Ballerinais the latest entry in theJohn Wickworld, following a young assassin named Eve Maccaro who takes up a deadly quest for revenge after her father is unfairly killed by her professional rivals. Much like the otherJohn Wickmovies, this spinoff is a bloody and savage piece of action filmmaking that uses advanced choreography and stunt work to keep the audience on edge from start to finish.
WhileBallerinacertainly stands in a league of its own thanks to the complex set pieces and huge budget, it’s still clear to see how Len Wiseman’s spinoff was inspired by plenty of other great action movies throughout cinema history. Even for those who’ve recentlyrewatched all theJohn Wickmovies to prepare forBallerina,boundless other action spectacles are waiting to scratch the same itch.
Atomic Blondefeels like a very obvious follow-up toBallerina, but that doesn’t make it any less worthy. Both projects are fierce, dynamic, female-led action movies that make the most of their action with sharp camerawork and fluid choreography unlike anything else in the action genre. There’s even a special connection between the projects, as directorDavid Leitch also co-directed the firstJohn Wickmovie.
There are plenty of similarities between Charlize Theron’s lead performance inAtomic Blondeand Ana de Armas’ work inBallerina; both actors fully disappear into their roles, delivering somepowerful stunt work that gives their respective movies an unstoppable momentum. Leitch clearly applied theJohn Wickformula to this project, and it works undeniably well.
Perhaps the oldest movie that could feasibly be compared toBallerina,Akira Kurosawa’s classic filmYojimbowas a game-changing piece of action cinema that still influences the genre today.The Japanese director was renowned for his fluid, subversive set piecesthat gave each of his films an electric energy, and that’s arguably at its strongest inYojimbo.
They’re both films about characters who’ve been pushed to the very edge of society, and that immediately raises the stakes and sucks the audience in.
The movie focuses on a wandering samurai who takes justice into his own hands after watching a young man fall to the very bottom of society, adopting a very similar tone of vengeance asBallerina. They’re both films about characters who’ve been pushed to the very edge of society, and that immediately raises the stakes and sucks the audience in.
No Time to Dieis rarely considered among the verybest James Bond movies, but there’s something about Fukunaga’s weighted sequel that feels much tighter and more memorable than most entries in the franchise.It also features a guest appearance from de Armas, who immediately leaves her mark as the most dynamic and versatile Bond girl in recent memory.
No Time To Dieimmediately proved that de Armas was capable of leading an action movie of her own, even though her character was only given limited screen time in this James Bond adventure. In many ways, the project served as her audition forBallerina— a sharp, dynamic action performance that feels very derivative ofJohn Wickwith its fluid choreography and witty humor.
Often considered among thegreatest action movies ever made, Park Chan-wook’sOldboycompletely changed the face of action filmmakingupon its release in 2003. Many audiences will remember the iconic hallway fight that popularized the same brand of tightly choreographed combat thatJohn Wicklater built upon, but there are countless scenes in this revenge thriller that achieve the same purpose.
Chan-wook’s movie centers around an escaped prisoner who spends the rest of his days searching for the man responsible for locking him away and ruining his life, undertakingan extremely violent and bloody journey to get his revenge. Much likeBallerina, it’s a film about taking control of one’s own life in spite of the external forces that attempt to control them.
Starring Logan Marshall-Green as a bionically enhanced soldier who sets out for revenge against the eccentric billionaire who ruined his life, Leigh Whannell’sUpgradeis one of the most stylish and sophisticated action movies in recent memory.The project really pushes the boundaries of action filmmaking, using sharp camera movements and intricate footwork to keep the audience on their toes from start to finish.
It’s a story about vengeance and vindication, making the most of characters who aren’t afraid of bending the rules in the pursuit of justice.
AlthoughUpgradeis laced with elements of sci-fi, the narrative is surprisingly similar to the one Len Wiseman tells inBallerina. It’s a story about vengeance and vindication, making most characters not afraid of bending the rules in the pursuit of justice.
While its narrative may be slightly different fromBallerina, Ted Kotcheff’s originalRambomovie is still an excellent companion piece that likely inspired much of the filmmaking in Wiseman’sJohn Wickspinoff. There’s a clear reasonFirst Bloodbecame such apivotal action movie in the ‘80s. It’s sucha fierce, visceral depiction of revengethat doesn’t rely on gratuitous violence, but rather earns its strength through human, emotional storytelling.
This is exactly whyBallerinaworks so well. It would have been easy to follow up a project likeJohn Wick: Chapter 4with an equally violent, non-stop action movie that’s filled with huge set pieces and ambitious stunts, butBallerinagoes one step further by making Eve Maccaro a genuinely compelling main character, just like John Rambo.
Extractiongathered plenty of attention upon its release in 2020 thanks to its sprawling, ambitious set pieces and one-shot fight scenes.The project was heavily compared toJohn Wickfor this exact reason, and Hargrave evidently took this in his stride and leaned even more heavily into this “gun-fu” approach in the sequel.
Extractionfollows a ruthless mercenary named Tyler Rake, who is assigned to protect the young child of a notorious Indian crime lord after he’s kidnapped by enemy forces in Bangladesh. What works so effectively in Hargrave’s movie is the non-stop pacing, which jumps from set piece to set piece and barely gives the audience a moment to breathe.
Considered by many to beQuentin Tarantino’s best movie to date, the first installment of hisKill Billduology draws inspiration from several corners of the action genre to create something wholly singular and unique that totally reinvented the concept of the revenge thriller.Films likeBallerinasimply wouldn’t exist withoutKill Bill, which proved that action filmmaking can exist in countless forms.
Kill Billfollows a protagonist known only as The Bride, who wakes from a four-year coma to learn that her old boss was responsible for her attempted murder. What follows isa brutal, pulpy tale of revenge that shares many similarities with Eve’s story inBallerina,even if Tarantino is a little more creative with his vicious kills.
Nobodyis often compared toJohn Wickbecause of how evidently similar their narratives are; both stories follow “ordinary” men who undertake violent journeys of revenge after their everyday lives are disrupted by organized criminals.Bob Odenkirk’s lead performance is a huge selling point of this project, playing against type and proving (much like Reeves inJohn Wick) that age doesn’t mean anything when it comes to playing a swift and brutal killer.
Gareth Evans’The Raidis another excellent action movie that totally revolutionized the genre with its focus on close-quarters combat and fluid visuals, both of which were later developed by theJohn Wickfranchise.
The movie tells the story of an Indonesian police officer whose team is trapped inside the facility of a dangerous crime lord after their raid goes wrong, leaving them forced to battle their way to freedom. Much likeBallerina, it’s structured through several long, expansive set pieces that really bring the action to the forefront of the storytelling.
