After three delays due to the ongoing global pandemic, Black Widow is finally here. Though it's just a year after its original release date, some of the biggest Black Widow lovers have been waiting 10 years for this film. Thankfully, it honors the character they love very beautifully.
Black Widow is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War, making it a prequel to the last two Avengers film the character appears in. It's directed by Cate Shortland, an Australian director who is relatively unknown up until now, save for a couple of smaller films. This story follows Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow on a journey to confront her past and her family, in hopes of unraveling a huge conspiracy that has caused harm to many people. As far as fans know, it's the last time Scarlett Johansson will be taking on the role. Which is a big deal, as she's played Natasha for 10 years.
While so many were really excited for this to be made and released, there were also skeptics. As this is a prequel, what's next for Natasha after this movie is already known. Unfortunately, she is dead. Because this was already known to MCU fans, there were a lot of worries that this film would feel pointless or low-stakes. While it does have some issues in regards to flowing with the rest of the MCU, Black Widow does not feel pointless or low-stakes whatsoever. It's actually a very dark and emotional film that does a brilliant job at getting the audience to care about the newer characters, which is a difficult feat in such an expansive universe. It still has high action and fun moments, but at its core, it's about family, trauma, and confronting your demons.
The film starts off with one of the most intense MCU openings to date. A young Natasha and her sister, Yelena, are in the midst of a seemingly normal family dinner with their seemingly normal parents. Of course, they unexpectedly need to pack up and head out on the run to evade danger. Though not all the details are revealed right away, it's obvious that things were never as they seemed.
Their father Alexei, played wonderfully by David Harbour of Stranger Things fame, is actually Red Guardian. Red Guardian of course was the Soviet Union's counterpart to Captain America. It's learned that this was never a real family, they were simply on a mission, and Natasha and her sister were sent to be trained in the Red Room. Fans with extensive knowledge of the character will know that this is where the Black Widows, female super-soldiers, are trained and brainwashed.
This opening scene sets a very dark and intense tone that carries on throughout the majority of the film. It's a bit of a departure from the often pristine and clean-cut tone in other MCU films, and it's very effective. Because this tone is also pretty prevalent in the MCU Disney Plus series, it may seem as though this grittier and darker moment is what the MCU is going for in this phase. It makes this seem like a bit more of a grown-up version of the MCU, and that's a welcome change.
By far the strongest parts of this film come from the characters. These are really well-done characters that the viewer grows to love and care for. All of Natasha's family are a joy to watch. They're a source of both a lot of sad moments and comedic relief. Everything from the way they are written and developed, their dialogue, and of course the actors portraying them is impeccable. Florence Pugh as Yelena is especially a standout, in a character very different to the other women the MCU has introduced. Scarlett Johansson also flexes her acting muscles, living up to her own solo title. It's so refreshing and the characters are the main reason this story does not feel low-stakes at all. Though the audience knows what's going to happen to Natasha, they care about her family a lot by the end of the film and their cause also feels very important.
Many people come to the MCU for amazing action scenes. Black Widow's action sequences aren't to die for, but they aren't bad either. They're relatively standard, easy to look at and follow, but the editing as a whole in the movie is kind of lackluster. This is especially noticeable in the action scenes. In terms of violence, this film has a lot of it. While there's not a ton of blood, some of it is still very brutal and a little disturbing. This isn't unheard of for the MCU, but it's slightly unexpected.
The main problem with this film is the villain. It isn't that Taskmaster is a bad villain. It's actually very cool with a great twist on the bad guy. It's just that the villain as a whole sort of feels like an afterthought. So much of the movie is spent on this very intriguing backstory to Natasha herself and her family, that their mission becomes the least interesting part. If the villains had a bit more of a physical presence, it's possible that this could have been avoided.
It feels unfair to compare Black Widow to Captain Marvel simply because of the female protagonist, but it's hard not to. Especially because in terms of feminism, girl power, and creating a strong female character, this movie just does it so perfectly. It's not a cheesy, over-the-top "girl power" moment like in Captain Marvel or Avengers: Endgame. It's a really realistic hero that women can relate to because she has emotions and flaws and she makes mistakes. It's empowering in a way that doesn't feel convoluted or corny, which is what women have been asking for from the MCU since its existence.
There are times where Black Widow feels a little bit like filler or a one-off story, even though it's a good one, and that's obviously not ideal in terms of a franchise. However, the post-credits scene does kind of point the audiences in the direction of where it's going. Honestly, this movie makes Natasha's death hit even harder. Fans know her real story and her real trauma. They know her family, who are proven to love her. It's sad that she's gone. And it's sad that this didn't come out sooner so she could have been appreciated properly. This movie isn't perfect by any means, but it's enjoyable and it's a different kind of story from the MCU. Skeptics should definitely give it a try, and fans of this character will love it.
Black Widow is out now in theatres where open and streaming on Disney Plus with Premier Access
Black Widow
Black Widow is a film about Natasha Romanoff in her quests between the films Civil War and Infinity War. This is the 24th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first solo film for Black Widow, one of the original six Avengers. The character previously appeared in seven MCU films, including all four Avengers movies. Black Widow was originally scheduled for May 2020 but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.