“Ballerina” Doesn’t Dance Around The Qualities That Make “John Wick” Series Special

The “John Wick” franchise has always been an outlier in the blockbuster scene. Since its debut in 2014, it’s remained consistently popular despite being a completely original idea, with no novels, comics, or pre-existing fanbase to rely on. It’s a celebration of what cinema can be, combining stunning visuals with unparalleled stunt work, and has never once felt the need nor the inclination to lean back on returning characters or cheap cameos.

But this, as proven by the likes of Marvel and “Star Wars,” is not a sustainable way of making money in Hollywood anymore.

Fortunately, “Ballerina,” the fifth entry in the series and the first to not feature Keanu Reeves in the lead role, is still a good movie. If all you’re looking for is the same high-octane carnage of the early Wick pics, you can rest assured that it delivers in spades, and any problems with it are unlikely to distract from a good time at the theater.

Ana de Armas plays a great central character, providing a great amount of depth to the world while still bringing a real spark to the performance. Her character, Eve, brought into the same organization as John Wick at a young age, is similar enough to what we’ve come to expect from the series, but she brings a new edge as a rookie to the world of assassination. She’ll still turn a man into mist with a well-placed grenade, but unlike Reeves’ consummate professional, she’s a little rough around the edges, which makes for a compelling narrative.

However, beneath the gleam of another competent action thriller is the imposing presence of a well-established, uncompromising continuity. Across every previous “John Wick” movie, only four characters have returned, with each one existing almost as a standalone, sporting a largely fresh supporting cast every time.

“Ballerina” matches that number in just one film, relying heavily on appearances from Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick and, rather prominently, Keanu Reeves, to provide a quick and easy solution to narrative gaps. It’s certainly not as bad as the likes of “Star Wars,” which seems to have built its entire modern success on reminding us of characters we like more, but for a film as strong as this with such a competent lead actor in de Armas, it feels unfair to draw the attention away during crucial moments.

Despite struggling to break away, “Ballerina” still manages to be pretty darn great. The production difficulties surrounding this film aren’t all that secret; built from a combination of multiple scripts and split across two directors at least, it’s a miracle it still feels like a single movie. What was clearly meant to be a rather tedious “John Wick” origin story is now a new revenge tale packed with innovative action set pieces and incredible stunts. The story is about as bare bones as you can expect for the franchise, but that’s also never been a problem before, allowing much more time for gunplay and violence.

The great thing about the Wick movies is that, even when bogged down by awkward mythology or half a dozen secret organizations that all do basically the same thing (kill people in silly, spectacular ways), they’re easy movies to enjoy. It’s not Shakespeare, but it doesn’t need to be. I could go on about choppy dialogue or how nothing makes sense if you think about it for more than a second, but this is a movie with no less than 20 kills via rocket-powered flamethrower. Praise Hamlet all you want, but you won’t catch him doing that.

It’s not the revolutionary picture that the first Wick was back in 2014, but if you’re even a passing fan of the franchise, you won’t be disappointed. It draws that same perfect balance of self-seriousness and camp, and it works as a fantastic companion piece to the series as a whole. Whether the filmmakers can continue this hot streak is anyone’s guess, but as we are right now, the future of “John Wick” is in safe hands.