BALLERINA : Tuesday 10th June 2025

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'BALLERINA' earlier this week, and this American action thriller film is the fifth film in the 'John Wick' franchise, and serves as a spin-off instalment that is Directed by Len Wiseman, whose prior feature film making credits are 'Underworld' in 2003, 'Underworld : Evolution' in 2006, 'Live Free or Die Hard' in 2007 and 'Total Recall' in 2012, as well as Producing 'Underworld : Rise of the Lycans' in 2009, 'Underworld : Awakening' in 2012, and 'Underworld : Blood Wars' in 2016. This film is also Co-Produced by Chad Stahelski who Directed the first four 'John Wick' films. The film was released here in Australia and the US last week, having so far grossed US$57M from a production budget of US$90M and has generated largely positive critical reviews. Allegedly as far back as March 2023 the studio announced it has plans to develop a sequel with de Armas returning to her role. 

The film opens with a young Eve Macarro (Victoria Comte) playing at ballet dancing with her father Javier (David Castaneda) in their lavish seaside villa. Javier is/was an assassin, a Kikimora for the Ruska Roma, and when Eve was younger he went on the run with his daughter to escape a Cult his wife was heavily involved with, which ultimately led to her death. The Cult's Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne) wants to retrieve Eve, and so undercover of darkness the Cult lays siege to their residence, killing the guards and fatally wounding Javier, who helps Eve escape. New York Continental Hotel owner Winston Scott (Ian McShane) brings Eve to the Ruska Roma, where Eve meets their Director (Anjelica Huston) and agrees to join them.

Over the course of the ensuing twelve years Eve (Ana de Armas) trains as a ballerina and a Kikimora assassin/bodyguard under the Director and her mentor Nogi (Sharon Duncan-Brewster). Eve graduates as a Kikimora after killing a fellow Kikimora, as a final test to truly assess that she has what it takes. After completing a contract some two months later, Eve is attacked by an assassin, whom she kills and identifies as a Cultist from a scar of a cross burned onto his wrist. She asks the Director about the Cult, wanting revenge. The Director forbids Eve from chasing down the Cult due to a centuries old truce between the Cult and the Ruska Roma.

Eve disobeys the Director and visits the New York Continental, where Charon, the Hotel Concierge (Lance Reddick, in his final screen appearance following his death in March 2023, aged 60) grants her a meeting with Winston. Winston reveals that one Cultist, Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus), is staying at the Prague Continental with a US$2M bounty on him, so Eve travels there and books a room directly next to his. Several Cultists are also there, led by Lena (Catalina Sandino Moreno), waiting for the bounty's fulfilment. 

Eve infiltrates Pine's room, discovering his young daughter Ella (Ava McCarthy), whom Pine reveals is hiding from the Cult, having escaped from them. When the Cult sees that Eve has not killed Pine, Lena increases the bounty to US$4M. The Cultists and other mercenaries attack Pine on Continental grounds. Eve assists him and he entrusts Ella to her. Cultist Dex (Robert Maaser) shoots Pine, while Lena incapacitates Eve and takes Ella. The Prague Continental staff spare Eve for not breaking Continental rules but execute two captured Cultists/mercenaries for their attack.

While in Prague Eve goes to purchase a stash of weapons from arms dealer Frank (Abraham Popoola), but the Cult henchmen attack his shop. After Eve kills every last one of the Cult's heavies, Frank helps her narrow down the location of the Cult's base and provides her with a car so that she can drive herself to their location. 

Eve's search leads to the town of Hallstatt in Upper Austria, where she quickly comes under attack as all the townspeople are of the Cult and many are assassins, some of whom the Cult has offered safe haven to. Eve is eventually captured and brought to the Chancellor, who discovers her ties to the Ruska Roma. Eve reveals her revenge plot, while he reveals that Pine is his son and Ella his granddaughter. The Chancellor remembers Eve, informing Lena that she is Eve's older sister, whom Eve believed to be dead. Eve breaks free before being cornered by Lena, who reveals their kinship. Lena tells Eve that Javier abandoned her during his escape due to fearing that the Cult had already indoctrinated Lena. Hearing of Eve and Lena talking, the Chancellor orders their deaths. The Cult's attack kills Lena while Eve escapes.

The Chancellor calls the Director with a declaration of war between their factions due to Eve's relentless actions, despite the Director repeatedly stating that Eve had gone rogue. To satisfy the Chancellor, the Director sends John Wick (Keanu Reeves) to take out Eve as a compromise, which the Chancellor accepts. 

The Chancellor orders a temporary stand-down of the townsfolk once John arrives at Hallstatt, where he finds and defeats Eve, repeatedly sparing her and imploring her to leave Hallstatt. Eve pleads for her revenge, so the sympathetic John gives her the remaining twenty-eight minutes until midnight, when the stand-down orders end, to kill the Chancellor. If she fails to kill the Chancellor by then, he will have no choice but to see out his contract to its foregone conclusion.

Eve continues fighting against the Cult across Hallstatt, with John killing Dex to save Eve. Some Cultists attack John, who in turn kills them. When the Cult loses track of John, the Chancellor attempts to flee with Ella in a SUV, but Eve shoots the driver causing the vehicle to come to an abrupt halt, and corners the Chancellor. The Chancellor exits the car and attempts to reason with Eve, but Eve executes him where he stands, and rescues Ella. John calls the Director who asks if 'she' is dead, but John simply responds by stating that 'he' is dead.

Ella is reunited with an alive and recovering Pine at the New York Continental where Eve takes refuge. Now exiled from the Ruska Roma, Eve watches former Kikimora trainee and friend Tatiana's (Juliet Doherty) Swan Lake ballet performance. The Cult places a US$5M bounty on Eve, and being alerted to this development on her mobile phone, as were several other members of the audience, she quickly exits the theatre.

'Ballerina' has all the trademarks of the four previous 'John Wick' instalments, which I guess is down largely to the involvement of Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves, from the bullet ballet choreography, the intense close quarter fight scenes, the creative kills, and a strong cast who really give it their all. Director Len Wiseman has done a very respectable job of steering this franchise in a relatively new direction whilst maintaining the many touchstones, characters, top notch cinematography, relentless pace and everything we have come to expect from the series so far. Ana de Armas gives a solid performance as the Ballerina in question here, and seems to slip easily enough into the role as the gun totting, arse kicking, flame thrower wielding, ice skate launching, grenade lobbing assassin Eve Macarro, and it's good to see Keanu Reeves reprise his role as John Wick even if only for a couple of scenes in the last fifteen minutes or so. 

'Ballerina' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 5th June 2025

The 72nd Sydney Film Festival this year runs from Wednesday 4th June through until Sunday 15th June, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre, and includes features, documentaries, short films, retrospectives, films for families, animations and a series of industry and public talks. Patrons of the festival include Gillian Armstrong, Cate Blanchett, Jane Campion, Nicole Kidman, Baz Luhrmann, George Miller, and Sam Neill among others. Last year, in 2024, over two hundred productions from over seventy countries were selected for the festival, attracting an audience of over 120,000.

This years Opening Night Film presentation is 'Together' - the Australian horror comedy film Written and Directed by Michael Shanks. This film is also in the Official Competition (refer below for further details). The Closing Night Film is 'Splitsville' that is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Michael Angelo Covino and stars Adria Arjona, Dakota Johnson and O-T Fagbenie. When his wife asks for a divorce, a man runs to his friends for support, only to learn that the secret to their happiness is an open marriage.

The festival presents awards as follows : Official Competition (AU$60K cash prize) for 'cutting-edge, audacious and innovative' feature films; Documentary Australia Award (AU$20K, Academy Award qualifying); Sustainable Future Award (AU$40K); Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films for Best Australian Fiction (AU$7K Academy Award qualifying), Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Australian Director (AU$7K), AFTRS Craft Award for Best Practitioner (AU$7K), Yoram Gross Animation Award for Best Australian Animation (AU$7K Academy Award qualifying), The Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award for Screenwriting (AU$7K) and the Sydney Film Festival First Nations Award (AU$35K).

Those films in Official Competition this year are summarised below :-

* 'All That's Left of You' - from Germany, Cyprus, Palestine, Jordan, Greece, Qatar and Saudi Arabia this film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and stars Cherien Dabis. This film Chronicles the loves, hopes, losses and traumas of a Palestinian family over seven decades. Australian Premiere.

* 'The Blue Trail' - from Brazil, Mexico, Netherlands and Chile and Co-Written and Directed by Gabriel Mascaro. Here, a remarkable woman tries to evade a dystopian fate via a grand Amazonian quest. Australian Premiere.

* 'DJ Ahmet' - from North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Serbia and Croatia and Written and Directed by Georgi M. Unkovski. Telling the story of a fifteen-year-old North Macedonian boy who finds refuge in dance music and in first love. Australian Premiere.

* 'It Was Just An Accident' - from Iran, France and Luxembourg and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jafar Panahi. This road movie combines moral dilemmas, comic moments and shocking revelations to extraordinary potent effect. Australian Premiere.

* 'The Love That Remains' - from Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and France and Written, Directed and photographed by Hlynur Palmason. A hilarious portrait of an Icelandic family as the parents navigate their separation. Australian Premiere.

* 'The Mastermind' - from the USA and Written, Directed and Edited by Kelly Reichardt and starring Josh O'Connor, Alana Haim and John Magaro. A 1970's set art heist drama. Australian Premiere.

* 'Mirrors No. 3' - from Germany and Written and Directed by Christian Petzold and starring Paula Beer. This intrigue filled drama tells the story of a woman who gets entwined with a family following a car crash. Australian Premiere. 

* 'My Father's Shadow' - from the UK and Nigeria and Co-Written and Directed by Akinola Davies Jnr. Set in 1993 over the course of just one heady day in Lagos, Nigeria and an estranged father takes his two young sons from their countryside home to the megalopolis where they are overwhelmed by the sensory overload. Australian Premiere.

* 'Romeria' - from Spain and Germany and Written and Directed by Carla Simon. A mesmerising drama that combines family history with breathtaking fantasy. Australian Premiere.

* 'The Secret Agent' - from Brazil, France, Netherlands and Germany and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Kleber Mendonca Filho. Set in Brazil in 1977, this is a rousing tense political thriller, as the harsh military dictatorship imposes increasingly draconian measures on the population. Australian Premiere.

* 'Sorry, Baby' - from the USA and Written, Directed and starring Eva Victor with Naomi Ackie and Lucas Hedges. A dramedy about a young English Professor trying to overcome a sexual assault with the help of her sprightly best friend, endearingly awkward neighbour and a sweet stray kitten. Australian Premiere. 

* 'Together' - from Australia and the USA and Written and Directed by Michael Shanks and starring Alison Brie, Dave Franco and Damon Herriman. Here, a long term couple relocate to the country leaving behind their city lives and close friends, when a freak supernatural encounter in a cave sends the pair on a devilishly unexpected ride that will bring them closer 'together' than ever before. Australian Premiere.

For the full details of the other competitive strands, the complete low down on the 200+ films being showcased and a whole bunch of other good stuff waiting for you at this years Sydney Film Festival, you can go to the official website at : https://www.sff.org.au/

Turning the attention then back to this weeks five new release films coming to a big screen Odeon near you, we kick off with a spin-off film from a hugely popular action franchise that sees an assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma organisation, set out to seek revenge after her father's death. Next up we have the sixth film in this series that has a teenage kung fu prodigy relocating to New York City, where he attracts the unwelcome attention from a local karate champion and embarks on a journey to enter the ultimate karate competition with the help of two older experienced and expert hands. This is followed by a horror offering about two priests who must put aside their differences to perform a series of dangerous exorcisms on a possessed young woman. Then we turn to a biographical drama film about a Broadway Actress who has never missed a performance throughout her long, illustrious career, yet, in the rehearsals her confidence is challenged; before closing out the week with a crime thriller in which a grieving father with a history of violence kidnaps the child responsible, igniting a frenzied manhunt fuelled by a powerful politician.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'BALLERINA' (Rated MA15+) - this American action thriller film is the fifth film in the 'John Wick' franchise, and serves as a spin-off instalment that is Directed by Len Wiseman, whose prior feature film making credits are 'Underworld' in 2003, 'Underworld : Evolution' in 2006, 'Live Free or Die Hard' in 2007 and 'Total Recall' in 2012, as well as Producing 'Underworld : Rise of the Lycans' in 2009, 'Underworld : Awakening' in 2012, and 'Underworld : Blood Wars' in 2016. This film is also Co-Produced by Chad Stahelski who Directed the first four 'John Wick' films.

Taking place between the events of 'John Wick : Chapter 3 – Parabellum' and 'John Wick : Chapter 4', Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), a ballerina-assassin, begins to train in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma and sets out to exact revenge for her father's death. Also starring Gabriel Byrne, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Norman Reedus in supporting roles, with Anjelica Huston, Lance Reddick (in his final screen appearance, following his death in March 2023 aged 60), Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves reprise their roles from the previous films. The film is released in the US this week too, and allegedly as far back as March 2023 the studio announced it has plans to develop a sequel with de Armas returning to her role.

'KARATE KID : LEGENDS' (Rated PG) - is an American martial arts drama film Directed by Jonathan Entwistle in his feature film Directing debut although he has Directed a variety of short films, music video's and both single and multiple episodes of TV series since 2009 up until the present day. This film is the sixth in 'The Karate Kid' franchise following the 2010 film of the same name and is set after the events of the television series 'Cobra Kai' which ran from 2018 up until this year. Those first five films in the series grossed a total global Box Office haul of US$676M off the back of combined production budgets of US$86M, making this latest instalment a no-brainer. Here, after moving to New York City with his mother, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) struggles to let go of the past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition, but his skills alone aren't enough. With help from Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), he soon learns to merge two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown. The film Premiered in Mexico City in early May, was released in the US and Canada last week and has so far grossed US$46M against a production budget of US$45M.

'THE RITUAL' (Rated MA15+) - this American horror film is Written and Directed by David Midell who made his feature film Directing debut in 2014 with 'NightLights' and which he would follow up with 'The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain' in 2019. This film is based on a true story and is inspired by the 1935 book 'Begone Satan!' The film follows two priests Theophilus Riesinger (Al Pacino) and Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens), one having a crisis of faith and the other confronting a turbulent past, as they attempt to put aside their differences to save an allegedly possessed young woman Emma Schmidt (Abigail Cowen) through a series of dangerous exorcisms. The film is released Stateside this week too.

'THE GREAT LILLIAN HALL' (Rated M) - is an American biographical drama TV film that is Directed by Michael Cristofer, and was released on HBO back at the end of May in 2024, and only now does it get a limited cinema release here in Australia. Michael Cristofer's previous feature film Directing roles are 'Body Shots' in 1999, 'Original Sin' in 2001 and 'The Night Clerk' in 2020, and he has also acted in numerous single and multiple episodes of TV series from 1974 right up until very recently. Here then, as beloved Broadway star Lillian Hall (Jessica Lange) pours her heart, soul, and time into preparing for her next big role, she finds herself blindsided by confusion and forgetfulness. Battling against all odds to make it to opening night, while holding on to her fading memories and identity, she must navigate a tumultuous emotional journey, balancing her desire for the spotlight and the stark demands of the real world. Also starring Kathy Bates, Lily Rabe and Pierce Brosnan.

'BARRON'S COVE' (Rated CTC) - this American crime drama thriller is Written and Directed by Evan Ari Kelman in his feature length Directorial debut, and tells the story of when Caleb Faulkner's (Garrett Hedlund) son is killed in a tragic accident, grief consumes him. But when the system fails to hold the responsible child accountable, Caleb takes matters into his own hands, by abducting the boy and vanishing into the wilderness. His desperate act ignites a frantic manhunt, led by a power-hungry politician eager to twist the tragedy for personal gain. As tensions rise, Caleb must decide whether vengeance will truly bring him peace. Also starring Tramell Tillman, Stephen Lang, Brittany Snow, Hamish Linklater and Christian Convery. The film was released in the US back in early October last year.

With five new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

TOTAL RECALL - archive from 8th September 2012.

Saw the new 'TOTAL RECALL' this week and enjoyed this Len Wiseman retelling of the 1990 Paul Verhoeven cult classic. There are many similarities to this latest incarnation and nods aplenty to that 1990 Schwarzenegger actioner that any movie geek will relish. 

This time though the action takes place on a dystopian planet Earth of the late 21st Century compared to Mars, and with the Earth almost uninhabitable only two safe havens remain - The United Federation of Britain (UFB) and The Colony (aptly Australia - a case of history repeating itself here methinks!) The two are linked by a tunnel type affair where there is high speed people carrying device that hurtles through the centre of our planet to get from one t'other!

The story principles though are practically identical except the action is ramped up using the latest CGI box of tricks to enhance the visuals and please the kids! Colin Farrell is convincing as Doug Quaid, a factory operative eking out a living working on robotic suits on The Colony and having nightmares about another possible life - but is it real or imagined? There is also Kate Beckinsale & Jessica Biel to provide the eye candy and add to the action quotient, and, confuse us as to who's who in Dougs mind as the plot twists and turns between northern and southern hemispheres. Bryan Cranston and Bill Nighy also star.

This Philip K. Dick tale has all his usual trademarks as seen in 'Blade Runner', 'Minoriry Report, and 'iRobot'  - which if you liked them you'll like this! Worth the price of your ticket, and watch out for the London landmarks and Sydney harbour!

The film picked up a small handful of awards around the circuit. It took US$26M in its opening weekend Stateside, but the skids were then well & truly applied with a closing global box office haul of US$199M against a budget to make the film at about US$125M. Hardly a resounding success then on that basis, and you could be forgiven for asking that age old question - 'why bother' - a whole new audience who know nothing of the 1990 film, a lack of new original content, and a chance to update with new eye popping technology that didn't exist back in the day . . . that's why!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-