★★★ (3 out of 4)
What’s slightly bigger than a cameo but way smaller than a supporting role? Answer: Whatever Keanu Reeves is doing for 10 minutes or so in “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,” the year’s most cumbersome and irritating excuse for a title. In my rankings of all Wick films, I referred to it as “ From the World of John Wick’s Promotion Department: Side Hustle.” So by decree of The Travers Take, this basically Wick-less film—not without many compensatory values—will be cited only as “Ballerina.” Sue me.
Now onto the good stuff. Let’s start with Ana de Armas who has all the right moves as Eve Macarro, the ballerina of the title. The movie, set between chapters 3 and 4 in the Wick series, really is all about Eve. She does have a lot in common with John boy, both being orphans trained to be assassins and both being obsessed with personal vengeance—Wick for the killing of his puppy, Eve for the murder of her poppa in a scene the traumatized child watches at close range. The effect of violence on children is a theme “Ballerina” unflinchingly addresses. Eve sees the lost child in herself in the little girl who leans so hard on the protection of her father, played by “Walking Dead” icon Norman Reedus, that isn’t always available.
Early on, Wick shows Eve the door and tells her to walk away from this life of death. She asks Wick, quite rightly, why he doesn’t do same. “I’m working on it,” says Wick, a line Keanu delivers in closeup and with just the right note of humor that shows off “Ballerina” at its best.
Speaking of ballet, Eve pretty much sucks at it. She keeps falling down during rehearsals, much to the disdain of The Director, a master teacher played by Angelica Huston with fire and blood lipgloss to match her temper. The Director is willing to shrug off Eve’s clumsy pliés as long as she obeys her orders about who needs killing and who doesn’t.
The Director takes a hands off policy toward The Chancellor, played by Gabriel Byrne, with a smooth formality that belies his affinity for death dealing. Men, women, children and blood relatives are fair game for this monster, who lives in a snowy Alpine town and whose citizens—like children of the damned—are sworn to do his bidding. You’ve probably guessed by now that The Chancellor is the psycho responsible for killing Eve’s poppa. She wants this dude gone.
As is customary with the Wick series, image and sound are honed to perfection. Kudos to editor Jason Ballantine, composer Tyler Bates, cinematographer Romain Lacourbas and the keen eye of senior colorist Jill Bogdanowicz of Company 3, who’s worked on every Wick epic since Chapter 2 and knows in her DNA that God is in the details.
To recap, The Director is furious with Eve for targeting The Chancellor. And The Critic, that’s me, is furious at the script by Shay Hatten for taking so damn long to rev its engines. Or could it be a tough transition for new director Len Wiseman, in for OG Chad Stahelski? Wiseman claimed that a brief illness led Stahelski to step in for him and that scenes were added, not reshot.
Be that as it may, “Ballerina” only hits its stride in the second half when Eve goes ballistic on The Chancellor and his minions. One smackdown in a restaurant kitchen, with Eve weaponizing every dish and utensil she can get her hands on, deserves a place in the Wick whupass pantheon, and that’s saying something. Eve’s pretty handy with flamethrowers as well. She can take out an army with them. Surreal silliness always goes better with laughter.
Top marks to de Armas—she's a warrior worth cheering. Nominated for a Golden Globe in “Knives Out,” and an Oscar for playing Marilyn Monroe in “Blonde,” this Spanish-Cuban dynamo also exhibited fighting skills in Daniel Craig’s last James Bond film, “No Time to Die,” in which she rivaled 007 in combat while dressed in heels and a backless frock. De Armas was one and done in that film, much like Keanu in “Ballerina,” but both have indisputable star quality.
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Crucially, de Armas has the grit and grace that “Ballerina” desperately needs to hold our interest between the bouts of gun-fu that, however thrilling, can dull with repetition. Keanu, now 60, has had a lifetime on camera. De Armas, 37, is still developing and stretching her talent. Their few moments of screen sharing in “Ballerina” make you wish they’d extended the effort into an equal partnership. But, hey, if true success means always leave them wanting more, then Team “Ballerina” gets the job done.