"Black Widow" Review: Marvel's Return to the Movies

Platform: In Theaters, Disney+ Premiere Access

Release Date: July 9, 2021

As it premieres in theaters nationwide, "Black Widow" will end a 742 day (2 yrs, 12 days) streak without an MCU movie. That leaves this movie in a position that it was never meant to assume, as the flagship for welcoming audiences back to this universe, and I think "Black Widow" may be the perfect post-COVID MCU movie. I acknowledge that a film starring Scarlett Johansson's super-spy Avenger may have been better suited prior to her fate in "Avengers: Endgame". However, as opposed to what the internet wants you to believe, that does not discredit this as a credible MCU entry at the point of its release. This reminder always seems to strike a chord, but I'll say it again anyway, the MCU does not target comic fans, they are for everyone to share. I actually think having a recognizable hero, someone to which the general audience has already become well-acquainted, is the better strategy than having new heroes like Shang-Chi or the Eternals welcoming people through the door. Sometimes, it is not the end of someone's story that provides the closure, but, rather, somewhere in between.

On the run following her defiance against the Sokovia Accords, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) finds herself facing a past she thought she put behind her, permanently. When she discovers that the Red Room, the secret organization that runs the Black Widow program, is still up and running, Natasha reluctantly turns to her former team. Once considering them family, Natasha's reunion quickly becomes a fast-paced spy mission that exposes more about her past transgressions and becomes her ultimate fight for redemption. “Black Widow” is in the most unique place when compared to any of its predecessors. Since it is set prior to the end of the Infinity Saga, it does not have to weigh itself down with pushing the narrative of the MCU forward (not that it is completely void of this task). It is a solo movie that allows us time to sit with a character, and instead of working through the introductions of a typical origin movie, we sit with Natasha, a character with which we are already familiar. This is not about her origin and it is not about establishing her as an important member of the Avengers, nor is it “too late”. This is a tribute film to a character whose sacrifice saved the world and the legacy that she leaves behind.

That legacy begins and ends with Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) who brought the emotional range that she has honed in her very limited resume and proved her ability to stand on one of the biggest stages in the world. Yelena's character served as the glue between the movie's fast-paced action and the vulnerability of the movie's characters. Even in a limited capacity, she was able to show her range as a dramatic actor while still maintaining the hard-shelled nature of a Widow. She was the most enjoyable to watch on screen and the legacy of the Natasha's character seems well in good hands with Pugh at the helm. Both Rachel Weisz (Melina Vostokoff) and David Harbour (Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian) portrayed their roles well as Yelena and Natasha's makeshift parental figures. Harbour brought the bulk of the hard comedy, but neither appeared to bring much to elevate their roles past the support they provided. Which is completely fine, they movie was not set up to need Oscar winning performances from its supporting cast, just enough to break the potential blandness of an action film.

The main plotline of infiltrating the Red Room and all of the reveals and revelations that came with it was a cool use of the organization. It not only had deep ties to Natasha, which allowed her to also bring more emotional range, but it has potential dividends for the MCU's future. It is a small, intimate story that is in great contrast to the large event movies that encompassed the end of the recent phase. For some, this might feel very small in comparison, but not every challenge can be world ending and they are not always the most interesting. Tying the plot back to the “red” on Natasha's ledger was a strong full-circle storytelling element. The action scenes were some of the best from the MCU's library, but not quite up to the Winter Soldier standard, but still really good. The movie was paced well, but also does not play too long with exposition and has more action sets than I was expecting. A praise in one hand, but also a detriment in another. The movie relied on a lot of “movie magic” in its storytelling with the conveniences and lack of innovative reveals. Not to harp too much on them, but the fact that two vials of the antitode attached to the grenade didn't explode or the weird pheromone plot device they used to give Dreykov enough time to show his cards felt extra ridiculous.

On to the use and reveal of Taskmaster. All in all, I liked Taskmaster as an adversary, but she was used so sparingly that she did not feel too much like a threat. She attributed to some of the better fight sequences and helped elevate the fight scenes she was in, but was ultimately a secondary villain. It became obvious that Taskmaster would be revealed as Dreykov's thought to be dead daughter and it was not the worst change to the character origin (especially since I found myself worried it would be one of the big three: an android). It fit the narrative really well, but my problem comes with the resolution of the character just becoming another saved Widow. This is a tactical villain that should be given some legs in the MCU and if she is a one-off, or becomes a hero, it will be a disservice to the character's potential especially with how wasted she felt here.

At the end of the day, this movie serves as a welcoming gateway back to the MCU after two years away (for those not watching the Disney+ series) and I think it does a good job of bringing both the action and emotional element of the franchise. Not only that, but it closed the book on Natasha Romanoff's character by filling in the blanks accumulated over the years and left no stone unturned. It was highly enjoyable and brought a newfound level of depth to characters that represent both the past and the future. If you can't appreciate that and only care for “what's next,” then you probably won't care for much other than the end credit scene. It is not a top ten MCU film, but I do think it belongs in the middle of the pack, ahead of movies like “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” but not quite where the Spider-Man movies are. As I alluded to in the beginning, what I felt was most important was not how the comic community reacted to the film, but how the general audience would receive it. I happened to see the movie with one of those members and after I gave him my rating, he replied “I thought it was great,” and spreading that MCU cheer is what this is all about.

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RATING: 🕷️ 🕷️ 🕷️ 🕷️ / 5

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