This is not the first time this is being said here. . . but there is no denying that the James Bond franchise, which is one of my favourites, has been outplayed by other action franchises over the past few decades. With No Time To Die (2021), a glorious door opened wide with Ana De Armas. . . after a twelve minute cameo from the actress as Paloma got the fandom going crazy – a perfect avenue for a female spinoff as fans were clamoring for more. Outmaneuvered once again, it was not the Bond producers that speedily green lit a new production, but one of their main rivals who signed the actress up for an action saga with: From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025), directed by Len Wiseman and co-written by action guru scribe Derek Kolstad (who has been involved with the first three John Wick’s, as well as the sole penman of Nobody). The other writing credit goes to Shay Hatten (who helped with parts three and four of Wick).
Following in the tradition of many of the sequels, Ballerina will of course focus heavily on the action, but also opens up the very structured world of these gangs and solo assassins that are hidden in plain sight. After getting the story started with a mysterious man named The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne – Excalibur; the remake of Assault on Precinct 13), a young Eve (Ana De Armas – Knives Out) finds herself at the ballerina school run by The Director (Anjelica Huston) that was seen in Chapter 3 (this movie is set between that one and Chapter 4). Providing a bird’s eye view of how the female fighters train and prepare for a world of violent espionage (not surprisingly, some of them don’t make it), this enlivens the past narratives while opening up the present and future for new avenues.
Along the way, she’ll not only train and fight hard, but bump into some recognizable faces too – including the Baba Yaga himself, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), the slick voiced Continental owner Winston (Ian McShane), trusted manager Charon (Lance Reddick – in his second last screen appearance after sadly passing away in 2023), as well as a few new unknowns – most notably Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus – Boondock Saints; The Walking Dead) – who is cloistered inside the Prague Continental looking for safety.
Of course, without giving too much away, Eve, perhaps named after a certain apple eater, breaks a long peace between rival factions, this all leading to a European village where the hills will be alive. . . though not in a sing-song way – that is, unless the sound of music is endless weaponry going off.
Though arguably ever more outlandish and preposterous, most fans of the franchise wouldn’t have it any other way. You sometimes wonder when they are going to run out of creative ways to do fight scenes. . . two of the stand outs this time round feature the most clever usage of grenades through a multi-room arms complex you’ll ever see, and a modernized flamethrower battle for the ages (clearly trying to outdo the ‘dragon’s breath’ shotgun scene from the 2023 outing). Like always, the cinematography is sharp, the acting is edge of your seat adrenaline pumping, and the overall product looks slickly stylish thanks to the long and focused takes showing the commitment of its all-in actors (with De Armas following in Reeves’ footsteps by training extensively so she could do most of her own stunts).
Perhaps a bit slow at the start for some (suffering a touch of what the most recent Mission: Impossible film dealt with), once the setup and storyline hits its footing, Ballerina doesn’t slow down. Lastly, keep an eye out for silent film star Buster Keaton – as they’ve found a way to pop him in somewhere since the second movie. . . and this one is no different. So, see what’s en pointe in this bountiful action extravaganza where the Bond with Wick becomes ever closer and further at the same time – if nothing else, it is most certainly an interesting time in the action genre!