MOVIE REVIEW – The John Wick franchise, famous for turning the action genre on its head, now gets a shot of pure adrenaline with Ana de Armas at the center. Ballerina proves that it’s not Keanu Reeves who keeps this world spinning, but wild creative choices, a relentless visual feast, and breathtaking, balls-to-the-wall set pieces. This is a revenge tale where flamethrowers, insane assassins, and a fierce new lead set the tempo for a whole new kind of mayhem.

Very few action sagas have had the guts to lay down their rules from minute one and reshape the entire genre in the process. The John Wick films did just that: from the 2014 debut, their visual power, razor-sharp choreography, and stripped-down storytelling more or less rewrote everything that came before. Gun-fu shootouts, minimalist dialogue, stylish brutality, and a stone-faced hero became the signature—and dozens have tried to copy, almost all in vain. Now, a decade later, Ballerina—the first official spin-off—shows this universe can survive and thrive without leaning on Wick or any of the old clichés. Here, the world-building, balletic action, and the rush of a new lead take center stage. Make no mistake: Keanu Reeves is a legend in this role, but this time he’s strictly a marketing move, not the heart of the story.

Ana’s Got Grit—and She Knows How to Dance

Director Len Wiseman and star Ana de Armas inject the franchise with a whole new pulse—Keanu finally steps back and the baton lands in strong, capable hands. Ballerina doesn’t just fit perfectly in Chad Stahelski’s madcap world, it manages to claim its own identity and vibe: all the signature franchise elements are intact—blazing color palettes, gorgeous cinematography, dazzling choreography—but everything feels fresher, sharper, and seen from an entirely different angle. The film dares to pick up where John Wick left off, then spins out in a direction that’s all its own.

The big breakthrough isn’t how Ballerina ties itself to Wick’s mythology or expands on the lore—it’s the fact that it stands tall as its own movie, even if you cut Wick out completely. On pure action alone, it’s arguably the best in the business since John Wick: Chapter 4—which is saying a lot these days.

Ballerina slides smoothly into the Wick timeline, set between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Chapter 4, layering the criminal mythology with an old-school revenge plot. Eve Macarro, forged as a child by the legendary Ruska Roma (the same group that shaped Wick himself), dances her way through carnage and mayhem, redefining what action choreography can be. Ana de Armas spins familiar tropes on their heads as a lead who can go toe-to-toe with anyone; and of course, the Wick rogues’ gallery turns up: Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne—all under Wiseman’s direction, with a script by Shay Hatten and Emerald Fennell, Romain Lacourbas’ striking visuals, and a pulse-pounding score from Tyler Bates.

Let’s be real: If you want deep philosophy, social commentary, or the meaning of life, look elsewhere. Unless you think all of life’s problems are best solved by grabbing the nearest gun—if so, please see a professional, not a movie. Ballerina is action cinema in its purest, most distilled form: a crème de la crème thrill ride. It’s wildly entertaining, relentless, and sure, there are some story limitations, but nobody’s here for an art-house character study. Could it be more complex? Maybe. But who’s actually asking for that here?

A Universe Still Afraid of Its Own New Heroine

Is Ballerina only alive because it’s stamped with the John Wick brand? Some would say you need Keanu for this to work, but the truth is the opposite. The most memorable scenes stand out precisely because they break from Wick’s old formula; some gun-fu action is obviously tacked on, as if the studio worried we’d panic at the change. Ana de Armas easily carries this film, and Eve Macarro is such a unique force it would be a crime to leave her in Wick’s shadow. The franchise could stand on its own two feet—if only the creators found some guts. Who could have guessed a flamethrower-wielding ballerina would be the most exciting thing to happen to this saga?

What makes Ballerina tick is that it plays in the same world but never tries to mimic the original—unlike the failed The Continental, which sank under the weight of its own blandness. The real reason the studio clings to old, male icons isn’t about Ana de Armas or the script—it’s pure industry anxiety: Hollywood is terrified of changing the recipe, especially when a young woman steps up to challenge Wick’s legacy. Remind you of Furiosa? Maybe if the studios worried less about audience numbers and more about bold storytelling, we’d be better off.

The film’s sharpest moments are when Ballerina finally turns its back on nostalgia and dives headfirst into chaos. That’s when you feel a new era could start—if the filmmakers only believed in their new lead. Eve Macarro has more than enough spark to take the universe anywhere it wants to go. The John Wick world is bursting with possibilities beyond endless acrobatic shootouts. Time to let the past go and give the future a real shot.

A New Female Lead—Will Audiences Follow?

So, what about the crowd? Will moviegoers really turn up for a brutal, female-led action movie, no matter how wild or stylish? Recent history isn’t all that encouraging. Salt with Angelina Jolie is a footnote now. Lucy with Scarlett Johansson built a cult following but was quieter at the box office. Atomic Blonde with Charlize Theron? One of the coolest, most criminally overlooked action flicks ever—just ask the fans, not the accountants.

This time, though, Ballerina launches with the weight of a blockbuster franchise behind it—which could change everything. But it shouldn’t succeed just because of the brand: what should draw you in is Ana de Armas’ raw talent, Eve’s force of character, inventive fight scenes, and the film’s fresh flavor. Hollywood, take note: We need more brave, female-fronted action movies. More flamethrowers, fewer flashbacks. Tarantino pulled it off with Uma Thurman in Kill Bill—so why not let it rip again?

Why Not Start a Whole New Dance Right Now?

Ballerina is way more than a side story or obligatory franchise expansion—it’s a genuine shot at a new chapter for a series that’s been running on fumes. The biggest problem is Hollywood itself: as long as studios hang on to Keanu’s coattails, a true breakthrough remains a pipe dream. Reeves is an icon, no question—but the John Wick universe is strong enough to move on from a one-man show. It’s high time the creators took a real risk; audiences are hungry for something fresh, not just another serving of nostalgia. Who says change can’t show up in a tutu with a flamethrower?

The truth is, the key to reinvention has always been within reach: you don’t need to make a Keanu copycat to keep this universe kicking—you need to give new faces and new ideas some actual room to breathe. Ballerina is finally here in US theaters as of June 6 (we caught the press screening at the West End)—and if you want a gutsy, original action flick, missing this would be a crime. The future of action cinema isn’t in the faded names of yesterday, but in the wild new sparks this film ignites. Here, everything really catches fire.

-Gergely Herpai “BadSector”-