The latest chapter in theJohn Wickfranchise separates itself from the rest of the series in some ways, but it never skips out on the action.Ballerinais as wall-to-wall explosive and excessive as its predecessors.Ana de Armasproves she can hold her own alongside the unbeatable Baba Yaga himself, as Eve, a trained assassin out for revenge against the group that killed her father. The film is a blast, and one of its greatest assets is that it maintains and even heightens the franchise’s embrace of slapstick comedy juxtaposed against gleefully brutal violence.
‘Ballerina’ Doesn’t Just Continue John Wick’s Streak of Cartoonish Violence, It Pushes It Even Further
The originalJohn Wickhas gone on to change the way action looks and feels in Hollywood, but after over ten years and three proper sequels, the first film appears more modest in comparison. The Wick franchise has evolved over each installment to take the action to even higher highs, and in that pursuit, directorsChad StahelskiandKeanu Reeveshave gradually, lovingly embraced a more comedic style of action sequence. This is most evident looking at scenes in the fourth film, such as Wick tumbling down 20 flights of stairs (a conservative estimate) before ascending once more to fight new waves of bad guys at every step.
Ballerinais a different movie, and it distinguishes itself in many ways, but the action feels firmly in the world of John Wick. Inone of De Armas' most physically demanding roles yet, she put in the work to ensure she could keep up with the action, and the film takes advantage of her dedication to the craft.The fight scene where she must escape swarms of soldiers with nothing but grenades at her disposal isone of the greatest in the franchise, brimming with the exact kind of energy that fans love to see in the Wick movies. The explosive results are so absurdly violent and near comic in their extremity that they might as well leave these henchmen covered in ash, holding a sign that reads “Ouch” a la Wile E. Coyote.
“We Don’t Talk About That”: ‘Ballerina’s Ana de Armas and Ian McShane Reveal the Cut Fight Scene That Makes Him “Furious”
The duo discusses their characters’ relationship in the film, how de Armas tackles the John Wick franchise, and becoming the “Baby Yaga.”
The single best instance of physical comedy intertwining with action in the Wick franchise comes inBallerina, when a kitchen fight leads to a handgun falling under a pile of dinner plates. Eve and her combatant briefly smash each other over the head with these plates while they search for the gun. If it feels like something straight out of aBuster Keatonfilm or a scene fromThe Three Stooges, you would not be mistaken to draw that connection.Ballerinamakes it more explicit than ever.
The John Wick Movies Embrace Their Roots, Honoring Legends Like Buster Keaton
One of the greatest gags inBallerinacomes during the thrilling hotel fight sequence in the Prague Continental. During this sequence, Eve dispatches one henchman by repeatedly smashing them over the head with a television remote. With each blow, the TV changes channels betweenThe Three Stooges,Airplane!, and Keaton’sSteamboat Bill Jr., specifically the iconic gag where a house facade falls onto him, with Keaton barely avoiding his death by standing in the exact spot where the open window falls. The film flashes through brief scenes of each of these comedic action sequences,emphasizing what some may find a surprising set of influencesover this ultra-violent action franchise.
But Stahelski and Co. have always worn this influence on their sleeves. In 2023,Stahelski spoke to Dana Stevens, a film critic and author of a book on Keaton’s Hollywood legacy,Camera Man, for Slate, and they discussed the history of silent comedy converging with physical gags and stunt work. The framework these movies provided, the images and gags, and stunts thatstill bring the house down 100 years laterhave influencedJohn Wickfrom the start.With each sequel, Stahelski has included references, some subtle and some not-so-subtle, to the comedy legend, including a projected clip of one of Keaton’s films inJohn Wick Chapter 4.
Keaton’s influence has also been noted byChristopher McQuarrieandTom Cruise, remarking how his supreme knack for stunt work has inspired them on the latestMission: Impossiblemovies. While Cruise pulls from the biggest and most death-defying moments of the silent era, the Wick films narrow in on the smaller beats that can shine in more intimate action settings. The results are the same either way. When these modern action movies honor the legends of the past,these hundred-year-old trends of cinema are kept alive for new generations. It is affirming and exciting to have modern action filmmakers as dedicated to their craft as the ones who made these kinds of films possible all those years ago, andBallerinais yet another in a long lineage of these movies that should be celebrated for the dynamic action conjured on the big screen.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
