By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
Don’t let the pretty face fool you.
Ana de Armas ("No Time to Die") is one tough and fierce assassin in the action thriller
"From the World of John Wick: Ballerina," aka
"Ballerina."
This is the fifth installment in the ever-expanding "John Wick" universe. The stylish spin-off from director
Len Wiseman (TV's "Sin City") and screenwriters
Shay Hatten ("John Wick: Chapter 4"), and
Derek Kolstad (TV's "Die Hart"), takes place between the events of "John Wick: Chapter 3--Parabellum" (2019) and "John Wick: Chapter 4" (2023) and it adds a bold new chapter to the franchise.
Not many kids could probably recover from seeing their father murdered right before their eyes. But in "Ballerina," young Eve--played by Victoria Comte from "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" and later by de Armas-- does, but she is forced to turn that trauma into fuel.
Her pain, born of a brutal attack carried out by a ruthless, narcissistic cult leader known as The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne, "Diary of a Mad Old Man"), becomes the driving force behind her transformation into a mean killing machine.
John Wick's longtime ally and trusted friend, Winston (Ian McShane, TV's "Vital Signs"), who manages the New York Continental Hotel, brings young Eve to a ballet academy which is secretly a front for the Ruska Roma covert assassin training. The institution is overseen by the enigmatic Director (Anjelica Huston, "John Wick: Chapter 3--Parabellum"). Her icy authority helps shape Eve's transformation into something far more dangerous than a grieving daughter.
Beneath Eve's poised exterior and disciplined training simmers a quiet rage and a singular, unshakable goal: vengeance. Her mission propels her through a deadly gauntlet of underworld operatives, mercenaries, and shadowy power players who consistently underestimate her and pay the price.
Eve is relentless and always stays at least three steps ahead of the bad guys and she isn’t picky about her weapons either. Whether it's blowtorches, hand grenades, machine guns, swords, knives--or even glass plates--she turns anything within reach into a tool of destruction and looks amazing doing it.
Reeves makes two brief but memorable appearances in Ballerina--one at the beginning and one near the end--and, as always, he commands the screen. But to be clear: "Ballerina" belongs to Ana de Armas. She fully commits to the role, bringing precision, power, and undeniable presence to every frame.
As Eve, a woman with nothing left to lose and everything to fight for, she is both emotionally grounded and physically electrifying. The fight choreography is razor-sharp, fluid, and often breathtaking--especially during the standout plate-throwing and sword-fighting sequences. Oh, and Eve even gets behind the wheel of a killer Mustang too, making the action even slicker.
Though brief, it was also genuinely moving to see the late
Lance Reddick ("Shirley") grace the screen once more.
Cameos and callbacks to the original "John Wick" films will thrill longtime fans, but "Ballerina" confidently carves out its own space. It's a sleek, hard-hitting revenge thriller that dances with danger and lands nearly every blow.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Go Ahead And Look At This Trailer For
"FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK: BALLERINA"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
