REVIEW: BALLERINA (FROM THE WORLD OF 'JOHN WICK')

4/5

First Steps

125 Mins. Starring: Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, David Castañeda, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane & Keanu Reeves. Screenplay: Shay Hatten. Director: Len Wiseman. In: Theatres.

Pirouetting her way on screens, Ana de Armas is 'Ballerina', 'From The World Of John Wick'. A movie from 'Underworld' director Len Wiseman ('Live Free Or Die Hard' and the 2012 'Total Recall' remake), off a screenplay from Shay Hatten (Zack Snyder's 'Army Of The Dead' and 'Rebel Moon' features), this spin-off instalment takes place between the third and fourth chapters of the Wick franchise, written by Hatten. Armas arms up in this amazing action thriller of tense and taut proportions like you've never seen her before. Consider the 'Blonde' Marylin Monroe star's scene-stealing throw down in James Bond's 'No Time To Die', clinking glasses with Daniel Craig's 007 swan song, her audition. There's no cocktail dress this time for the 'Knives Out' actress with more than two guns. Ana ('Blade Runner 2049', 'War Dogs') brings the blades and the brimstone of a woman scorned, scorching with propane. Launching grenades like 'Nobody's' business, she gives us a wicked take on the gun-fu franchise.

Behind the scenes of the third chapter of John Wick's 'Parabellum', we see the other consequences that came after The Baba Yaga made a deal with the original Morticia, in the legendary Anjelica Huston. 'The Addams Family' icon brings even more value here, as she takes second-billing in a world building picture that still revolves around the star of the show. All about Eve, like an outstanding quick one-shot take on the streets. It really is prime time for actors in their mid-seventies, as the 'End Of Days' devil himself, Gabriel Byrne ('The Usual Suspects', 'Defence Of The Realm') makes for a formidable foe who took more than "just" a puppy away from Ana's Eve, seeking to take a bite out of all that's rotten in the Big Apple. If you fear that isn't enough, as the bodies fall like amateur tiny dancers to winces worse than pulling toenails, then 'The Walking Dead' star Norman Reedus steals the show with a blunderbuss. So much so, we'd watch his own solo origin story in this real world graphic novel. You'd love it, like we do the way these Wicks flick away clips like flies.

Wait, there's more. Some already spoilt, others we won't reveal, like the incredible role of 'The Umbrella Academy's' David Castañeda doing with guns, what he used to do for Netflix with knives out. What really makes this cruelly forgotten blockbuster, amongst all the Marvel ('Fantastic Four') and DC ('Superman') wars and old dinosaurs, 'Jurassic World: Rebirth', Brad Pitt ('F1') and Tom Cruise ('Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning'), are the old favourites. The legendary Ian McShane, the final performance of the late, great Lance Reddick and of course...the man himself. Yep, it's no secret that Keanu Reeves is here, like there will be another 'John Wick' chapter. But what he does in this verse is truly worthy of a signature "yeeah!" I'm thinking he's back, but what he does here is "woah" worthy for how he recharges the final act without taking the shine off the star. An upgrade from 'The Continental' T.V. series starring Mel Gibson, those looking to see pop star Rina Sawayama take revenge for 'Shogun' Hiroyuki Sanada will have to wait. This isn't the ballerina's last dance, and this blonde is going atomic. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum', 'No Time To Die', 'The Villainess'.