The trailer of Ballerina aka From the World of John Wick: Ballerina had me glued to the screen as I watched Ana de Armas step into the spotlight as Eve Macarro. She plays a ballerina-assassin who is out for vengeance, as we see the actress in an action-packed preview that looks quite promising.
But as I rewatch the trailer, something feels off! I’ll admit that it looks undeniably stylish but it lacks the intensity that made Atomic Blonde such a standout movie. So while the trailer has floored me, I can’t help but wonder if it’s missing the grit that would elevate it to a different level.
The Ballerina trailer was stunning and left me breathless
From the moment I hit play on the Ballerina trailer, it was clear to me that this is a film from the John Wick universe, through and through. Ana de Armas’ Eve is a force to be reckoned with as she manages to be both fresh and familiar. The action sequences felt like a feast for my eyes as Eve took down her enemies with her ballet-inspired training and brutal gunplay.
The backdrop has neon-lit streets and shadowy interiors, which ignite nostalgia because the movie’s aesthetic is quite similar to its predecessors in the franchise. What really stands out is the return of Keanu Reeves as John Wick, and he reminded me why I fell in love with these films in the first place.
But it’s not just the action and returning faces that have made me excited. The trailer seems to be pitch-perfect in its tonality and brings forth the series’ signature style but with a novel and feminine energy. I felt like Ana De Armas truly shined as Eve, and brought a quiet intensity to the role which would make her a great addition to this universe.
Ballerina seemed to lack the grit that made Atomic Blonde a banger
Now, as much as I enjoyed the Ballerina trailer, I can’t shake off the feeling that it misses something very crucial, i.e., the rawness that made Atomic Blonde so unforgettable. Charlize Theron didn’t just seem like a skilled assassin in the movie, but a human who bled, struggled, and felt every punch.
The fight scenes of Theron’s character are etched in my memory, where we saw her emerge all battered and bruised. It was this vulnerability that made the action feel so real, it grounded the film in a way that didn’t just keep it limited to a spectacle. Ballerina seems to be more style over substance, but if the filmmakers wanted it to be aesthetically pleasing and polished, they could have used Kill Bill as a reference.
Uma Thurman’s hand-to-hand combat scenes and sword fights in the Quentin Tarantino directorial set the standard. She didn’t seem untouchable and the action felt real while the director added soundtracks, skits, lighting, and whatnot to the movie, but it still felt more substantial than Ballerina. I am not saying that it won’t be a great film, it absolutely has the potential to be, but will it become a classic that will be remembered for years to come? Now, that’s debatable.
Ballerina will be released in theatres on June 6, 2025, and you can watch Atomic Blonde on Prime Video.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
