Let’s just get this out of the way: Ballerina isn’t breaking any storytelling records. If you’re expecting some kind of Tarantino-esque plot twist buffet, go back to Netflix and cry into your lukewarm IPA.
But if you want to see a graceful, deadly, Cuban hurricane of violence whip her way through the gritty neon-lit underbelly of the John Wick universe, Ballerina delivers with the precision of a SEAL sniper and the artistic flair of a ballerina drop-kicking you through a pane of stained glass.
Plot? Meh. Violence? Oh yeah, and let’s face it, that’s what you’re here for.
Yeah, the plot is thinner than a vegan’s skin at a Texas pig roast. Something-something revenge, secret organizations, family trauma—blah blah. You’re not here for Shakespeare, you’re here to watch Ana de Armas turn into a one-woman wrecking crew with the poise of a prima ballerina and the brutality of a ticked-off honey badger with a custom Glock.
She’s not just dipping her toes into the “bad girl” pool—she cannonballs into it, shotgun-first, and lights the damn water on fire. This isn’t Atomic Blonde with training wheels. This is ballet with blood. Graceful brutality. Death in pirouette form.
A Navy SEAL hat tip for the attention to detail in the weapons choreography—every reload, every jam clear, every headshot is a sweet, violent lullaby, and this is something I personally can respect in so many movies that get it wrong.
John Wick Tie-ins: More Than Just Fan Service
If you’re a Wick fan (I’m new to the Wick game), this movie must be like finding a secret compartment in your Bugatti that holds an extra bottle of Blue label and a suppressed MP5 room broom.
Let’s just get this out of the way: Ballerina isn’t breaking any storytelling records. If you’re expecting some kind of Tarantino-esque plot twist buffet, go back to Netflix and cry into your lukewarm IPA.
But if you want to see a graceful, deadly, Cuban hurricane of violence whip her way through the gritty neon-lit underbelly of the John Wick universe, Ballerina delivers with the precision of a SEAL sniper and the artistic flair of a ballerina drop-kicking you through a pane of stained glass.
Plot? Meh. Violence? Oh yeah, and let’s face it, that’s what you’re here for.
Yeah, the plot is thinner than a vegan’s skin at a Texas pig roast. Something-something revenge, secret organizations, family trauma—blah blah. You’re not here for Shakespeare, you’re here to watch Ana de Armas turn into a one-woman wrecking crew with the poise of a prima ballerina and the brutality of a ticked-off honey badger with a custom Glock.
She’s not just dipping her toes into the “bad girl” pool—she cannonballs into it, shotgun-first, and lights the damn water on fire. This isn’t Atomic Blonde with training wheels. This is ballet with blood. Graceful brutality. Death in pirouette form.
A Navy SEAL hat tip for the attention to detail in the weapons choreography—every reload, every jam clear, every headshot is a sweet, violent lullaby, and this is something I personally can respect in so many movies that get it wrong.
John Wick Tie-ins: More Than Just Fan Service
If you’re a Wick fan (I’m new to the Wick game), this movie must be like finding a secret compartment in your Bugatti that holds an extra bottle of Blue label and a suppressed MP5 room broom.
We get glimpses of the same Wick shadow world—the Continental, the High Table, the stylishly ruthless assassins who probably order their espresso with a side of cyanide. There’s even a Wick cameo that doesn’t feel like a cheap marketing gimmick. It’s woven in just enough to expand the lore without milking the Wick cow dry.
Think of Ballerina as John Wick’s dangerously hot cousin who studied at Juilliard and kills people for emotional closure.
Ana de Armas: She’s the real deal. Her transformation from wide-eyed ingénue to avenging angel of death is both believable and sexy in a way that would make Bond girls cry into their shaken martinis.
Choreography: Fights that look like a Cirque du Soleil show got hijacked by Delta Force. The attention to tactical detail is so good it didn’t even make my tactical BS radar beep once.
Weapons: Suppressors that actually suppress. Reloads that actually happen. Headshots that aren’t CGI fantasy. Hollywood, take notes.
Cameos & Lore: Keanu pops in like a benevolent assassin-god and ties everything back to the Wick-verse with style.
Final Words: Worth It
Would I watch it again? Oh, yeah. Would I recommend it to anyone who loves violence delivered with elegance? Absolutely. This isn’t just some cash-grab spin-off—Ballerina earns its bones with bloody knuckles and calloused feet. It may not have the most mind-blowing plot, but it respects the world it was born into and adds a new, lethal flavor to the John Wick saga.
This is one for the SOFREP crowd, the edge-lords of action cinema, and anyone who likes their heroines with high cheekbones and higher body counts.
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