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The Sun
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Balletic grace in John Wick spin-off
THE vast John Wick Cinematic Universe is a place where grief is fuel and everyone owns a bulletproof suit and here, Ballerina struts in as a sleek, blood-splattered interquel with surprising elegance. Set between Parabellum and Chapter 4, this spin-off serves not only as connective tissue but also as a vehicle to introduce a fresh, revenge-driven protagonist into the world of coin-flipping, vow-bound assassins. And, yes, she dances. And yes, she kills, often at the same time. Put on your dancing shoes Helmed by Len Wiseman, a director best known for his stylish entries in the Underworld series, the film brings its signature flair to a new kind of assassin: one trained to pirouette before pulling the trigger. While the premise sounds like something cooked up in a fever dream – assassin ballerinas taking on underground cults – the execution (pun very much intended) is grounded in the franchise's distinct visual style and code-of-honour absurdity. It must be said the beginning of Ballerina is a bit of a slow burn. The first act leans heavily on exposition, world-building and wistful flashbacks. For those expecting instant mayhem, the setup may feel like waiting too long for a gun to go off. However, once the shoes are laced and the bullets start flying, the film snaps into place like a well-choreographed fight scene. The pacing issues early on are quickly forgiven thanks to an increasingly engaging plot, stylish kills and one-liner-filled banter from characters both new and familiar. Fans of the franchise will find plenty to geek out over, while newcomers will likely appreciate the sheer audacity of a film that treats pointed shoes like deadly weapons. Armas surprises and slays There was some scepticism when Ana de Armas was announced as the lead in an action-heavy John Wick spin-off. Known for her dramatic roles and subtle emotional range, few expected her to carry a full-blown action flick, much less one that requires both emotional depth and the stamina to survive close-quarters combat in heels. But surprise, surprise: she delivers. De Armas glides through the film's many combat sequences with intensity and physical commitment. Her character's transformation from vengeful trainee to full-blown threat feels earned and her performance never falls into caricature. She holds her own amid seasoned action vets, proving that yes, a ballerina can suplex someone through a table without breaking form. Bombs, ballet and brotherhood Ballerina is, in part, a Trojan horse for a Keanu Reeves appearance. And that is perfectly fine. While the franchise's beloved Baba Yaga does not hog the spotlight, his presence is undeniably a crowd-pleasing highlight. The film smartly uses his character to anchor the story, rather than distract from it. Still, viewers should temper expectations, this is not John Wick 5.5 and the focus never strays far from Eve's own revenge arc. That said, for anyone walking into the cinema thinking 'I just want to see John Wick fight someone again,' rest assured: patience will be rewarded. Beyond the gun-fu and shadowy assassins, Ballerina also dips into themes of legacy, betrayal and identity. While it does not spend too long philosophising (this is not The Godfather), the script does offer moments of emotional clarity amid the chaos. Family ties and buried secrets lend the film a layer of depth, making the action sequences more than just stylish mayhem. Still, the real highlight remains the inventive choreography. From close-quarter knife fights in velvet theatres to shootouts framed like a ballet recital gone terribly wrong, Ballerina injects some much-needed creativity into the modern action genre. It understands what the Wick-verse does best: turn violence into performance art. Watch it for the Wick, stay for the wreckage Ballerina succeeds because it knows what it is. It is not here to rewrite the formula, it is here to dance all over it in blood-soaked tights. De Armas proves herself more than capable in the action arena, the choreography is top-notch and the world-building continues to deepen the Wick lore in ways that feel exciting and absurdly operatic. Yes, the early pacing could have been snappier. Yes, some characters exist purely as cannon fodder. And yes, the entire concept teeters dangerously close to parody at times. But none of that matters when the third act kicks in and Ballerina fully embraces its role as a stylish, standalone thrill ride. Whether you are here for the Keanu cameo or just to watch a ballerina blow up a village of killers, Ballerina delivers. Just remember: do not expect a masterpiece. Expect carnage with class and that is more than enough. The poster teases the stylish spin-off that pirouettes straight into the John Wick universe.
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Ballerina puts Ana de Armas in the spotlight — But can she outgun John Wick?
You've got to hand it to the title—Ballerina: From the World of John Wick sounds like a crossover between a tiara-clad Disney fantasy and a headshot-heavy gun-fu opera. And misdirection is the whole point. This isn't pirouettes and pliés—it's flamethrowers, samurai swords, and body bags. Positioned neatly between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Chapter 4, Ballerina follows a new assassin with pointe shoes and a vendetta, played by Ana de Armas. It wants to deepen the John mythos with a feminine touch and emotional weight, but ends up oscillating between promising detours and recycled chaos. Stylish, yes. Coherent? Not always. As a child, Eve Macarro (played in her younger years by Victoria Comte) witnesses her father's brutal murder by a cult led by the icy and inscrutable Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). She's whisked away by Winston (Ian McShane) to the Ruska Roma—a ballet school-slash-hitman factory overseen by the iron-willed Director (Anjelica Huston). There, Eve learns arabesques, handguns, and how to turn a pair of ice skates into weapons of mass destruction. Years later, when Eve recognizes a familiar symbol on one of her targets, she disobeys orders and embarks on a revenge spree that threatens a longstanding truce between her group and the Chancellor's. What follows is a trail of carnage leading to a snow-covered village full of cultists, one morally ambiguous hitman (Norman Reedus), and a final showdown involving flamethrowers, grenades, and more bruised larynxes than dialogue exchanges. Ana de Armas is clearly the film's MVP. With her understated calm and crisp physicality, she brings a compelling screen presence to Eve—even when the script forgets to give her character actual layers. The action, especially a 20-minute mid-film sequence that plays with structure and stakes, offers a glimpse of what the spin-off could have been if it weren't tethered so tightly to the Wick playbook. Visually, the film is as slick as you'd expect. Neon-drenched nightclubs, Eastern European rooftops, and dimly lit safehouses all look like they're borrowed from a stylish fever dream. The choreography, executed by a team of Wick alumni, delivers some technically sharp set pieces—even if we've seen many of them before. And while its thematic flirtation with 'feminine' violence—using intellect and agility over brute strength—is more talked about than shown, there's at least an attempt to carve out a new identity. Plus, the final track titled Fight Like a Girl by Evanescence and is the kind of bombastic closer you expect from a film that confuses ballet slippers with brass knuckles. Despite its best efforts to stand on its own toes, Ballerina keeps falling back into the John Wick formula like a dancer repeatedly slipping off pointe. The revenge arc, meant to fuel Eve's transformation, is sketched so thinly it barely registers. Emotional beats are hinted at and then dropped faster than a spent magazine. While the film suggests Eve should "fight differently," the choreography tells a different story. The punches, the shootouts, the nightclub brawls—they're nearly identical to scenes in John Wick's saga, just with a slightly different manicure. Even the camera movements feel like déjà vu, only with less polish in the editing bay. Norman Reedus's cameo feels like a setup for a different, more interesting movie. And Keanu Reeves, while present, mostly drops in to grunt, reload, and remind us of how well he wears a bulletproof suit. Ballerina isn't a bad film. It's just a familiar one wearing a different costume. There are sparks of originality, and Ana de Armas proves she can lead an action franchise—but the movie remains conflicted about whether it wants to honour the John Wick legacy or evolve from it. At its best, it's a brisk, bloody spin-off with style to spare. At its worst, it's a cover version of a John Wick hit single, played just slightly off-beat. Ballet may be about grace, precision, and control—Ballerina has two of those things. Just not always in the right order.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Will Ana de Armas' Ballerina get a sequel? Here's what we know about the future of John Wick spinoff so far
Ana de Armas stunned audiences with her fierce performance in Ballerina, the latest addition to the John Wick universe. The film, which premiered on June 6, 2025, follows Rooney, a young ballerina trained as an assassin, as she hunts down the people responsible for her family's murder. Set between John Wick: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, the movie combines elegant choreography with brutal action and emotional depth, and fans are already wondering if there's more to come. The director definitely left the door open Director Len Wiseman has hinted that this might not be the last we see of Ana's Rooney. While speaking about the casting of Norman Reedus as the mysterious Daniel Pine in the new film, he shared that Pine's role was designed with future stories in mind. He admitted that although the main focus was on this film, the characters were created to have paths that could continue. "I cast Norman Reedus because I have plans for him," Wiseman told Entertainment Weekly. "And I would love to see him come back in a way that he's now kind of indebted to her." The producers are already thinking ahead Even before the film's release, producer Erica Lee spoke about the potential for more. Back in 2023, she said they had already started discussing a follow-up and that Ana de Armas was expected to return. She called the early plans "hopeful" and hinted that Ballerina could become a key part of a larger universe that ties in with John Wick 5. Ballerina's ties to the John Wick world Ballerina is not just a side story. It takes place between John Wick: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 and features several familiar faces, including Keanu Reeves as Wick himself, Anjelica Huston, Lance Reddick, and Ian McShane. This direct connection to the main timeline makes the spinoff feel like part of something much bigger, not just a one-time detour. So, is Ballerina 2 happening? There's no official confirmation yet, but all signs point to yes. With the cast and crew already talking about continuing the story and the way the film fits into the larger John Wick world, it feels like Ballerina was built to be the start of something more. Fans will just have to stay tuned. But if the excitement around the film is any clue, Rooney's story probably isn't over just yet.
Perth Now
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
‘We've got a pretty good story': John Wick director Chad Stahelski teases Chapter 5
Chad Stahelski has a "pretty good story" for John Wick: Chapter 5. After the titular hitman's apparent death in 2023's John Wick: Chapter 4, Lionsgate has greenlit a fifth outing for Keanu Reeves' assassin, and Stahelski, 56, has teased the script he and scribe Mike Finch wrote is coming along nicely - though will only go ahead with the movie if they "crack" the story. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about continuing John Wick's story after his supposed end in Chapter 4, the filmmaker said: "I'm not going to lie to you, it's a bit of a conundrum. Me and Mike Finch — the writer on 4 who's also writing 5 — we've got a pretty good story that I think is cool. Once we have a 50-page book, and if we're feeling it, we'll sit with Keanu and shape this thing. "Look, everybody seems to want it. It's a matter of whether we crack it. We're actively working on it. It's just … is it going to be satisfying?" Stahelski added that while Lionsgate wants John Wick: Chapter 5, the sequel isn't locked in just yet. He explained: "The studio would very much will it into existence, I'm sure, at some point. Look, they've been great and they've asked us to really try and we have a really good couple of ideas and we're going to try." The filmmaker added that even if John Wick: Chapter 5 ultimately doesn't come to fruition, he and his creative team will likely discover plenty of other ideas that could be reworked for a spin-off in the process of developing the movie, such as the Ana de Armas-starring Ballerina. Stahelski said: "If we go down the road of John Wick 5 and build this story and decide this isn't right, there are probably going to be 10 other things we'll discover that we'll use for other things. "It's a great creative exercise. It's being in the room riffing with people we love. That's nothing but wins." Ballerina - which also stars Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, Lorenza Izzo, Anjelica Huston and the late Lance Reddick - follows Eve Maccaro, a deadly assassin who seeks vengeance for her family's murder and unleashes her fury against those who wronged her. The film is also set to include John Wick as an adversary of Macarro's, though Stahelski revealed this wasn't always in the plan, and he was initially "kind of against" bringing in Reeves' assassin. He explained: "That wasn't in the original script. To be honest, I was kind of against it. But I do see the benefit and we wanted to help out [director Len Wiseman]. "We had just opened John Wick 4 and it was huge. He couldn't go back to the model of the first John Wick and do a little $18 million indie thing and try to build it up. "In order to stay in the same game, you got to give him a fighting chance. And the easiest way to transfer that over — at least, from the studio point of view — was have Wick in Ballerina in a special timeline."
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ballerina early Twitter Review: Ana de Armas and Keanu Reeves starrer hailed as 'perfect summer action blockbuster'
The John Wick universe has found a new leading assassin in Ana de Armas , and early viewers are already calling her film Ballerina a total knockout. Ahead of its US premiere, Ballerina also starring Keanu Reeves , is drawing widespread praise on social media, with fans declaring it the 'perfect summer action blockbuster.' Directed by Len Wiseman, the spin-off is set between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Chapter 4, and follows Eve Macarro (de Armas), a deadly assassin on a vengeful mission against those responsible for her family's destruction. Twitter has been flooded with glowing reactions from fans and early reviewers alike. From praising the film's slick action to the high-stakes plot, impressive performances all within the familiar world of John Wick, the film has fans raving about the new spin-off. One fan posted, 'FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK comes #BALLERINA, a slick-paced, bloody brutal action-extravaganza that strips the series back to its basics… Ana De Armas is a powerhouse.' Another echoed the sentiment, writing, 'Not into the idea of spin-offs usually, but #Ballerina works sooo well because of how incredible Ana de Armas is phenominal … the film of the summer.' Fans also applauded the film's innovative action set-pieces, particularly praising de Armas' commanding presence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tecno Pova Curve 5G - 144hz Curve Feels Like No Phone Before TECNO Mobile Buy Now Undo 'Ana de Armas proves good things (& more importantly badass things) come in small packages,' one fan tweeted. 'The action sequences are wildly innovative. The John Wick franchise doesn't miss.' A standout scene involving a flamethrower even earned special mention from an excited viewer, 'There's a flamethrower scene… never seen anything like it before.' De Armas wasn't the only one drawing praise — Keanu Reeves and Norman Reedus were also singled out for their impactful roles. One reviewer noted, 'Keanu Reeves and Norman Reedus make the most of their moments. I had a blast with this one.' Still, not all reviews were uncritical. One viewer pointed out, '#Ballerina (ironically) takes a bit to find its footing but once it does, it becomes a highly entertaining action flick. Ana de Armas is a fantastic lead… It lacks some of the panache of the best JW films but is still a worthy spin-off.' Check out some honest reviews below: The film debuted with a 76% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating a strong start and solid potential at the summer box office. Adding to the buzz, Ana's rumoured partner Tom Cruise joined the promotional wave, sharing a photo on Instagram of himself posing in front of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Ballerina posters. 'Your mission, should you choose to accept it: a weekend of action on the big screen,' he wrote, giving both blockbusters a high-octane push. Ballerina officially hits theatres later this week, and if early reactions are any indication, Ana de Armas may have just danced her way into action movie history. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
