An assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma organization sets out to seek revenge after her father’s death.
Chuck says:
If there was ever a scene-stealing moment, it occurred when Ana de Armas made a brief appearance in the 2021 James Bond adventure, “No Time to Die.” As Paloma, she claims to be fresh-faced spy with only minimal training. This proves to be a modest assertion as she dispatches numerous terrorists with grace and ease, so much so, she elicits a grin from the steely 007. In the film less than 10 minutes, de Armas made an impression on audiences, so much so there was talk of giving Paloma her own feature.
Unfortunately, in its stead we have “Ballerina,” an extension of the “John Wick” franchise. Obviously, the producers of the series took note of the actress’ appearance in “Die, thinking she had the chops to play the titular assassin. However, the film proves to be a curious miscalculation that, surprisingly, finds her miscast in the role. Diminutive and girlish, the actress is never convincing as a ruthless, karate-chopping, ice skate-wielding, flame-thrower totting killer. Much more adept at delivering the kind of arch, self-aware delivery she brought to Paloma, the edgy, hard-knuckled world of “Wick” is an ill fit. Whereas Keanu Reeves, who makes an all too brief appearance here, is able to simultaneously show his tough guy bona fides but also let us know we shouldn’t take anything character does seriously, de Armas plays it straight, bringing a flat, serious tone to the role that lands with a thud.
A lackluster prologue explains Eve’s (De Armas) raison d’etre. Having witnessed her father die at the hands of a group of assassins led by The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), the orphaned girl is taken in by Wick’s mentor Winston (Ian McShane). He enrolls her in the ballet academy run by The Director (Anjelica Huston) but it’s not pirouettes, and toe stands this company focuses on. No, these young women are trained to be assassins, and Eve proves quite adept at killing with impunity. Soon, she’s out on the streets, earning big bucks taking out well-connected ne’er-do-wells or protecting high value targets. It’s during one of these jobs that she notices one of her victims sports the same markings those who killed her father sported. Suddenly, a sense of vengeance overtakes her, and the young woman sets out to kill the men that put her dear old dad six feet under.
Screenwriters Shay Hatten and Derek Kolstad are veterans of the “Wick” series, so it comes as a surprise that the plot here is so threadbare, the dialogue so simplistic. While the stories in the Keanu Reeves’ features are simply an excuse for their imaginative action sequences, at least there’s an attempt in these films to provide a bit of complexity, with an interesting twist happening now and again. Here, no effort is made, the story is nothing more than a pastiche of simplistic tropes that are quickly dispensed with, none of them developed.
As such, this makes for an, at times, ponderous viewing experience as the action sequences, these films’ bread-and-butter, are hit and miss. Those in the first hour are dull and at times sloppily rendered, director Len Wiseman unable to replicate the sort of slick, imaginative sequences former stuntman and director of the “Wick” films, Chad Stahelski, has concocted. However, things get steadily better as the story progresses. Eve finds an imaginative way to use a case of hand grenades to dispatch a group of bad guys, while her ability to turn a pair of ice skates into lethal weapons is to be marveled at. Wiseman finds his footing in the third act, embracing the ridiculous with a kitchen duel involving fine china and a missing handgun, while the climactic flamethrower duel is true showstopper. The reaction of her European victims had me wondering if the whole “stop-drop-and-roll” technique was strictly an American response.
The franchise veterans, which also includes the late Lance Reddick, know what they’re up to regarding how to approach this material. And while Reeves’ presence isn’t felt until the third act, there’s a moment he and de Armas share that’s telling. During a terse exchange, they’re armed with simple, two- or three-word statements and while Reeves delivers his lines with thought and intent, getting far more out of the phrase “Just leave,” than you can imagine, his counterpart opts for a rushed, obvious delivery. This simple exchange demonstrates just how out of her depth de Armas is here. Coming off as a grade school thespian at sea once cast against professionals, the actress needs to up both her action chops and acting game for the inevitable sequel. In the end, far too many steps are missed to make “Ballerina” worthy of the “Wick” brand.
2 1/2 Stars
