Len Wiseman's Ballerina, more or less, makes for a satisfying experience. This sense of satisfaction is largely missing from the John Wick films because they are too somber (Wiseman's action thriller, a spin-off, is set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4). They are packed with incredible stunts, but these stunts, after a while, give rise to monotonous rhythms. The action set pieces in Ballerina may not be as imaginative as those in the John Wick films, but they are nonetheless energetic and engaging. Some of the highlights include a TV remote that opens scenes from comedy classics, a battle between a flamethrower and a hose, and a bomb that explodes inside the mouth of an enemy. These moments are bursting with movement and energy. What they lack is a creative force - a sense of awe that you get from excellent choreography. "Functional" is strangely the only word I could think of while watching the action scenes. Tension is a crucial element that's missing from both Ballerina and the Wick movies. Nothing truly feels at risk. This is why these action extravaganzas often end up looking like violent orgies. In Ballerina, the camera even seductively gazes at the weapons flaunted by Ana de Armas's Eve.
Yet, we think what we are receiving is more than sufficient, thanks to de Armas, who is really terrific (it should be noted that, like Keanu Reeves, she exudes more charisma and gives less of a performance). She elevates Ballerina's emotional flavor, infusing life into a plot that could have easily come across as boring. The revenge plot here is as old as the mountains, but de Armas keeps you watching. Who, anyway, goes to these movies for story? Still, when compared to the stunts in the film, Ballerina seems better at telling its story. It's all, of course, pretty basic. De Armas, however, arrives with such vigorous intensity that even the basic elements become sturdy, vital, active. Eve's mission is always in the foreground - it doesn't get lost amidst carnage and brutality. This is why Ballerina doesn't feel as tiring as the four John Wicks. That Reeves-led franchise derives its juice from the rules that govern this world of assassins, a unique and intricate set of codes and traditions that add depth to the narrative. We learn about The Continental and how it offers its services to those in need. The Ruska Roma uses outdated technology (switchboards) to establish communication between secret agents that effortlessly blend into the crowd and become a part of the public. It's always exciting to see these agents reveal themselves during bounty hunting. Ballerina, unfortunately, doesn't play with this device very thrillingly, and it's used quite underwhelmingly when Eve goes to Hallstatt to kill the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). What the movie offers instead is familial relationships, which gives rise to sentimentality as well as one nifty twist.
De Armas is so good that one wonders why the people who made this film and the ones who are marketing it failed to display much confidence in her star appeal. The full title of the movie is From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, and Reeves shows up to assist or eliminate the titular ballerina at certain points. This reliance on the brand name and the male star indicates that either the studios or the filmmakers (or both) have little faith in the female lead. They had to explicitly mention the name of the franchise on the poster and reveal Reeves's appearance in the trailers to bring the audiences to the theater. Neither the studio executives nor the filmmakers hid these details from the public - nobody risked surprising the moviegoers. What this reveals is that de Armas might be playing the lead and punching bad guys in the film, but it feels as if no one had complete confidence in her ability to attract a large audience. In many recent movies, women often portray roles that were traditionally reserved for men. Yet beyond the boundaries of the screen, it appears as if, more often than not, they still have to prove themselves worthy.
Final Score- [6/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
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Publisher at Midgard Times