Ana de Armas takes center stage in a John Wick prequel about a dancing orphan's quest for vengeance. The plot flails, but the creative carnage gets an ovation.

In contrast, “Ballerina”—like the four John Wick films that it’s spun off from—is, strangely, far better at story than at action. The first John Wick film is the weakest, because the framework for the franchise was still unformed: a retired hit man (Keanu Reeves) gets back into action to respond to a mobster’s attacks.