From the World of John Wick: Ballerina Review: A Decent-action film that fails to connect

The story of From the World of John Wick: Ballerina doesn’t stray far from the John Wick formula. We see a young girl grow up to become a Ruska Roma, and she sets off on a revenge mission to find the people who killed her father. Familiar faces from the Wick universe, like Charon and Winston, make appearances, but instead of being key players, they’re mostly reduced to cameos or used as plot fillers. 

It’s a missed opportunity, especially for fans hoping to see more of the High Table world fleshed out. The movie is not directed by John Wick alum Chad Stahelski, and it is obvious throughout the entire film. 

Norman Reedus is also part of the cast, playing the role of an assassin trying to protect his daughter, but his role is surprisingly thin. He shows up, does the protective dad bit, and that’s about it. Giving him more screen time or weight to his character could’ve made the film much better. 

The film starts off strong, but as it goes on, it shifts gears into a family drama, which slows things down and takes the bite out of the action. That tonal shift doesn’t land well; it pulls the movie away from the ruthless, high-octane momentum the trailer promised. 

The action is where Ballerina really kicks into high gear, and honestly, it might even outdo John Wick in a few ways. This film is gory, it’s brutal, and it’s bursting with creativity. Ana de Armas’s character, Eve, takes down waves of enemies with style, whether she’s jamming a grenade into someone’s mouth, slicing through foes with ski boots or a katana, or torching them with a flamethrower. 

Unlike the gun-heavy style of John Wick, Ballerina leans more into hand-to-hand combat, and that shift actually works in its favor. The fight scenes are smooth and well-choreographed, flowing seamlessly from one location to the next. But it sometimes goes so hard on the action that it forgets to breathe. 

Without much of a story to anchor it all, the endless combat can feel a bit exhausting, even dull, after a point. Even the scenes with John Wick feel surprisingly dull. Fan didn’t think it was ever possible. Gabriel Byrne’s character, the Chancellor, just doesn’t feel like a strong or scary villain. Compared to past John Wick villains like Santino D’Antonio, the Adjudicator, or Viggo Tarasov, he falls short. In From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, we don’t get anyone with that same level of menace or presence.

All in all, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, set in the John Wick universe, is a decent watch but nothing groundbreaking. It follows a familiar revenge plot, tracking down her parents’ killer, and the story tends to drag at times. The action is reliable, but after a point, it loses its edge and even starts to feel unintentionally funny.

The film also teases a sequel involving Norman Reedus, but it’s unclear whether his character will become a key figure in the franchise going forward.