From The World of John Wick: Ballerina‘s debut Rotten Tomatoes score preserves John Wick‘s impressive streak despite its ranking in the overall franchise. From The World of John Wick: Ballerina isn’t the first official John Wick spinoff – that honor belongs to The Continental: From The World of John Wick, a prequel miniseries that explores the mystery of John Wick‘s ᴀssᴀssin-friendly H๏τels. Ballerina, on the other hand, follows Ana de Armas’ Eve Macarro, who was adopted by the Ruska Roma after her father was brutally murdered. What follows is, of course, a fast-paced tale of revenge.

Despite being the John Wick franchise’s first official movie spinoff (which includes a Keanu Reeves cameo), Ballerina hasn’t quite managed to reach the heights of its predecessors. Currently, Ballerina‘s Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score stands at a respectable 77% (it debuted at 75%). That gives Ballerina the second-lowest score in the franchise, far above The Continental‘s 63% but below John Wick (86%), John Wick: Chapter 2 (89%), John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (89%), and John Wick: Chapter 4 (94%). Ballerina‘s score does mean that every installment in the John Wick franchise is considered “fresh,” an impressive feat within the genre.

What Ballerina’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Means For John Wick

Ballerina Has Set The Spinoff Bar High

Spinoffs can be notoriously hard to get right. They should have their own idenтιтy while still being linked to what came before, and that’s a difficult balance to find, as proven by The Continental. Fortunately for Ballerina, though, it seems it may have hit the mark. Though it might not have been as much of a hit with critics as previous mainline John Wick films, anything around 75% is a genuinely healthy score and bodes well for the franchise’s future.

With a fifth John Wick film in the works (a surprising development given Chapter 4‘s ending), a Donnie-Yen-led spinoff in development, and an animated prequel on the way, it doesn’t look like the John Wick franchise is slowing down any time soon. If these new projects can maintain or improve upon Ballerina‘s level of quality, then the future certainly looks bright for John Wick and its offshoots.

Our Take On Ballerina’s Rotten Tomatoes Score

Ballerina Had A Lot To Live Up To

Set between John Wick: Chapter 3 and John Wick: Chapter 4, Ballerina and its star, Ana de Armas, had a lot to live up to. Keanu Reeves’ John Wick has become one of Hollywood’s most impressive and beloved action “anti-heroes,” with Reeves’ commitment to doing stunts and the franchise’s incredibly impressive choreography and set pieces giving audiences an action experience like no other. Each John Wick installment has somehow improved upon the last, with John Wick: Chapter 4 bringing another part of Wick’s story to a cathartic, violent, and emotional close.

Given John Wick‘s legacy, it’s no surprise that Ballerina had a harder time finding its footing, despite Keanu Reeves’ brief return and an impressive supporting cast. With critics mostly in agreement that Ballerina hadn’t fully nailed down its idenтιтy or a narrative throughline, Ballerina‘s 75% debut Rotten Tomatoes score certainly bodes well for the film’s action sequences. Those are, of course, the heart of John Wick‘s success. As long as those scenes are inventive and memorable, From The World of John Wick: Ballerina will have earned its place in the franchise.

From The World of John Wick: Ballerina is in theaters June 6.