John Wick Returns in the ‘Ballerina’ Trailer

It appears that John Wick met his supposed end at the close of “John Wick: Chapter 4.” Since then, Keanu Reeves has shied away from discussing any potential “John Wick” sequels. This could be because, even if John Wick is deceased, Lionsgate likely plans to feature him in future films regardless.

In the trailer for “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina”, a movie where Ana de Armas plays an assassin in the same universe, John Wick (Reeves) is notably highlighted. However, the second part of the preview predominantly focuses on John Wick confronting de Armas’ character. The film clarifies Wick’s apparent return to life by taking place before the events of “Chapter 4”.

You can watch the action-packed trailer below:

It’s refreshing to have a spinoff from the Spider-Man universe that truly feels like it belongs, considering Sony has produced numerous spinoffs with no connection to Spider-Man. In these, Spider-Man is absent and rarely mentioned. Despite Ana de Armas not being in “John Wick: Chapter 3″, which introduced the idea of killer ballerinas, Keanu Reeves, Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane, and the late Lance Reddick all contribute to maintaining a sense of continuity for this project.

In this tale, a young ballerina, after witnessing a murder in her ballet school, flees to join an elite force of secret agents who use their talents in dance to carry out covert missions. As she navigates the world of espionage, she discovers hidden truths about her past and must confront those responsible for her tragedy. Along the way, she showcases her exceptional dancing skills and utilizes them as a weapon to take down enemies.

Set within the context of “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum”, the film “Ballerina” narrates the journey of Eve Macarro, portrayed by Ana de Armas, as she embarks on learning the deadly art of assassination in line with the customs of the Ruska Roma.

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is set to finally open in theaters on June 6.

The 10 Worst Movies of the Last Ten Years (2015-2024)

10. The Happytime Murders (2018)

As a passionate film enthusiast, I must say that Brian Henson’s risqué puppet comedy, “The Happytime Murders,” is a hilarious take on adult humor, filled with graphic jokes that would make anyone chuckle. It seems the creators primarily focused on the idea of “How amusing would it be to have puppets in an edgy comedy full of sex gags?” Unfortunately, the film doesn’t offer much beyond that.

In case you ever find yourself at a bar trivia night and are asked, “Which movie features Melissa McCarthy biting a puppet on the penis?” or “What movie is it where Joel McHale stares at a puppet’s vagina in a parody of the ‘Basic Instinct’ scene?” the answer to both would be “The Happytime Murders.”

Amongst all the chaos, Maya Rudolph shines brightly. Her rice pilaf joke is the only thing worth remembering from this film. Rice pilaf! That woman is a hero indeed.

9. The Book of Henry (2017)

Colin Trevorrow, following the success of “Jurassic World,” released the puzzling box-office flop, “The Book of Henry.” This movie uniquely blends magical realism with themes of child abuse. It also presents a Christ-like narrative where a powerful, divine figure sacrifices himself to allow his troubled mother to take revenge on a man and eventually adopt her mistreated stepdaughter. Simultaneously, it serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of indifference, using an extraordinary dead child teaching his mother how to become a skilled assassin from beyond the grave as its vehicle for this message. (All these events indeed occur in “The Book of Henry,” I assure you.)

8. Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

In “Space Jam: A New Legacy”, I found Warner Bros. portraying themselves as a heartless conglomerate of intellectual properties ruled by an antagonistic algorithm, which was quite an impressive self-critique in the film industry’s Hall of Fame. The movie overall felt weak and unfunny, making the original “Space Jam” seem like a masterpiece such as “2001: A Space Odyssey”. LeBron James isn’t a terrible actor – he’s no worse in the lead than Michael Jordan was in the first film – but almost everything else about “A New Legacy” was a disappointment from start to finish. It appears that the creators didn’t fully grasp the charm of Looney Tunes, especially Bugs Bunny, who ended up being portrayed as a whiny and downcast character in this film. My recommendation is to check out some classic “Looney Tunes Cartoons” on Max instead. Even a few random shorts offer more laughs than this entire two-hour feature, and the animation quality is superior too.

7. Dirty Grandpa (2016)

In a more simplified and conversational style:

“Dirty Grandpa” shares the same humor approach as “The Happytime Murders”: When someone who seems pure or innocent (like grandparents or puppets) uses dirty language, it’s supposed to be funny. If hearing Robert De Niro utter words like “smegma” amuses you, then you’ll find “Dirty Grandpa” hilarious. However, if your humor preference is for actual jokes (or lacks repeated offensive language), you might be left feeling let down. At least the title is fittingly accurate.

6. Marmaduke (2022)

If there’s an animated film as unattractive and visually unpleasing as “Marmaduke,” I have yet to come across it. May I never stumble upon such a sight. Frankly, this movie seems like it was hastily produced as part of some underhanded business deal or a strange arrangement where the creators had to produce something—anything—by a specific deadline.

Surprisingly, “Marmaduke” boasts the voice talents of several well-known and comedic actors such as J.K. Simmons, David Koechner, and Pete Davidson. One must wonder if they didn’t read the script, were unaware of the hideous characters they would be voicing, or perhaps were offered some exotic getaway in exchange for their services. How did this happen? “Marmaduke” is a pile of utter garbage. I wouldn’t wish it on the children on my school bus who used to tease me with creative bullying songs about booger-picking—which, upon reflection, was more imaginative than this “Marmaduke.

5. Madame Web (2024)

As a passionate film enthusiast, I must admit that the cinematic adaptation of Madame Web feels somewhat awkward, given its comic book origins. Dakota Johnson, our title character Cassie Webb, seems to share this sentiment. Despite being named in the title, “Madame Web” is hardly used onscreen, and Johnson’s character never dons a superhero costume throughout the film. The general vibe is one of unease about the material at hand – understandably so, under the circumstances.

The movie is quirky, strange, bordering on incomprehensible at times, making The Amazing Spider-Man feel like Spider-Man 2. But imagine watching it with Kevin Feige – now that would be quite a spectacle!

4. The Emoji Movie (2017)

It’s conceivable to imagine an engaging movie that explores the world of smartphone culture, possibly even delving into emojis, but it would necessitate a script brimming with sharp wit and biting commentary, far more so than what was present in the film The Emoji Movie. Leaving aside its somewhat optimistic message promoting acceptance of differences, this production is exactly what one would expect from a film studio whose profitability depends on selling countless smartphones yearly: A subtly marketed advertisement that implies that owning a cell phone will make you popular and more appealing to the opposite sex. Yuck.

While it’s imaginable to create an intriguing film about smartphone culture, perhaps even touching on emojis, it would need a script packed with biting satire and sharp commentary, rather than what was found in The Emoji Movie. Putting aside its faintly positive message promoting diversity, this movie is precisely what one might expect from a studio that relies on the sale of millions of smartphones annually: A thinly-veiled advertisement suggesting that having a cell phone will boost your popularity and make you more attractive to the opposite sex. Ew.

3. Artemis Fowl (2020)

In the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, around 65 years ago (a typo might have been intended), Disney postponed all its 2020 blockbusters except for “Artemis Fowl”, which they chose to release on Disney+ instead. Looking back, this move was a warning sign. This movie adaptation of the beloved young adult book series condenses approximately ten novels’ worth of content into just 90 minutes, resulting in confusion and near-unwatchability. If you can decipher how Josh Gad’s character transitioned from burglarizing Artemis Fowl’s home to teaming up with him to thwart another character without any dialogue between them, you are more intelligent than I. Remarkably, “Artemis Fowl” managed to make viewers feel cheated even when they hadn’t paid anything beyond their subscription fee.

2. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023)

This low-budget horror film, loosely inspired by A.A. Milne’s classic work that has now entered the public domain, serving as a basis for derivatives like this one, fails miserably at being either a slasher movie or a critique of children’s literature. Intriguingly, it manages to function effectively, albeit in a twisted manner, as an unintentional argument for the idea of a public domain. (If copyright protection keeps trash like this from being produced and exposed to the general public… perhaps it’s not all bad?) Essentially, Blood and Honey is an unbearable heap of nonsense.

1. Dolittle (2020)

In a peculiar way, watching “Dolittle” felt akin to witnessing a back-alley doctor’s botched attempt at transforming a film from its original form into the disjointed and confusing spectacle it became. Initially, I presumed it was intended to be more serious, but it morphed into an unruly cinematic creation, stitched together with leftover scenes and reshoots that once held promise of a different storyline. The film’s transformation saw the influx of bathroom humor, including jokes about poop, farts, and itchy butts, alongside talking animals, subpar CGI, and Robert Downey Jr.’s exuberant performance that overshadows even Captain Jack Sparrow’s reserved demeanor.

2025-03-19 20:55