Ballerina (2025) - Movie Review

The Movie: Ballerina

The Director: Len Wiseman

The Cast: Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, Keanu Reeves

The Story: An assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma organization sets out to seek revenge after her father's death.

The Rating: 7 / 10

The Review:

I'm going to get this out of the way so I don't focus on it too much during this review. There is a 2017 Korean movie by Jung Byung-gil called The Villainess that John Wick director Chad Stahelski admittedly drew inspiration from. There is also a 2023 Korean movie by Lee Chung-hyun called Ballerina that also fits nicely within the Gun Fu sub-genre that the Wick franchise has popularized domestically. I just want to make sure these films are acknowledged as part of the DNA of these types of female led action/revenge movies which can even be traced back to the early 90's with La Femme Nikita and the Point of No Return remake.

That lineage made it interesting to see Gabriel Byrne show up in this movie as the antagonist since he played a major role in Point of No Return. As soon as I saw him, I turned into the Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at the screen meme as my brain connected the dots. At first, I was a bit skeptical to see him as the big bad, for no particular reason, but he actually plays a really great villain in this movie and he was used very wisely so no complaints here. Casting overall is a strong suit of this movie, especially with Ana de Armas leading the way. She can do it all from the action to the acting and it'll be interesting to see where she takes this character next if given the opportunity.

And yes, Keanu Reeves is in the movie as Mr. John Wick himself which I believe was primarily to be able to properly market the movie and get as much out of that first weekend box office as they can and this is not a complaint. Any time we get to see Reeves in this role, I'm buying popcorn and lining up as quickly as I can. I was afraid he might only have a minute or two of screen time and was happy to be wrong as he is in the movie a fair amount just don't expect too much and you'll be fine. I will say that the times he is in the movie feel a little forced and the overall story could have played out just the same if he was never in it but again, who cares. I'll take it.

As far as the action, this movie does fall into the world of Gun Fu and yet, director Len Wiseman, who might be best known for his work in the Underworld world, takes things in a bit of a different direction which was really fun. I mean, you're never going to duplicate the magic that Stahelski and Reeves manage to put on screen with how gritty and visceral the fights are so Wiseman and company were smart in kicking things up a few notches when it comes to the larger than life, just a little bit bigger than reality type of action which means we get lots of grenades and flamethrowers (also an iconic piece of weaponry from the other Ballerina) to go with all the punching and kicking and stabbing and shooting.

Yes, there is a ton of action in this movie, pretty much from start to finish. I think I was able to pick a good time to use the restroom (it couldn't be helped) but I still might have missed out on at least a few punches and stabbings. When I walked back in, a really fun and creative kitchen fight scene was happening which really emphasized de Armas's, and of course the stunt team's, ability to bring something new and fresh and exciting to the table. All the way through the movie there was lots of oohs and aahs and excited cheering which is exactly what we want from an action movie theater experience so get out there and enjoy everything this movie has to offer.

Ballerina is one of those movies that is sure to be a crowd pleaser and, with Ana de Armas leading the way as Eve, we may just have a new action franchise hero to cheer on for years to come. Sure, it may not be perfect, but it's still a very capable entry into the John Wick franchise and it fits nicely into the long and storied history of female driven action/revenge movies. It's also just a lot of fun so now it's your turn to get out there, buy your popcorn, get in line, and grab a seat. Oh, in case you're wondering where this movie fits within the John Wick movie timeline, it takes place during the events of Chapter Three.