Plot Summary: Eve Macarro’s (Ana de Armas) father is killed by members of a mysterious group after he refuses to hand her over to them when she is just a young girl (played by Victoria Comte). Her father’s friend and associate, Winston Scott (Ian McShane) finds her and delivers her to the Director (Anjelica Huston) of the Ruska Roma, a group of ballerinas who moonlight as assassins. Young Eve agrees to join the group and thus begins her lessons. We then find her twelve years later as a diligent, but still very green assassin-in-training. After passing a gruesome final test she is allowed to begin taking assignments, after one of which she discovers that her attempted killer wears the same mark as the men who killed her father. She enlists the help of Winston Scott and John Wick to find her father’s killers and exact revenge. 

Runtime: 125 minutes

Director: Len Wiseman

Writers:  Shay Hatten

• Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro
• Anjelica Huston as the Director 
• Gabriel Byrne as the Chancellor
• Lane Reddick as Charon
• Norman Reedus as Daniel Pine
• Ian McShane as Winston Scott
• Keanu Reeves as John Wick 

Review by: Lauren

There are so many conversations to be had about IP (intellectual property) and Hollywood films. Sometimes it feels as if everything is a remake or reboot or based on a toy, book, or video game. However, the John Wick films, which feature an original character and story, have taken audiences by storm. They have even ushered in a bit of an action renaissance, where stunt work is praised and valued for the technique and creativity required to entertain viewers and keep stuntpeople safe. In fact, the John Wick series is directed by stuntman and stunt coordinator, Chad Stahelski. The popularity of the franchise has led to three sequels and now, a spinoff series, Ballerina. But it must be said: the quality of said sequels and new spinoff demand that we exercise just a little forgiveness in this case. 

Ballerina thoroughly proves itself as an exciting and welcome beginning to the expansion of John Wick’s universe. It pulls themes and action beats found in the four John Wick films and creates a dark, yet compelling, world around them. The action sequences were thrilling and creative. Standouts were the one-woman-army scenes where Eve (Ana de Armas) fights her way through hoards of men 3 times her size using only a flamethrower or a belt of grenades. I was also fascinated that the multiple stunt coordinators and stunt people were able to convey where Eve was in her assassin journey through tiny adjustments in physicality. Unlike in many action films, we have the refreshing opportunity to watch our protagonist learn and grow her skills. When we meet here as an adult, she is still training. She struggles at times, she gets out of breath, she gets injured–just like a human being. One almost feels proud as we watch her gain experience and fight her way to revenge. 

My only gripe is that the film occasionally gets a little heavy handed with the “girl power” messaging. Perhaps I am optimistic, but I hope that feminism can intersect with action films in a way that pushes past the somewhat flattening effect of the “fight like a girl” mentality. The film works best when it shows us that it values women’s power, perspectives, and realities–and it is very good at showing. Eve is no damsel in distress and she avenges her father, not a lover. Her outfits are very practical–no heels here. But hearing “fight like a girl” not only in the dialogue but in the end credits song (Evanescence – Fight Like A Girl (feat. K.Flay)), was a bit much. 

Images Courtesy of IMDB