Black Widow Movie Review
Nathan Swank
July 1st, 2021
Scheduled for release in the spring of 2020, BLACK WIDOW has been patiently waiting for COVID to go away and theaters to reopen for over a year. Well, COVID isn’t completely gone, but many of us who are vaccinated have helped businesses start making their money again. I am thrilled to have had my first back in theater experience to be Disney and Marvel’s BLACK WIDOW.
Set just after the events of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, The Avengers who aren’t jailed, in space, or on the side of Tony Stark, are on the run. One might say the Avengers were on a “break.” With Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) heading up a government track down and arrest of the remaining Avengers, Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), is attempting to hideout and keep a low profile. But that is short lived, as Natasha’s tumultuous past and history as a spy before becoming an Avenger comes back to haunt her. Natasha must confront broken relationships and unfinished business that has spiked to worldly danger and will stop at nothing to bring her down.
Action-packed with more of a spy thriller angle set in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe for those who somehow still aren’t in the know), BLACK WIDOW plays out more like a Bourne or Mission: Impossible film. At one point we even see a Bond film playing on a TV, which is definitely more of the style this film is geared toward. However, like all Marvel films, we have a bit of humor mixed with big action pieces, making BLACK WIDOW a terrifically fun ride.
What I truly appreciate about BLACK WIDOW, is how it references The Avengers, Natasha’s role as not one of the powerhouses, and why this particular dilemma has flown under the radar so to speak. Don’t get me wrong, like all superhero movies, there are a few head-scratching moments in story and action, but BLACK WIDOW is able to breathe and have fun with itself. Some of the family dynamic is particularly funny and touching, bringing humor and heart to an otherwise typical action film.
Once again, I’ve been sworn to secrecy by the studio, but I’m not sure why. BLACK WIDOW doesn’t contain any major reveals of anything too shocking. In fact, the story is mostly inconsequential to the grand scheme of things since it takes place before all of the Thanos death and destruction. Nonetheless, we get to deepen a character who we have all loved for quite some time with a few added characters played wonderfully by Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, and David Harbour. Of course, sticking around for the obligatory end-credit sequence will prove helpful connecting this to future projects.
While BLACK WIDOW is definitely not on the top tier of MCU films, and may not even be that memorable, it is another solid entry as a great way to kick off Phase Four and enjoy a fun-filled summer movie in the theater once again. I know that experience alone helped enhance my enjoyment level.
[fbcomments]
