Ballerina: The Female John Wick

I finally got to watch the very violent Ballerina that takes place in the incredibly intricate John Wick universe. Starring Ana de Armas, she literally is the female John Wick, an assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma. And it is like the other John Wick movie series; cool, stylish, and engaging. A revenge action tale. And who doesn’t like a revenge action tale? And really beautiful scenery, cars, swords and guns.   

As always, there are plenty of amazing fighting and shooting scenes. It’s a good reminder that everything and anything around you can be used as a weapon. A pen, a bottle, a chain, a hammer, a plastic bag, a pan, a glass, dishes, ice skates, heck even a TV remote control. A small tidbit that could be useful one day. 

“It is two sides of the same coin, to kill or to save. Ultimately, it is up to you to choose.”

But you also get surprisingly good wisdom and tactical advice. Her instructor Nogi tells her: 

“Do you really believe that strength has anything to do with whether you win or lose? You will always be smaller and at a disadvantage. He is beating you because you are allowing him to determine the terms of the contest. You want to win? Change the terms! Improvise, adapt, cheat. Yield to YOUR strengths, not his.”

She becomes a one woman wrecking machine. It’s quite inspiring actually. I really need to up my fighting and tactical shooting skills. I don’t lack motivation here. As we all know: “Hate will make you strong.”

But what is echoed through the entire series is: 

“When you deal in blood, there must be rules or nothing survives.” You have to live by a code in life. Otherwise we are no better than beasts or the beast-like humans among us. This is how  civilization works. “Rules. And Consequences.”