Keanu Reeves as John Wick looking concerned in Ballerina
By
Kevin Pantoja
Published 33 minutes ago
Kevin Pantoja is a writer and editor at Screen Rant based in New York City, where he brings deep expertise in blockbuster franchises ranging from Harry Potter and Spider‑Man to Succession and the MCU. A passionate storyteller with a creative writing degree (Valedictorian, Full Sail University), Kevin blends entertainment news, feature essays, and pop‑culture commentary into engaging, audience-first content
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Summary
Generate a summary of this story
follow
Follow
followed
Followed
Like
Like
Thread
Log in
Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
Try something different:
Show me the facts
Explain it like I’m 5
Give me a lighthearted recap
The John Wick franchise is the rare original action movie to become a massive success and spawn a franchise, but the latest spin-off entry made the mistake of including the titular character. All four solo John Wick films have been major hits and the character is incredibly popular, so including him in a spin-off is a no-brainer.
That's especially true since the prequel spin-off series, The Continental, struggled without him. It made sense for the filmmakers to add his appearance in Ballerina: From The World of John Wick as a way to help the film, yet it actually ended up holding that movie back.
John Wick Appearing Took The Focus Off Eve
Ana de Armas in an elevator in BallerinaLionsgate/Courtesy Everett Collection
John Wick is such an iconic character that he's kind of an overwhelming presence. While his inclusion in Ballerina: From The World of John Wick makes sense, having him appear took the focus off Eve, the film's actual protagonist, which isn't a good thing.
His first appearance, which connects back to the third solo John Wick outing, was probably the right amount. He pops up, you can sell that scene in the trailer, and he gives the movie back to Eve. Instead, Ballerina: From The World of John Wick brings him back for a bigger role later.
In this situation, he's brought in with the task of taking down Eve before he ultimately sides with her. That gives us a handful of fun action sequences with John, which is always a good thing but while we're enjoying that, there's less of Eve to pay attention to, which harms her character.
Having John Beat Eve Handily Showed That She Wasn't On His Level
Ana de Armas as Eve in Ballerina close-up
Lionsgate/Courtesy Everett Collection
John Wick is often billed as the Baba Yaga because he's the boogeyman who frightens the other assassins, so the fact that he easily beats Eve when they fight is in line with the entire franchise. However, that just hammers home that we're watching a lesser version of the franchise.
It's one thing for all of us to know in our minds that John would beat Eve in hand-to-hand combat, but it's another to show it so clearly on screen. That neuters Eve a bit and it doesn't get helped soon after, when she's on the verge of death, only to be saved by John killing her assailant.
On her own, Eve is a strong protagonist. She has a tragic backstory that gets the audience invested, she's a badass in the same vein as John, and Ana de Armas is a talented actress who does great work in the film. The use of John in the script hinders her a fair bit.
John's Appearance Felt Too Shoehorned In
John Wick pointing a gun in Ballerina
The biggest problem with John appearing so much and showing us how much better he is than Eve is that the whole thing could've been avoided from a storytelling perspective. His entire role in the movie is basically shoehorned in to get more people to the theater.
For starters, the timeline is a bit odd. Clearly, this takes place between the third and fourth John Wick films, which means that during it, John is on the run from the High Table. It feels off that he'd be able to stop and show up at this assassin town for a side mission.
That's especially hard to buy since he had to take a while to recover from his injuries at the end of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. Ultimately, though, the main issue is that John doesn't add anything to the story. The film could play out the same way without him.
Other than helping Eve when she's battling through the town of Hallstatt, Austria, he doesn't impact the story.
Ballerina Worked Best Without John Wick
Ana de Armas in Ballerina
As great as John Wick is, it's pretty clear that Ballerina: From the World of John Wick is at its best as a film when he's not around. Eve is given more time to shine on her own, we get the intriguing story with her sister, and the action is still pretty non-stop.
A straightforward action film following Eve was the best way to go, especially when it could've worked in the same vein as other badass female assassin movies like Atomic Blonde and Gunpowder Milkshake. The action ramps up a bit with John but it's not like the film was struggling in that avenue without him.
On top of that, Ballerina: From the World of John Wick having to shoehorn in John took away from other aspects that could've used more time. For example, Eve's relationship with her sister needed more time to flesh out. She finds out the truth, and after one scene, her sister is killed without much mention again.
John's Appearance Didn't Help The Box Office
John Wick looking seriously at someone in Ballerina
As noted, the main reason to include Keanu Reeves in Ballerina: From the World of John Wick was likely to help improve the box office numbers. Reeves' performance plays a huge part in the popularity of the character and people are more likely to flock to theaters for him.
Alas, the inclusion of John didn't do much for the box office intake of Ballerina: From the World of John Wick. The film only brought in around $137 million globally on a budget of $90 million, making it a flop. Not having him means numbers might've been even lower but clearly, he didn't give it a boost.
If it wasn't going to make a lot of money either way, Ballerina: From the World of John Wick would've been much better off as a standalone spin-off focusing more on Eve than trying to overdo anything relating to the franchise's overall world.
89
8.8/10
6/10
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed R Action Thriller Crime Release Date June 6, 2025 Runtime 125 minutes Director Len Wiseman Writers Shay Hatten, Derek Kolstad Producers Basil Iwanyk, Chad Stahelski, Erica Lee
7 Images
Ana de Armas a Eve holding a pole in Ballerina
Ana de Armas fighting a man in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina.
Keanu Reeves reloading a pistol as John Wick in Ballerina.
Eve facing a chef armed with a knife in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina.
Eve's car getting pushed back by another car in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina.
Ana de Armas with a cut on her face and tears in her eyes in Ballerina
Ana de Armas seen through a sniper scope in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina.Close
Cast
See All-
Ana De Armas
Eve Macarro
-
Anjelica Huston
The Director
Expand
Collapse
-
Movies
-
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Be the first to post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.Your comment has not been saved
Send confirmation emailThis thread is open for discussion.
Be the first to post your thoughts.
- Terms
- Privacy
- Feedback
2 days ago
Yellowstone's 10 Best Characters, Ranked
2 days ago
3 Best Paramount+ Shows To Binge-Watch This Weekend (Nov 21–23, 2025)
2 days ago
Outlander: Blood Of My Blood Update Addresses When Little Jamie Fraser Will Be Introduced
2 days ago
8 Best TV Shows Starring The Cast Of Gilmore Girls
More from our brands
The John Wick spin-off Ballerina adds some fresh moves to the series’ formula
Why John Wick is Called Baba Yaga, Explained
John Wick's Impossible Task, Explained
John Wick: The Underworld’s Gold Coins, Explained
Ana De Armas Checks into The Continental: 6 Things You Need To Know About Her John Wick Spin-Off 'Ballerina'
The Most Influential Action Movie of the Decade Blasts Its Way Onto Streaming Charts
8 Years Later, This Brutal Action Flick Is Still the Perfect Female John Wick Replacement Movie
Trending Now
20 Best K-Drama Kisses Of All Time, Ranked
ABC Drives A Bigger Wedge Between Will Trent & Angie In Season 4
The Most Influential Star Trek Movie Actor Isn’t Who You Think
