Mikes Film Talk

The 2025 action thriller Ballerina (From the World of John Wick.) is too little, too long. Director Len Wiseman takes the long way round the barn on this one. Following the Shay Hatten script, based on characters created by Derek Kolstad, Ballerina drags a bit. Granted, the backstory was needed, but, it slowed things down.

Ballerina the Story

Eve is almost kidnapped and her father murdered. He escaped from a cult and she escapes from the assassins. Winston takes the child in and leaves her to be trained by the Ruska Roma. When she becomes ready, Eve goes after the cult who destroyed her family.

Ballerina Cast

Ana de Armas is Eve.

Keanu Reeves is John Wick.

Ian McShane is Winston.

Anjelica Huston is The Director.

Sharon Duncan-Brewster is Nogi.

Gabriel Byrne is the Chancellor.

Catalina Sandino Moreno is Lena.

Norman Reedus is Daniel Pine.

Lance Reddick is Charon.

Jung Doo-hong is Il Song.

The Kids

Victoria Comte is young Eve.

Ava Joyce McCarthy is Ella.

Let’s Talk Ballerina

Before going any further, it has to be said that seeing the old gang together again, was special. Ian McShane as Winston is unforgettable. Keanu Reeves sleep walks as John Wick in a cameo that shows he still wears those shoes. It was bittersweet seeing the late Lance Reddick as Charon. Gabriel Byrne looks better than he did in the 2012 film I, Anna.

Despite having very little screen time, it was brilliant seeing Jung Doo-hong. I’ve been a fan since the 2004 action/comedy Arahan.

Ballerina has to be slow to fit all that backstory and exposition in at the start of the film. The film starts off quickly enough. Young Eve gets her first kill at a very young age. *She takes after his big sister Lena. Lena tells her she was blooded at a very early age as well.*

From The World of John Wick

As spin offs go, this was alright up to a point. There are moments, however, that do stand out. “One bullet can change the world,” says Nogi and she’s right. Later on she tells Eve to “fight like a girl.” It is a game changer for the neophyte assassin. However the entire training montage takes too long. The main portion of the film seems to take forever to arrive.

Ballerina is “From the World of John Wick” but is lacks the speed and the focus of the other features.

It Does Work

When the main plot does land it does work. Eve is like a Timex watch, she can take a beating and keep on ticking. *The old adverts were phrased differently but seem rude in this context. Alright?* This new member of team Ruska Roma can keep on fighting. Sort of like the Energizer Bunny.

The stunt choreography is impressive and effective. So to are the fight sequences. The only real problem is that Eve spends more time on the floor than actually fighting/killing bad guys. Although to be fair, the new kid on the block is massively outnumbered wherever she goes. *Even her first assignment as Kikimora sees her fighting of numerous baddies.*

Sequel

We already know that there are talks to make John Wick 5. The way that Ballerina ends, leaves the door open for another tale about Eve. That $5 million bounty at the end, sure feels like a continuance is coming. Time will tell, however. The world box office gross did not double the budget so we will have to see.

The Verdict

Ballerina, with a running time of 124 minutes was too long for moi. I’ve given it a 4.5 stars for that odious amount of time spent in a chair watching it. The cast rock it here though, with the exception of Keanu seemingly phoning his bit in. *To be fair, though, he was not given too much to do in this film.* The film is streaming on STARZ right now. Check it out and see what you think.

The Trailer