Ballerina 4K Blu-ray delivers truly amazing video and audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
A young female assassin seeks revenge against the people who killed her family.
For more about Ballerina 4K and the Ballerina 4K Blu-ray release, see Ballerina 4K Blu-ray Review published by Jeffrey Kauffman on September 14, 2025 where this Blu-ray release scored 3.0 out of 5.
Hey, Wikipedia! Maybe it's time to step away from asking for donations and do something really important like aggregating another one of
"your" lists of films with some kind of connection. Just go to the venerable (?) internet encyclopedia and type in "list of films" in the search box,
press enter, and then prepare to fall into a somewhat perilous rabbit hole, depending on individual tastes. But there is sadly no list (yet) of films
featuring ballerinas and/or dancers who are either also or who have moved on to become paid assassins. While still arguably a "nascent" idiom, films
with this very plot trope include the relatively recent Red Sparrow and Black Widow, not to mention John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. Those
with long memories and who love cult television might even recall that none other than Joanna Lumley (!) portrayed a character in The New Avengers with some history at the Royal Ballet, which allowed her to
deliver butt kicking with grace and agility (yes, that's a joke), and there are at least a few other big screen and small screen efforts with a "killer
dancer" element. And so the underlying conceit of Ballerina is hardly innovative, and at least
echoes of that "been there, seen that" quality certainly pervade this latest entry in the seemingly unkillable John Wick franchise.
Given all of the above linked films, not to mention other properties like Suspiria (and/or Suspiria), some might jokingly
advise young women that it's best to stay away from studying dance, but of course, in the world of John Wick, that tutelage is not an
"elective", so to speak, and is just part of what Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) has to endure on her way to becoming a Wick-ian assassin type. Eve
has
already endured significant trauma, as outlined by an opening vignette which introduces the character as a sweet little girl (played
appealingly by Victoria Comte), who has been spirited away to ostensible safety by her Ruska Roma father. Of course, within mere moments of the
film beginning, dear old Dad is killed in a frankly derivative scene that sees an attack force emerging from the ocean to do their dirty work in an
exotic
location.
What ensues is a pretty basic revenge narrative once Eve reaches adulthood and proves herself (rather disturbingly it might be added) as a more
than
capable assassin. Along the way she meets John Wick (Keanu Reeves in what amounts to a glorified cameo), who somewhat hilariously advises her
that violence is not the answer. The film attempts to develop the "mythology" of the franchise, specifically with regard to an internecine conflict
between the High Table and the Cult, but really that's all just kind of background noise providing just enough of a through line to get to
what's paramount: the action elements. There are some nicely staged moments in that regard, but Ballerina may simply not offer the
same consistent adrenaline rush that some of the earlier John Wick installments have.
It's kind of interesting and probably informative in a way to hear a talking head production crew member overtly mention in a supplement how the
entire series has relied on finding interesting locations and then building vignettes if not actual complete storylines around those locations. There's
some especially scenic activity offered in the snowy climes of Hallstatt, Austria, as well as other glances at global environments ranging from the
Czech Republic to Hungary to good old New York City.
Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.
Ballerina is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb is listing Arri
models, but unless I'm completely blind, I saw at least one camera in the making of supplement which seemed to have a big RED emblazoned on the
side, but one way or the other, a 4K DI is also specified on IMDb. This is another fantastic looking presentation in the John Wick franchise,
and I for one was actually thankful that the film didn't completely mimic the tendency toward purples and teals that have adorned previous films in the
series. There are definitely passing moments that utilized purples in particular (the nightclub scene is just one notable example), but this
outing tends to have a more "normal" looking palette a lot of the time that still has a huge gamut (in more ways than one) of tones especially in the
4K's HDR / Dolby Vision grades. Both the cooler and warmer ends of the spectrum offer some new highlights, and both blues and yellows in particular
are especially evocative (along with little dabs of red like that lipstick slathered on Anjelica Huston). Fine detail also sees some improvements in this
version, something that is especially noticeable on practical items (for one very minor example, pay attention at the very opening shot of the ballerina
in glass, and notice the finger smudges). I wasn't especially fond of the way the digital grain looked at times, but it's never overwhelmingly inorganic
looking.
Ballerina features a nicely immersive Dolby Atmos track that offers secure surround activity from the opening moments, even before any
significant imagery begins. The first really noticeable moments of "wow" surround engagement occurs a few minutes into the film with the devastating
attack on little Eve and her Dad, where suddenly all sorts of effects start exploding from all of the surround channels. There's a kind of ebb and flow to
the sound design, but even "quieter" moments like a disturbing quasi-montage showing an older Eve bloodying herself practicing being en pointe
can offer quite noticeable and real seeming hall ambience. The nightclub sequence is another standout example of nicely layered effects, scoring
and occasional spoken moments. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.
Both the surplus of deleted and/or extended scenes included as supplements, as well as this film's kind of troubled and long lived gestational period
which included reshoots a year or so after principal photography (something of course unaddressed in any of the supplements) might suggest there
were insecurities about the film by the powers that be. The standouts here are some gorgeous location photography and at least intermittently
engaging action sequences. I found the attempts to develop any perceived mythology to be largely ridiculous and frankly overwrought. Technical
merits are first rate and the supplements appealing for anyone who is considering making a purchase.
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