Ana de Armas revels in the spotlight as assassin in John Wick spin-off Ballerina, seen at The Light, Wisbech
Film review: Ballerina (15) - seen at The Light, Wisbech
Starring: Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane and Anjelica Huston
Director: Len Wiseman Run time: Two hours, four minutes
When John Wick appeared to die at the end of the fourth instalment of the eponymous films, I assumed that was it for the franchise.
But no. With this movie set in the period between the third and fourth films, the format lives on with Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas taking the lead role as killer ballerina Eve. And, because he’s not dead yet, there’s even a cameo from Wick himself (Keanu Reeves)!
The whole idea is very similar to the original Wick film, but instead of Reeves’ character taking revenge for the death of his dog, we have Eve going on the kill to avenge the murder of her assassin father.
With her mum also gone, a young Eve - played by French starlet Victoria Comte, who really does look like de Armas as a child - is taken in by the Ruska Roma organisation at the bequest of ‘Winston’ (Ian McShane) and trained for 12 years to be a ‘kikimora’ assassin.
The organisation hides behind the front of a ballet school, and of course, all those pirouettes and asssemblés come in handy when Eve seeks revenge against her father’s ‘Cultist’ assassins after discovering who they are when she is attacked.
Then it’s the usual chase, fight scenes, beautiful scenery and lots and lots of deaths - not necessarily in that order.
De Armas showed her potential as an action star in the 2021 James Bond film No Time To Die, and here she revels in the spotlight, her beauty often highlighted against the background of gunfire flashes or burning buildings.
Familiar characters such as McShane’s Winston, Anjelica Huston as The Director and the late Lance Reddick as Charon bring comfort among the carnage too.
And with the climax of the film leaving things open for more Ballerina movies, expect the Wick franchise to run.
By Jeremy Ransome
Rating: 7/10
