Ballerina - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Ballerina



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
Spin-offs and “universe” film-making have been the rage for the last 15 to 20 years, but it’s interesting to see it in series that aren’t horror or superhero genre films. Especially in a series that had already started to fade and grow long in the tooth before this one even came to fruition. 2014’s John Wick is what I still consider a perfect action movie to this day. It’s not a perfect film. It’s not the BEST movie ever created. But it takes the core elements of an action movie and implements them all perfectly. Right off the bat, we’re introduced to our main hero and his pain after losing his wife, only to regain some semblance of joy with a puppy. Then, in one swift motion, the entire audience recoils in horror and INSTANTLY bonds themselves to the vengeful feeling of John Wick when said puppy is brutally murdered. Guns, mayhem, violence. It’s all there in spades, and you’re there for every second of the chaos as the entire audience is bonded in unison to John Wick’s quest and motivation. I still remember being in the theater back in 2014 and hearing the audience audibly gasp out loud with the infamous puppy scene. It was as if the entire audience was of one mind in that moment. We all just wanted to see John dismantle ALLL of the people involved. The 2nd movie turned out to be a great action film as well, by expanding the lore and continuing with the same great fight sequences. But after that, the series sort of lost its way much the same way the Matrix sequels did, simply by getting so far up the respective rear ends of the mythology that said mythology took over and watered down the original story. I mean, it was awesome to get a glimpse of the assassins' guild behind the curtains in the first film, and the second film leaned a bit more into that. But still, there remained a sense of mystery to it all. But in the 3rd and 4th flick, it had gotten SOOOO involved with the world behind the real world that it just rose to the level of ridiculousness that you see in superhero films where there are like 5 people in the entire world who AREN’T super assassins. We saw too much, and it became almost a religion vs. a tough assassin who is a man of sheer will and commitment.

All of that diatribe to say, I wasn’t expecting much from Ballerina, only to come out pleasantly surprised as Director Len Wiseman (infamous for the first two Underworld films) comes to the franchise and grounds it a good bit more than previous entries (although not completely). Our story takes place between the 3rd and the 4th film, after a young girl named Eve watched her assassin father get murdered in front of her eyes, only to be sent as an orphan to the Ruska Roma (the same Russian assassin “school” that John Wick was from) to study under the tutelage of the Director (Angelica Huston). There, she is shaped into a weapon of vengeance, rising up the ranks to become one of the most promising assassins in the organization. However, on her first assignment, Eve (now played by Ana de Armas) runs into a target with the same tattoo as the men who murdered her parents.

Calling in a favor from Winston (Ian McShane), Even learns that the men who turned her life upside down are a member of the assassins guild, but are generally shunned by them as this group is less of a “tribe” and more a cult. A death cult that not only performs assassinations for pay like the rest of them, but for pleasure as well. And to make things worse, no one knows where their headquarters are, or where to find them. They just show up for a contract and leave as quickly as they came. Determined to track down the man who murdered her father, Eve hunts down the only known member of the cult on a mission. One Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus), who just so happens to be staying at a Continental in Prague. However, Daniel is not who he seems to be, and instead of the violent assassin, she finds a father desperately trying to take his daughter away from the cult and give her the same chance at freedom that Eve’s father gave her.

Ballerina is the first feature film by Len Wiseman since the poorly received remake of Total Recall, but he is a welcome addition to the John Wick franchise as he brings a much more grounded approach to the world. He still uses the themes of underground assassins who all work in tandem around the globe, but also shrinks the scope of the film quite a bit by cutting out a lot of the unnecessary pomp and ritual that the 3rd and 4th John Wick films got a bit too steeped in. Ballerina is simple and brutal. It’s a revenge tale of Eve hunting down the clan who took her life from her, and doing so in typical John Wick fashion. But even more interesting is the different take on the combat that ensues. Instead of leaning TOOOO much into the “I’m a boss babe and can do anything” mantra of modern-day filmmaking, Ballerina encourages the young assassin to use whatever tactics she can in order to gain an upper hand, as the men she runs into are all faster, stronger, and more physically imposing. As such, her combat tactics change to where she’s redirecting the energy of blows, or adding blades and various additions to her armament to level the playing field. It’s not perfect as she does do some insanely unrealistic things, but it brings back that simple and brutal style that the 1st film employed. Not to mention the change up of the guns from all Taran Tactical inspired builds to something more European and varied was a nice touch (that Sig P229 that Daniel Bernhardt carried was sumptuous. One of my favorite side arms of all time).

All in all, I wouldn’t say that Ballerina is a perfect film, or even the best in the franchise, but it is a sight better than what we’ve gotten in the last few films, even with Keanu Reeves playing a rather lackluster cameo in the film. Ana de Armas was probably the single best part of the film, and her action skills are quite well done (I’ve actually been dying to see her in an action role, as her role as a Bond girl in the last 007 film was FANTASTIC), and of course, Gabriel Byrne is magnificent as the villainous head of the assassins' cult. I had some frustrations with the pacing of things and sometimes the action got a bit TOO stupid (that flamethrower scene was cool for 30 seconds, then it got dragged on too long), but overall I had a really good time with Ballerina.




Rating:

Rated R for strong/bloody violence throughout, and language.




4K Video: Video:

According to IMDB, Ballerina was shot using various Arri Alexa digital cameras and given a native 4K digital intermediate for the home video release, and the results are stunning. It’s not often I come across a 5/5 rated transfer, but Ballerina is one of those few. It’s literally picture-perfect from beginning to end, with that John Wick Blue/Purple hue that the later films relied on so much. Colors are dark and rich, with heavy shades of blue and purple permeating the black nighttime backgrounds, with the occasional daylight shot to round things out. Fine details are superb, even in the darkest shadows and blood-soaked basements. Facial tones tend to be a bit pale due to the blue/purple color grading and dim lighting, but fine details are still pleasant and revealing. Black levels are by FAR the best part of this entire film, as it is just steeped in differing shades of black. Silky, deep, and showcasing tons of shadow detail, this film makes great use of the 4K UHD advantages and really makes the format shine (even more than the perfect-looking Blu-ray that Lionsgate included in the combo pack).





Audio:

Dat audio track dough. Mmmmm, smack that thing and ask for more. Yes, John Wick and its predecessors have always had fantastic audio mixes, so it comes with no great surprise when Ballerina delivers the goods with a 5/5 action mix that blows the doors off your home theater room speakers. Aggressive from the very first moments of the movie, we have a bass-heavy, surround-heavy, INTENSE sound design that will rock you straight back into your listening position with rabid ferocity. Gunshots hit you in the chest like a howitzer, explosions will rattle pictures on your neighbor's wall….across the street. The surrounds are nearly constantly engaged with rattling rocks, explosions, bullets ricocheting off stone walls, and an intense score that just flows effortlessly from side to side, as well as utilizing the heights with some awesome, discrete action bits. As mentioned, the bass is skull-crushing, adding tons of weight to the combat dynamics, as well as a nice rumbling low end for sports cars and fisticuffs alike. Dialog is still very much intelligible and clean at all times, and with the wild dynamic swings in this mix, your home theater system is going to be stretched to the max just keeping up with it all.








Extras:

• The Making of Ballerina ― Witness the rise of Eve (Ana de Armas) as the filmmakers discuss the intricate process of creating a new character in the world of John Wick.
• Building A Frozen Underworld ― Step into the bold new locations that serve as the latest hunting grounds for these talented filmmakers, eager to face and overcome fresh challenges.
• The Art of Action ― A Dance Between Fire and Ice: Discover how the film's stunts, fight choreography, and innovative new weapons contributed to some of the most intense action sequences in the John Wick universe.
• Deleted & Extended Scenes

Final Score: ​

Even though the John Wick series has sort of gone down the same route as the Jurassic Park/World franchise and is getting a little long in the tooth, I ended up enjoying Ballerina much more than I thought I would. They tamped down some of the wilder aspects of the 3rd and 4th film, while sticking closer to a more self-contained revenge story that elevates the final product more than it COULD have been. De Armas does wonderfully as the revenge-driven product of the same training that John Wick came from, and Gabriel Byrne hams it up as the twisted cult leader. The 4K UHD (and Blu-ray disc) is STUNNING, with perfect picture and audio quality across the board, but fairly mediocre extras. While it won’t blow your socks off like 2014’s John Wick, it is a fun addition to the franchise, and ended up being more enjoyable than the slog I expected from the trailer. Single thumbs up as a fun watch is my final recommendation.



Technical Specifications:

Starring: Ana de Armas, Ian McShane, Keanu Reeves, Anjelica Huston, Norman Reedus, Lance Reddick, Gabriel Byrne
Directed by: Len Wiseman
Written by: Shay Hatten, Emerald Fennell
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), English DVS, Spanish, French DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Studio: Lionsgate
Rated: R
Runtime: 126 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: September 9th, 2025

Recommendation: Fun Watch

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[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I enjoyed the Wick movies, first being the best..

Didn't catch this one. Will look for it on streaming..