Ballerina – Sunday 8th June 2025

I wasn’t expecting much from this film, and that’s exactly what I got!

As with many films these days, the problem lies in very basic storytelling mistakes. The John Wick character worked because his motivation was so strong; it was a classic Western archetype, the retired gun-slinger.

John Wick never wanted to return to a life of violence, but when he’s attacked, he has no choice but to avenge his loss (it’s not just the dog, it’s what the dog represents). Therefore, his vengeance is a noble quest, and not merely to satisfy his egotistical need for revenge. As an audience member, we’re completely sympathetic to a character that is a killing machine, but has no desire to be one, and fundamentally, just wants to return to a life of peace.

The protagonist in Ballerina is the opposite of this. She’s on a mission of revenge to satisfy her own egotistical desire for ‘justice’, innocent lives and peace be damned. As an audience member, I don’t really find myself rooting for her, or her quest. What’s worse, they sully the John Wick character by bringing him into this miss!

What makes matters worse is that the person she’s getting revenge for, is no angel either! Her father was a member of the clan, and thus an assassin too! One could argue that his death is an occupational hazard, and she would serve his memory best by having nothing to do with that world; instead, she follows in his foot-steps, becoming a contract killer, which doesn’t exactly make her a righteous character, and one that we can empathise with.

I could look past the inconceivability of a petite woman beating the sh!t out of men three times the size of her, after all, these movies aren’t exactly grounded in realism, and less so with each film. The action was ok, but again, if you’re not invested in the character or their quest, it’s all just noise.

The film also felt way too long. All in all, a lacklustre and forgettable experience. The John Wick franchise peaked with number two and has been in a steady decline ever since.