of the better ones of the entire series.

When Wick does get involved, the pacing is interrupted, and it’s clear there was a moment in production where there was a panicked, “Oh God, we need to get him in this, don’t we?” I obviously can’t say I was disappointed to see Wick pop up here because how could one ever not want to see more of John Wick, but I do think my own wondering about the necessity of Wick at all is a testament to how enjoyable the rest of the movie is and how capable Eve is on her own as a character in this bloody underworld.

I also love that, by the end of the movie, Eve has completely transformed into Wick - not just in assassin spirit, but physically, with the black suit and slicked-back hair. It’s the perfect silly touch in a franchise that doesn’t shy away from little bits of levity amid the unrelenting carnage.