Latest news with #Wick
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Wick's Chad Stahelski Got ‘Honest' About Initially Not Wanting Keanu Reeves In Ballerina. Why It Happened Anyway
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The world of John Wick is expanding with the newly released spinoff film Ballerina, which follows Ana de Armas' Eve Macarro as she embarks on a revenge-fueled path. While the 2025 movie release is definitely Eve's film it also features the Baba Yaga himself, played by the returning Keanu Reeves. As much as excited as some fans may have been to see Reeves reprise his famous role, though fellow franchise veteran Chad Stahelski honestly didn't want him to return. So that begs the question of why it happened regardless. Having directed all four of the John Wick films and served as a producer on the series as well, Chad Stahelski knows more than a few things about this beloved IP. So, at this point, he's definitely not shy about voicing his opinion when it comes to details he's not too fond of. The Ballerina producer spoke to THR, during which he confirmed that he wasn't keen on Wick himself popping up in this latest story. While Stahelski didn't dive deep into his reasoning, he was 'honest' in admitting the benefit of having the character in the mix: That wasn't in the original script. To be honest, I was kind of against it. But I do see the benefit and we wanted to help out [director Len Wiseman]. We had just opened John Wick 4 and it was huge. He couldn't go back to the model of the first John Wick and do a little $18 million indie thing and try to build it up. In order to stay in the same game, you got to give him a fighting chance. And the easiest way to transfer that over — at least, from the studio point of view — was have Wick in Ballerina in a special timeline. Overall, that logic is understandable, considering that Lionsgate is trying to prop up a new character, Eve, with this latest film. So it would make sense for the execs and filmmakers to try and give the spinoff a bump by having Wick play a supporting role. I'm not sure what the producer's exact concern was in regard to adding Wick to the story. Maybe he was worried that having the infamous assassin pop in might take the shine away from Eve. That would be a genuine concern, but I'd argue that Wick doesn't step on Eve's toes too much. More on Ballerina Ballerina Review: Low Expectations Definitely Help Combat High Franchise Standards For The John Wick Spinoff Ballerina may muck up John Wick's timeline a bit, but it's hard to deny the sheer awesomeness that results from the film's chronological placement. Without getting too specific, Wick shows up a few times in the film, with his initial appearance being part of a more personal scene. Of course, as the trailers and TV spots have teased, he and Eve come to blows in a big way, and the sequence makes the movie tickets well worth the price of admission. However, fans should know that just because Keanu Reeves reprised his role for this latest spinoff, it doesn't necessarily mean he'll return in other offshoots. Chad Stahelski went on to confirm to THR that Reeves will not appear in the film focused on Donnie Yen's Caine. Stahelski went on to explain why he's not worried about having the franchise's signature character appear in that flick: The Donny Yen spinoff doesn't have the John Wick character. It's got Donny Yen and it's an ode to kung fu movies. If John Wick 1 was about Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin, this is about Chow Yun-fat, John Woo and Wong Kar-wai. So I think that one is a little easier to get it across to audiences because it's in a sub-genre of what we love. Despite that, there is good news for those who are hoping to see Wick appear once more. John Wick: Chapter 5 was officially announced earlier this year and, while Chad Stahelski says it may not be completely set in stone, he believes Lionsgate is going to 'will it into existence.' I look forward to seeing more of the character but remain hopeful that other characters, like Eve and Caine, can carve out their own paths alone as well. For now, check out Ballerina in theaters, and be on the lookout for upcoming action movies.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ballerina Isn't The Hot Mess I Expected It To Be, But It Does Screw Up John Wick's Timeline
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina is one of the most hotly anticipated movies on the 2025 movie schedule. As a big fan of the franchise and the world it has created, it was high on my list, too. I was a little worried about how the reported problems with the production, including director Len Wiseman stepping away at one point because of a health issue, would turn it into a disaster on screen. I'm happy to report that it isn't the hot mess I feared it could be. Ballerina is actually pretty good. It does seem, however, that the production turmoil has led to a real problem with the franchise's timeline. Before I go any further, I have to make it clear that there will be major spoilers ahead for Ballerina (and the third and fourth John Wick movies, for that matter), so proceed with caution if you haven't seen the Ana de Armas-led action movie. Since very early on in the development of Ballerina, we've known that Keanu Reeves, who, of course, plays John Wick in four movies in the franchise, would make an appearance. We also knew that Ballerina would take place between the third and fourth installments of the John Wick movies. We just didn't know how big a role Reeves would have, or how it would work into the plot. Early in the movie, Eve (de Armas) sees Wick come to the theater where she is training with 'The Director,' played by Angelica Huston. What Eve sees, from a different perspective, is what audiences saw in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. Wick is branded over his tattoo, indicating he is out of the Ruska Roma. As he is leaving the theater, he and Eve have a brief encounter. I have to wonder if this was originally supposed to be the full extent of Reeves' participation in the movie. It's well known that the director of the four principal John Wick movies, Chad Stahelski, stepped in after initial production wrapped to do re-shoots with Reeves, but just how much work he did is subject to debate. Some reports claim there were extensive re-shoots, but Stahelski himself has downplayed just how much he did. Stahelski told The Hollywood Reporter, We just went in for a couple of weeks. We changed some of the action sequences and made up for some time that Len just didn't have. He didn't have enough time to do some of the bigger shots that it deserved. Reeves' role is much bigger than I thought it would be, with Wick appearing in much of the final act. It seems that at least some of this footage is what Stahelski is responsible for. It is also the part of Ballerina that really messes with the franchise timeline. We know the story is supposed to take place between the third and fourth John Wick movies, and the first scene with Reeves in the theater seemingly confirms that, as we see the scene from Parabellum. We also know that Wick is in bad shape at the end of Parabellum, barely clinging to life after falling from the roof of The Continental. He's certainly not in any kind of shape to travel to Europe and take on a village of assassins, as he does alongside Eve in Ballerina. Most speculation is that there are about six months between Parabellum and Chapter Four, and we know that during that time, however long it is, he is recovering from his extensive injuries with The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne). We also know that Wick has been expelled from the Ruska Roma by The Director, yet it is Wick whom she calls to help Eve in the village of their rivals. There is no possible way that he could have gotten back in fighting shape and back on good terms with The Director in those few months between the third and fourth movies. The only possible explanation is that there is a much larger time jump between the first time Eve meets him at the theater and when he joins her in the mountain village. It has to come after the events of Chapter Four, and after Wick has again recovered from the injuries he received in that movie. Unfortunately, none of that is made clear, so we're left to wonder just what is going on. It seems entirely possible that the final fight scene in Ballerina could have come many months after the scene in the theater, as Eve has already completed both her training and her first mission protecting the daughter of a rich client. BUT – that's not actually possible either, as at the end of Ballerina we see Eve checking in to The Continental with Charon (Lance Reddick) at the front desk, and Charon was tragically killed in Chapter 4. In the end, there just isn't a way to explain how the timeline isn't screwed up by Ballerina. Either John Wick would be too beat up to be that powerful in the village, or Charon has come back from the dead. Either way, it makes no sense. That's not to say it ruins Ballerina or the John Wick franchise. Given the complications of the production and the film's delays, we all just need to be okay with the glitch in the matrix, so to speak. This film still delivers in the ways I want to see in the John Wick universe film, it's just a little frustrating that the creative forces behind the franchise have elegantly built a really fun world, and this is a blemish on it. If you want to catch up or rewatch all four John Wick movies, you can do so with a Peacock subscription, which is how I made sure I wasn't going crazy with these timeline questions. Peacock TV: from $7.99 a month/$79.99 a yearCatch up on all the John Wick movies and the prequel show The Continental only on Peacock. For as little as $7.99 a month, you can also pay more for Peacock Premium and enjoy ad-free streams of both and much Deal
Tom's Guide
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I've seen 41 movies in theaters so far this year — here are the 5 best and 5 worst
It's almost the halfway point of the year. And putting to one side my concerns about how worryingly fast 2025 is flying by, I'm using this opportunity to reflect on the year in cinema to date. Naturally, that means it's time to pick out the best (and worst) movies of 2025 so far. To be honest, I think it's been a pretty weak start to the year. There have been a lot more mid movies than ones that have truly captured my attention, and some of the low points have been pretty darn low. Thankfully, there has also been a handful of truly high-quality efforts. I'm a cinema obsessive, and visit my local multiplex at least once a week (often more), and so far have caught 41 movies on the big screen, from the biggest blockbuster to less high-profile indie projects. And, like many movie buffs, I keep a running ranking of everything I see. Below are the five movies that I've enjoyed most in 2025 so far, and the five that made me feel like a trip to the theatre really wasn't worth the effort. 'Ballerina' is a prime example that sometimes you need to give a movie time to settle into its groove before casting judgment. The first act is pretty shoddy, focusing on a routine backstory and some surprisingly uninspired action for the typically creative 'John Wick' franchise. However, the second half, and especially the grand finale, is backs-to-the-wall insanity with some of the best fistfights and shoot-outs this action series has ever seen. The creative use of an overpowered flamethrower had me hooting with delight in my seat. Unfortunately, the story never coalesces into anything all that interesting. Ana de Armas plays a trained assassin abandoning her creed to pursue revenge against those who killed her father; it's predictable stuff. But once the bullets start flying, or should that be the grenades start exploding (there's another brilliantly unique skirmish involving explosives), it's easy to forgive the story's shortcomings seem immaterial. The surprising amount of Keanu Reeves is also a pleasant surprise. So while 'Ballerina' isn't quite 'Wick' quality, it's certainly no blight on the franchise. As a huge horror fan, it takes quite a bit to spook me, but 'Hallow Road' really lodged itself in my psyche. I spent my late-night walk home from my local theatre constantly checking over my shoulder with the uneasy sense of being watched by someone, or something. This psychological thriller starring Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys is largely minimalist, but does a heck of a lot with very little, and the sinister atmosphere builds until a spine-chilling ending with a genuinely haunting final moment. The British movie centers on two parents (Pike and Rhys) contacted in the middle of the night by their distressed daughter, who's been involved in a traffic accident on a winding country road. Rushing to the scene, they attempt to reach her before anybody else, but the night becomes increasingly eerie as they get closer to their daughter's location. Set almost entirely within a single car, 'Hallow Road' squeezes so much tension from its intriguing setup, you might need to watch with the lights on. You probably guessed this one was coming. 'Sinners' is the breakout movie of 2025 to date, and I'm pretty confident it's a movie we're going to be talking about for a long time to come. Perhaps my most controversial take is that I much prefer the scene-setting first half, when the teeth come out, and the movie flips from a character-driven drama into a high-stakes vampire flick, a little bit of the magic is lost. But even the second half is still rip-roaring fun. Director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan are proving to be a bit of a Hollywood dream team, and the former is particularly captivating here in a dual lead role. Jordan plays twin brothers who return to their Mississippi hometown to start a juke joint, only for opening night to be spoiled somewhat by the arrival of creatures of the night. In a horror-thriller like this, it would be easy for the blood-soaked action to take priority, but the fact that Coogler spends so much time getting viewers to understand and like its protagonists only makes the experience richer. Streaming with purchase on Amazon or Apple Steven Soderbergh's 'Black Bag' is a tightly-crafted spy thriller that runs a lean 95 minutes and doesn't waste a moment of your time. Led by Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, it sees an accomplished intelligence officer forced to investigate his wife when she's suspected of being a double agent, testing his loyalty to his country and marriage in the process. It's got one of the year's best screenplays and crackles with drama and mystery. Rather than a globe-trotting secret agent escapade, 'Black Bag' is more focused on letting you explore the headspace of its complex cast of characters, and right up until the end, you're never completely sure who's on whose side. I should also shout out the stellar supporting cast, including Pierce Brosnan, Tom Burke, Regé-Jean Page and (frequent scene-stealer) Marisa Abela. Sadly, 'Black Bag' underwhelmed at the box office, so if you skipped this one in theatres, I strongly encourage you to circle back now that it's streaming. Streaming on Peacock Calling 'Warfare' intense feels like a gross understatement. This snapshot of modern conflict puts you right in the thick of the chaos as a group of soldiers attempts to survive a brutal siege. Co-directed by 'Civil War' helmer Alex Garland (a movie I loved in 2024) and military veteran Ray Mendoza, 'Warfare' aims to be as authentic as possible and was written using real testimonies from those who served in the Iraq War. This gives the movie a realistic edge that makes it all the more impactful. There are so many smart decisions here, not least of which is the phenomenal use of sound, but the decision to set the movie in real time is my favorite. A scene where the soldiers are told support is six minutes out had me literally counting the seconds in my head, and it felt torturous. I can only imagine how those seconds must have felt like an eternity for those on the ground. Full of tension, visceral violence, and at times genuinely quite anxiety-inducing, 'Warfare' brings you into the frontline in a way that few movies have before it. Streaming with purchase on Amazon or Apple 'Until Dawn' is an unwelcome throwback to the era of pretty awful video game adaptations. It's a flick that almost seems to hold its source material in contempt. It offers an original story with only a few quick nods to the 2015 video game of the same name that inspired it. I thought we were out of the woods with these sorts of subpar adaptations, but I guess not. On a fundamental level, I like the concept of a time-loop horror that sees its protagonist killed each night, only to revive and have to start the grisly process over again, but 'Until Dawn' makes the killer mistake of not being frightening enough to spook viewers, while at the same time having very little fun with the twisty idea. Throw in an unsatisfying ending, which cruelly teases the movie fans of the game actually wanted to watch, and you've got the recipe for a horror that's only scary because of what a missed opportunity it represents. If you're craving something Until Dawn, just play the far superior PlayStation game instead. For a movie called 'Wolf Man,' it's pretty disappointing that we only briefly get to see the lead go full werewolf, and even when the beast takes over, the scares are lacking, and the transformation scene (which should be a skin-crawling highlight) is generally pretty weak. At least Julia Garner brings some emotion to the film, even if the lackluster material lets her down. Considering Leigh Whannell's previous attempt at modernising a classic Universal monster movie, 2020's 'Invisible Man,' was such a triumph, perhaps 'Wolf Man' was just a victim of my increased expectations. Either way, I found the movie totally lacking in scares or much tension to speak of, and the werewolves' design, which was much criticized before release, really missed the mark. The sequences where we get to see events from the perspective of the unfortunate soul afflicted with lycanism are novel, but these are a small saving grace on another extremely forgettable creature feature. Hopefully, if Whannell gets to revive another classic horror from Universal, he finds his cinematic form again, because 'Wolf Man' wasn't it. I don't hate 'A Minecraft Movie.' For starters, it includes a boppy new original song from one of my favorite artists, electronic pop maestro Dayglow, and I'll admit a few of the gags made me chuckle, but it's a sugar rush experience that eventually starts to grate on you. When pretty much every character in the main cast is presented as "the kooky one," it gets annoying fast. Also, the effects range from pretty solid to mid-2000s levels of obvious green screening. Perhaps the reason this movie didn't resonate with me is that I've never been a Minecraft player. I've dabbled with the popular creative sandbox, but references like 'chicken jockey' went completely over my head. Fans of the game seem to have a fondness for this flick, so perhaps it's just a case of 'old man yells at cloud,' but by the end, I was very much ready to leave the Minecraft world behind, and return to a reality where everything isn't made of blocks and I didn't have to listen to Jack Black and Jason Momoa's insipid banter any longer. What I found most frustrating about 'Flight Risk' is that I quite like the core setup. The movie sees a U.S. marshal (Michelle Dockery) attempt to transport a government witness (Topher Grace) across Alaska via a small passenger plane. The wrinkle is that the pilot (Mark Wahlberg) isn't who he claims to be, and is working for a ruthless mob boss with orders to eliminate the informant and ensure he never arrives at his destination. That's an idea perfect for a pulse-raising thriller; unfortunately, 'Flight Risk' completely stalls out. I'll give some credit to Wahlberg for really committing to the role; he even shaved his head daily for the movie rather than wear a bald cap, but his performance goes way over the top into corny territory. "Flight Risk" could have been pulpy fun, but instead it's so full of plot holes and characters making illogical decisions that it's more of an exercise in irritation than anything else. It doesn't help that the high-octane action at 30,00 feet is also pretty poorly shot. I suspect American readers probably haven't heard of 'Marching Powder.' Consider that a blessing. This crude British comedy aims to be a sort of 'Football Factory' for the modern era, but is deeply dislikeable pretty much from the first moment. Opening with a silly animated sequence stuffed with curse-filled attempts at comedy, things only get worse from here as we're introduced to protagonist Jack Jones (Danny Dyer), a loathsome anti-hero obsessed with fighting, alcohol and illicit substances. And seemingly proud of those vices. What's most maddening is that pretty much the whole movie follows a repetitive cycle of Jack swearing to his long-suffering wife, Dani (Stephanie Leonidas), he'll change, quickly falling back into his old ways, only to her promise this time will be different. This arc repeats a few times over, and then the movie unceremoniously ends. Frankly, I could probably get over this if the movie were at least funny, but it's most certainly not. 'Marching Powder' is just ugly.
Mint
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
‘Ballerina' review: Familiar, fun spinoff powered by a fiery Ana de Armas
There are times we look for complexity and depth in cinema, and times when a few simple pleasures will do. Small joys, like arcane assassin guild rituals. Or Keanu Reeves hitting every syllable in 'consequences.' Or Ana de Armas with a flamethrower. After four films that remapped Hollywood action, the John Wick franchise has its first feature spinoff. Ballerina is the first film in this universe not directed by Chad Stahelski, with Len Wiseman of the Underworld films in charge. This is usually the point at which franchises thin out and make peace with the idea that they'll be churning out variations until the public no longer cares. Sequels say you're a franchise, spinoffs say you're a business. It would be difficult to argue that Ballerina is an advance over the Wick films. It is, however, a perfectly serviceable, enjoyable action film, and evidence that the aesthetic Stahelski and Reeves have developed over four films is replicable, if not easy to better. De Armas plays Eve Macarro, whose father, an assassin in the Ruska Roma family, married into a rival group of assassins called the Cult. Within minutes of the film starting, armed Cultists lay siege to the house where he's been hiding out for years, raising his daughter. Eve sees her father die, and vows revenge. Twelve years later, Eve is a ballerina in training in New York City. She's also a killer in training; Ruska Roma offer classes for both. At first, Eve is tossed aside and bested by bigger male opponents. A key moment sees her trainer, Nogi (Sharon Duncan-Brewster), pull her aside and challenge her to 'improvise, cheat, fight like a girl.' It unlocks something in her. The jump to deadly killer is achieved in a few quick scenes—though we know that for Eve the assassin game isn't an end but a means to avenge her father's killing by the Cult and its leader, who goes by the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). The John Wick series has innovated by degrees: first film gun fu and straight revenge drama, second one a larger universe as Wick goes abroad, the third with a greater focus on martial arts, the fourth with its team-ups and crazily elaborate set pieces. Besides offering a new protagonist, Ballerina doesn't bring a lot that's new to the universe. It bears the hallmarks of 87North action: fast, hard, syncopated, clear. At the same time, de Armas is allowed her own distinct style, where quickness and innovation compensate for her slightness. This in turn pushes Wiseman and the stunt coordinators to come up with unique action beats. Cornered in an icy barn, she uses ice-skating boots as flying blades. There's a great scene built around Eve tossing grenades. And there's the flamethrower, which feels just right for the fiery de Armas, whose Eve is lit from within by the thought of revenge. Eve has been trained to be kikimora, a Slavic witch repurposed by the Ruska Roma as protector. Even though the film doesn't follow through on the idea, it's a smart contrast to Wick the avenging demon, baba yaga. As we already knew from the trailer, he's sent to end Eve's carnage and restore some calm to the assassin business. Reeves being part of the film feels like more of a marketing imperative than a storytelling necessity. It's still pleasurable to see him and de Armas spar, even better to see them communicate in clipped, pained sentences. For someone who came up as a stuntman and fight coordinator, Stahelski proved surprisingly adept at drawing witty performances from the many distinguished actors who've turned up in the series. Wiseman doesn't seem to have the same touch. Recurring actors like Ian McShane and Anjelica Huston are somewhat flat here, and Byrne's villain never becomes interesting (an anomaly in the Wick universe). The only cameo that feels instinctively right is Norman Reedus, his distinctive features weathered like the Himalaya, playing another dad on the run with his little girl. In the first film, John Wick was motivated by grief too. Yet, when he fought, he was cold, precise, lethal. Eve is just as focused, but can't, or won't, shut out emotion in the heat of combat. Instead, it's fuel to her fire, that crucial, slight edge desperation and fury can offer. Maybe this is what Nogi wanted her to access when she told her to fight like a girl.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Trap of the Cinematic Side Quest
The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. What makes the John Wick movies work isn't the premise—that John Wick, the character, is a man out for vengeance. Yes, that was the breathless elevator pitch of the first Wick installment, a cult hit in 2014 whose plot my colleague Sophie Gilbert effortlessly summed up as: 'An idiot killed his puppy and now everyone must die.' But Wick (played by Keanu Reeves) became the face of a billion-dollar franchise because of the strange, darkly cartoonish universe around him. Ballerina, a spin-off whose lumbering subtitle proclaims it as coming 'From the World of John Wick,' recognizes that true appeal only when it's half over. The story of Ballerina is generic to the point of hilarity; the original script was, in fact, a female-led action thriller unrelated to the Wick-iverse. As such, the film begins with the same setup as a hundred other revenge thrillers: A young girl, Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), sees her father gunned down by a group of mysterious assassins. Spirited away by friendly faces from the primary John Wick entries, she swears vengeance, and is trained to be a killer in the mold of, well, John Wick. Her mentor is the Director (Anjelica Huston), the matriarch of the Ruska Roma, an organization introduced in John Wick: Chapter 3 that teaches its students how to punch, kick, shoot a gun, and take a fall among the best of them. For much of Ballerina's two-hour run time, I bemoaned that the film seemed to be a Wick clone without any of the stylistic flair. It wasn't a total wash: De Armas is a charming screen presence, throwing herself at fight scenes with aplomb. She moves with a lot more grace than Reeves, who appears to be slowing down after a quadrilogy in which seemingly everyone across the globe is on his tail. But unlike the mysterious, mythic Wicks, Ballerina lacks much intrigue—especially during its first two acts, when the viewer watches Eve go through training and then embark on a few jobs around town, mowing through goons in dimly lit nightclubs for no purpose to the plot. [Read: John Wick and the tragedy of the aimless assassin] The sense of aimlessness is an issue with so many spin-offs. Think Hobbs & Shaw (which derives from the Fast & Furious movies), Bumblebee (set in the Transformers universe), or the several attempts to generate new Star Wars adventures outside of the main saga: They have to exist on a scale equivalent to their progenitors to not feel totally irrelevant, but avoid disturbing the franchise's primary timeline. Although Ballerina ostensibly occurs between the third and fourth John Wick chapters, it strives to affect neither one; the chronological placement is only to justify how Reeves (who doesn't do much in his several brief scenes) manages to show up—though having watched the other Wick movies, I do not remember his character ever having enough downtime to take on a little side quest with Eve. Ballerina ultimately succeeds as a piece of junky fun, however, because it attempts to expand the Wick canon rather than deepen its titular protagonist. Take what follows after Eve becomes emboldened to hop off the regular mission treadmill and seek payback against the strange cult that killed her father: Her journey leads her into a quaint village in the Austrian Alps, where she learns that every single inhabitant is out to kill her. Considering stopping by the curiosity shop for some Hummel figurines? Just don't turn your back to any friendly clerks. This scenario is a prime example of John Wick's signature world building. As the first Wick movie progressed, the bizarre depths in which the character lived became apparent. Everyone around our hero was connected to criminality, and any ordinary subway rider or unhoused person on a street corner might be concealing a semiautomatic to attack him with. John Wick's version of reality has its own currency (golden coins) and housing system (an intercontinental chain of hotels), as well as a set of laws that mix Samurai-like honor with feudal justice. At first, Ballerina pays little mind to any of that, but once Eve enters this cultish mountain town, the askew storytelling begins again. Finally, I was reminded of why I'd stayed interested in the Wick chronicles for all these years. [Read: Spin-Off City: Why Hollywood is built on unoriginal ideas] Yes, that includes the action filmmaking, and Ballerina features some incredibly inventive stunts of its own. One extended sequence sees Eve dueling an enemy while each wields flamethrowers; in another, she has to dispatch oncoming aggressors using belts of grenades without blowing herself up. The grim violence has a sense of humor and improvisation to it; de Armas doesn't exactly get the chance to crack jokes, but it harkens back to the Buster Keaton– and Looney Tunes–inspired mayhem at the core of John Wick. Whereas an offshoot like Hobbs & Shaw didn't understand what made its source series good (by largely ignoring the earlier films' wild internal logic), Ballerina eventually comes to terms with it—and then locks on. But despite its best efforts to appeal to the John Wick fan base, Ballerina opened below expectations during its first weekend. The box-office earnings are a possible indication of waning interest in the world of John Wick, which may be taken into account as Reeves weighs returning for another mainline entry. After all, a film like Ballerina ostensibly exists only to keep the franchise's devotees sated in the meantime. Perhaps this kind of business-minded cynicism is unhelpful, but it's unavoidable, as Hollywood flounders for ways to sustain people's interest in going to the cinema. If studios are going to spin off their biggest titles to keep those properties alive, they might as well do it as faithfully as possible. Article originally published at The Atlantic
