Ballerina – The 4K Blu-ray Edition from 01 Leone Film Group

Between the third and fourth John Wick films lies the story of Eve Macarro, a young woman who, after witnessing her father's murder as a child, was taken in by the “Ruska Roma” and subjected to a ruthless training regimen of classical dance and violence, discipline and pain. Eve never stopped believing in revenge and pursuing it at all costs, until she is forced to confront the Chancellor, leader of a sect of assassins operating on the fringes of the High Table.

With Ballerina, the John Wick universe is enriched with a standalone piece, full of elegance and ferocity. Len Wiseman directs a hyper-kinetic action film that combines the refinement of dance choreographies with the brutality of armed combat, maintaining the baroque and hypnotic style already seen in the main saga. The presence of Ana de Armas is the true driving force of the film: charismatic and vulnerable, she contributes to a character far from the mythologized figure of “Baba Yaga”, more inclined to let emotions and fragilities show through.

The Expanding John Wick Universe

While moving along a rather linear and predictable plot, the film finds strength in its atmosphere, dark set designs, and fast pace. The duels, crafted with the precision expected from a project linked to Chad Stahelski, elevate the work to entertainment no less adrenaline-fueled and visually sumptuous. Without reinventing the genre and sacrificing a few too many characters (Norman Reedus above all), it opens up to a different and complementary perspective, demonstrating that the John Wick universe can also live outside its protagonist. Here you can find the complete artistic review.

Shot natively digitally (Arri Alexa 35) at a native 4.6K resolution, the 4K master used for the encoding of the Italian UHD edition was achieved. Original image format 2.39:1 (3840 x 2160/24p), HEVC encoding on a BD-66 dual layer disc. Top-tier technical spectacle for this edition, where you can rediscover the set designs and colors of the theatrical projection, with saturated elements, precise background elements, and a viewing experience that deserves native 10-bit screens. The infinite black here is essential to enhance night or low-light sequences, thanks to Dolby Vision and a more faithful light dynamic.

The spectacle becomes pyrotechnic with the dual audio offering, starting with the Italian Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track (24 bit) with ATMOS objects, including explosions, front-to-back panning effects, soundstage openness, and an excellent level of involvement even for the bass, which is more crucial than ever here. We may not be in reference territory, but the fun is certainly there with a true Home Theater system, beyond just a soundbar + subwoofer. Listening to the original in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 channels (24 bit) is recommended, to enjoy the direct dialogue and the different inflections in the actors' speech.

The amaray edition includes the 2K Blu-ray BD-50 disc and all available extras: approximately 40 minutes of in-depth features on the story and spin-off, set designs, special effects, deleted scenes, and locations with contributions from cast and crew. Italian subtitles included.