Scarlett Johansson premiered as Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2 in 2010. Considering all the other Avengers, at the time; had their own solo films, I had assumed Black Widow was next. Years went on and we saw plenty of other solo movies, but none for one of the original Avengers. Then, Avengers: Endgame came and Natasha sacrificed herself to help save the world. It was then we knew we were getting a solo movie – a prequel that felt as if it was just a consolation prize.
Slight Spoilers
Then, we had to wait even longer with the pandemic pushing everything to later dates. Now, with the world seemingly starting to go back to “normal”, we’ll finally be getting the Black Widow film on July 9th. As someone who was able to see it early, I have to say that this is a prequel that was well worth the wait. It may be a little bittersweet considering we know we won’t see Natasha again, but it was a well-done story regardless.
When they originally showed the previews for Black Widow, I felt that we were finally returning to something similar to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. While I love all MCU films, I always felt The Winter Soldier broke the mold. I looked forward to another spy thriller that was full of espionage, secrets, and took on a more real-world feel. While Black Widow does that, it is also something on its own.
A Story About Family
Without giving too many spoilers away, the Black Widow movie begins with a theme that is all too real in today’s world. The film touches upon missing children, human trafficking, and evil people taking advantage of the most vulnerable kinds of people – little kids. The movie doesn’t start with capes or space or anything like that. It starts with a seemingly normal family who are anything but. It’s young Natasha Romanoff, Yelena, Alexei, and Melina. Nothing really ties them together other than duty, yet we can all feel that there’s something very real between them all.
Fast forward and we see Natasha after the events of Captain America: Civil War. These scenes remind us why Natasha deserved to be in the Avengers. She may not have had powers or a fancy suit, but she was resourceful and always steps ahead of everyone else. Though tactical and raised to be cold-blooded, Johansson shows us the complexity and warmness of this character. The same character who sacrificed her own life so the world could have theirs back.
Yelena and Natasha’s Motives Are Grounded
I think what Black Widow did brilliantly really displayed how much a person is affected by how they’re treated as children. And how much Natasha and Yelena wanted to make sure that didn’t happen to anyone else. There was plenty of humor in the film, but the movie never stopped being a commentary on how answers and closure are necessary for someone’s healing process. We can see how their upbringing was especially hard on Yelena, who really carried a lot of the emotional scenes in the film.
Florence Pugh Is a Standout
Let’s really talk about Yelena. Florence Pugh is an absolute standout in this film and I’m really looking forward to seeing more of her in the MCU. Pugh and Johansson are perfect together and they’ve really crafted a believable sisterhood that – while there’s a lot of hurt – there’s also a lot of love. Their interactions are raw, powerful, and at times, quite humorous. What I really loved about this movie is that it wasn’t afraid to be blunt and real about the trauma that these young girls go through at the Red Room.
So Is David Harbour
Another standout in Black Widow is David Harbour as the Red Guardian. It should come as no surprise that Harbour will probably capture the hearts of many. As Alexei Shostakav, he was complicated. It was as if he was equal parts silly, serious, dangerous, nurturing, selfish, and slightly self-absorbed. I think it was very obvious that Alexei cared for his made-up family, but perhaps got caught up in his own notoriety that he did not bother to consider how his decisions would affect the lives of Yelena and Natasha. There are times where you almost want to be mad at Alexei for being so inconsiderate, but perhaps this comes from a place of not wanting to admit one’s mistakes. Their reunion is a very enjoyable one – choreographed perfectly.
All in All
The Black Widow movie had some great action scenes and moments that really had your heart racing. There were some great swerves and just like any good spy thriller, you can’t always trust everyone’s intentions. I will say that there are one or two moments that are a little “convenient” and maybe some people won’t be happy with the character Taskmaster. Since I’m not a comic book reader and have no ties with this character, I did not mind the reveal.
Rating: 4/5
Black Widow may not be better than The Winter Soldier, Thor Ragnarok, or Avengers: Infinity War, but it’s still a great prequel, a great standalone, and will be a memorable movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, Natasha Romanoff deserved her own film long ago, but I’m glad we got one. And I’m glad it was this story. This way, we can see that you don’t need special powers to make a difference to the vulnerable. And I look forward to seeing these characters again, especially Pugh as Yelena.
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