By Daniel Paiz

Ballerina: A Cypher Flicks Review is our latest journey into the violent and intriguing world of John Wick. A spinoff where Baba Yaga isn’t the main character, Ana de Armas (Eve Macarro) pays homage and then some to the lauded action series with reckless abandon in the best way possible.

Keanu Reeves returns as John Wick, while Ian McShane (Winston), Anjelica Huston (The Director), and Lance Reddick (Charon, his final film, RIP) all reprise their roles as well. Norman Reedus (Daniel Pine), Gabriel Byrne (The Chancellor), and Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Nogi) are new characters who all play their roles splendidly.

The action is rapid-fire and involves signature action moves (throwing axes and helmets to the head, headshots galore, Ju Jitsu takedowns), all of which quickly returns viewers to the world of Wick. As Reeves’ character learned in later chapters, de Armas’ Eve must learn from both her choices and consequences that follow.

Consequences are a formality for Eve

Injustice, pain, and vengeance are all powerful devices on their own. When combined they mold someone and can guide them to the assassin life. While Wick is not the central character, he recognizes consequences determine what’s next and that one can change their outcome. That wisdom, albeit the lauded 20/20 of hindsight, is what Eve is not interested in learning from despite her path with The Director (Huston).

Fortunately for the titular character, there is a realization that the impact of one’s actions should factor into one’s choices. As the film progresses, Eve recalibrates on her decisions a bit more, only utilizing her pain as an additional fuel source of determination. What was once blunt force anger has now become surgical dissection of her obstacles.

That growth is highlighted in the physical aspects of her skills as well. Eve’s fighting technique tightens up. Her determination shines through as she takes on more Blackwire contracts (whoever is listed on the board when the telephone operators are shown). Her reactions in fights are calmer as well, as experience has made scenarios familiar that were unknown previously. She is choosing her next steps and growing with each situation.

Fate vs. Choice

The Chancellor (Byrne) clearly thrives on the idea of everything being fate. The community he dictates to must live in Hallstatt, Austria. The decision to raise youth to follow his commands and serve the community. But, while dictating to others how fate has sealed their life to his murderous cult, he doesn’t strictly follow fate.

Several sequences highlight his decision to make choices that stray from such “fate” programming. He encounters Eve (de Armas) in Hallstatt. After learning she is a daughter of someone he tried to bring back to the fold, he wants her finished off. That seems to go against why he sought her out so many years ago, meaning the Chancellor made a choice. He also made a choice about Eve’s sister, and a choice to allow John Wick to his little fiefdom. It’s not that fate drives this man, but rather action without concern for consequences.

It is highly unlikely this man thought JOHN WICK of all people would visit his abode.

Also, for Wick to not be hunted down on sight, that’s another unlikely twist of “fate” he didn’t see coming. This preordained nonsense is drivel from a man with a power complex and likely someone who didn’t care for the rules the Ruska Roma and others set out for the “business of blood” they all deal in. Factor in how everyone under his command is a child or grandchild, and fate seems like a flimsy ideal here.

Better to have them inside the tent pissing out, then outside pissing in

-Winston to Eve Macarro

Easter Eggs

There are a few things that are referential to the other John Wick movies, and one particular thing that ties Ballerina to John Wick 3: Parabellum. The latter item makes me fan over noticing it, and it’s what is worn by both John and Eve towards the end of the film. This can’t really be a spoiler because the reference is to a previous film, but there’s something important to notice about Mr. Wick during his visit to Eve in Hallstatt.

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Mr. Wick is wearing his all black in both Ballerina and Parabellum. It is very possible that before getting back to the Continental in New York, Wick detoured to Hallstatt at the request of The Director. Since he had vowed to “be of service” after his meeting with the One above the High Table (where he was given that all black suit), this isn’t that big of a stretch.

A bit of a conspiracy theory at this point for Eve, but take a look at the image below:

It’s a big stretch Eve has anything to do with the High Table during the events of Ballerina, but one doesn’t truly know where the High Table would stand about the cult that seemingly opposes the Ruska Roma since their inception (and by proxy, opposes the High Table). It just seems too on purpose to have Eve and John both wearing all black (Eve wears that all black in multiple parts of the film).

Not so much an Easter Egg as it doesn’t seem to refer to another memorable pop culture or film moment, but Wick’s entrance into Halstatt looks historic in a way. Trains in the winter in central Europe might just have a World War II aesthetic to them, and this scene feels reminiscent of that. Perhaps it being Wick in the dead of winter arriving somewhere draws a parallel to that era.

Kikimora are not the Baba Yaga

Both the Kikimora and the Baba Yaga are entities from Slavic folklore. The former is a female house spirit that can be helpful or harmful, depending on a house’s inhabitants. The more orderly, the more helpful; the more laziness and disarray, the more the harm turns into nightmares, trouble, and even disappearances.

The latter of the entities listed above is a magical witch who can either eat or help people, usually children. Often times they are depicted as evil or sinister. However, Baba Yaga more often than not has been a guide, and can be of service.

The reason these two characters of folklore are brought up is to correct slight misconceptions from the series. The Ruska Roma use the term Kikimora almost as a designation for their fighters; think Dora Milaje, Valkyrie or Black Widow from the Marvel universe as a designation of one’s skillset. Baba Yaga is also misleading for John Wick’s nickname.

Wick absolutely can be magical in his methodical destruction of enemies. However, he by no means has magical powers or eats people or is even a woman. The fright attached to Wick for this nickname adds some fun darkness to him, but John and Eve are slightly mislabeled with these names.

Creative Fight Sequences & Clever Scene Decisions

Fight Sequences

There’s nothing as satisfying and dangerous as the flamethrowers and more sequence Eve has with a certain someone in Hallstatt (not John Wick). However, there are a couple of fight sequences that have a hint of cleverness and humor to them. The first one I really enjoyed was what I’ll call Frank’s Merchandise shop battle. Frank’s fight scenes unfortunately are offscreen despite hearing what he’s doing to the intruders; Eve’s scenes, however, are quite fluid and smart. Eve utilizes explosives in these fight scenes, and Frank’s shop itself is a fantastic weapon. It’s a quick sequence but one that shows range for Eve’s decision-making.

The second favorite would have to be soon after Frank’s sequence, which I’ll call mountainside restaurant sequence. Eve strolling into town angers the locals, and the fights inside are brutal yet briefly humorous. The use of dishes, kitchenware, and a MacGyver-like gun-knife leaves its mark despite the short appearance. This all adds to the final third of the film highlighting how ready Eve is after training and proving her abilities earlier.

Clever scenes

What comes to mind here are two different scenes. The first one is set in the Prague Continental, when Eve meets Mr. Pine in a less than friendly way. The room is set up to appear to be lived in but not occupied. The bathroom door open with the shower running and steam slowly floating out the doorway draws one’s eye just long enough to permit the next exchange.

Secondly, the interaction between Eve and Lena in the Hallstatt cabin draws the viewer’s eye the same way. Lena scopes out the room; there’s a fire going in the fireplace, and the balcony doors are slightly ajar. In the dead of winter, this might lead one to deduce a certain use of those doors, which is exactly what the scene relies on as the next interaction follows right after that. Setting can move the plot along itself when nothing else is happening, and these two examples are executed so well.

One last thing to reflect on here without revealing too much of the final battle sequence would be the views from above. Previous John Wick installments utilized birds-eye view kinds of shots to give a full picture of the gauntlet a character has to go through. That gauntlet is scaled down for this sequence, but what is shown from above has the viewer focused on this particular moment. The final tension is moments away, but this part must be completed for there to be a final tension.

Final Verdict

Ballerina honors the spirit of the John Wick universe with small-space action that provides big action in rapid-fire scenes. Every kind of weapon is utilized, from the standard thoroughfare of guns and handheld weapons to grenades and ice skates. Ana de Armas clearly puts in all the effort she could muster and then some as Eve.

What makes this movie standout for this viewer is how cyclical things are, yet choice clearly reveals different paths can be taken. Daniel Pine’s daughter, Ella, gets the same choice Eve does. Outcomes occur because of choices made by each character. Decisions are made based on information and events before these characters; if they were purely fate and not choice, new info wouldn’t really matter.

The final action sequence is not one that can be pulled from any other John Wick installment previously. All of the unbridled, unleashed anger and perseverance makes those sequences so passionate. This helps Ballerina cast its own lot in this universe, and that gamble pays off. If you are someone who enjoys risk mixed in with reliable action sequences and familiar franchise tropes, you’ll likely enjoy this film.

Be seeing you.

That door will close sooner than you think, you still have a choice.

-John Wick to Eve Macarro