Although From the World of John Wick: Ballerina hasn’t hit theaters yet, fans of the John Wick franchise can watch another action movie with the same name right now. 2023’s Ballerina has nothing to do with the John Wick franchise, but the Korean revenge thriller could still appeal to its fans. Ever since the first John Wick movie in 2014, there have been scores of imitators trying to replicate the same punchy style of action. Only a few of these John Wick clones are actually worth watching, and even fewer stack up to the scintillating power of the original.
John Wick‘s Ballerina has been in the works for some time, and it’s just one of several spinoffs which are planned for the future. With Keanu Reeves reprising his role alongside Ana de Armas, there will at least be some continuity with the four main movies that the franchise has delivered so far. The story ties into the Ruska Roma, a shadowy criminal syndicate which shares a deep connection with John. By pure coincidence, an underrated Netflix thriller from 2023 shares the same name, as well as some story details and a love of dynamic fight scenes.
2023’s Ballerina Is Streaming On Netflix – What The Movie Is About
Ballerina Follows A Mysterious Woman On A Quest For Revenge
Ballerina stars Jeon Jong-seo as Ok-ju, a former bodyguard with a mysterious past who seeks revenge after her best friend is blackmailed by a criminal organization. The friend – who it’s implied might also be Ok-ju’s lover – is the тιтular ballerina, until her life is cut short. Her dying wish is for Ok-ju to get revenge on those who destroyed her life, but Ok-ju soon stumbles onto an even broader criminal conspiracy, and she plots to topple the entire system. Her combat skills go far beyond what a normal bodyguard would be capable of, suggesting that she could really have experience as an ᴀssᴀssin.
In some ways, Ballerina is a standard revenge thriller, cashing in on the action genre trend of badᴀss women enacting violent justice. However, this doesn’t make it any less entertaining, and it’s the execution that really makes Ballerina worth watching. Its fight scenes are wonderfully choreographed, but they’re also sH๏τ in consistently surprising ways, using a combination of overhead sH๏τs, close-up action and sharp camera movements to create a vibrant but aesthetically clean style. The worldbuilding and the story are also commendable, and they help to elevate Ballerina‘s ordinary elements.
How 2023’s Ballerina Compares To John Wick’s Ballerina
There Are A Few Similarities Between The Two Movies
It’s impossible to get a full picture of From the World of John Wick: Ballerina until it’s released, but the trailer reveals a few details which are similar to 2023’s Ballerina. Of course, the now-iconic John Wick style of fighting is one thing that the movies share, although 2023’s Ballerina isn’t a direct copy. Both movies feature young women with incredible fighting skills, and the trailer for Ballerina shows Ana de Armas both using guns and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. The neon-soaked aesthetic which has colored the John Wick franchise is also a feature of both Ballerina movies.
Like John Wick, the Ballerina spinoff also appears to be a revenge story, as de Armas’ Eve tries to take down the people who killed her family. Of course, this echoes Ok-ju’s revenge mission in 2023’s Ballerina, although it was her friend who took her own life, rather than her family being murdered. One key difference between the two movies is that Ok-ju isn’t a ballerina at all, while Eve is part of the Ruska Roma, who train ᴀssᴀssins using their dance academy as cover. It seems as though this will allow Ballerina to have elements of dance in its fight scenes, just like the 2023 movie.
The parallels between the two Ballerina movies only go so far, since the John Wick version has a considerably higher budget, which means bigger international stars and probably more action. However, this makes 2023’s Ballerina a perfect appetizer for fans of the John Wick franchise. Ballerina ends with Ok-ju setting out on a new mission to liberate the other women being blackmailed by the syndicate, having taken on the mantle of “The Ballerina“. Whether a sequel comes to pᴀss or not, 2023’s Ballerina is a perfect companion piece to the newest entry in the John Wick franchise.
