? If you thought the beloved John Wick series had come to an end, you’d be dead wrong. Ana de Armas has brought the franchise back to life in Ballerina. Directed by Len Wiseman, known for the Underworld films, and written by Derek Kolstad, who penned the previous John Wick screenplays, the story takes place between the third and fourth installments. It follows a young girl whose father is killed by an unknown gang, and as she grows up, feelings of anger and desire for revenge consume her.

After her father's death and the loss of her family, Winston (Ian McShane) takes on the task of bringing Eve Macarro (de Armas) into the world of Ruska Roma, where she joins the organization led by the Director (Anjelica Huston). There, she's secretly trained in violent combat and assassination techniques under the cover of learning ballet. After 12 years with the organization, Eve transforms into a professional killer and decides to hunt down the faction that murdered her father to exact her revenge.

Less dialogue, more fighting: The film is packed with action and fight sequences that never become tedious despite their frequency. The filmmakers relied heavily on the action scenes that de Armas performed with remarkable skill, seamlessly transitioning between her vulnerability and fragility as a desperate young woman and the strength fueled by her deep-seated rage. While John Wick's paths cross with Eve's in only a few scenes, they’re not wasted, and are worth every second for diehard fans.

Kill like a girl: The story might seem quite predictable, but what the film offers to John Wick universe fans — featuring many characters that shape this world, including Reeves and Lance Reddick (Charon, the Continental Hotel receptionist) in his final role before his passing — alongside de Armas's skill and ability to captivate audiences with her composed performance and flawlessly executed action sequences, makes us overlook the story's simplicity and occasional superficiality. And there may well be more to the tale…

WHERE TO WATCH- Ballerina is screening at VOX Cinemas at City Center Almaza and Mall of Egypt, Citystars, Scene Cinemas at District 5 and Cairo Festival City, as well as Cima Arkan. You can also watch the trailer on YouTube (runtime: 2:24).

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