Black Widow (2021)
B- (82%)
Director: Cate Shortland
Cast: Scarlett Johanson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour Synopsis: Natasha Romanoff confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence/action, some language and thematic material) Runtime: 2 hr 14 min Release Date: July 9, 2021 After three delayed releases due to Covid-19, Natasha Romanoff is finally back--on both the big and small screen (theaters and Disney Plus) in Marvel's first official Phase Four film, Black Widow.
Scarlett Johansson, in a role that thus far has defined her career, finally gets her own solo film that fleshes out a bit of her past while giving us a (very brief) glimpse into the future. Here we find Romonaff teaming up with Yelena Bolova (Florence Pugh), Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) and Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) in order to bring down powerful Russian General Dreykov (Ray Winstone), who is somehow able to control thousands of Black Widows around the globe. Black Widow is the first Marvel film to be released in theaters since Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 2, 2019. We're talking over two years. And it's felt much longer than that. The pandemic wrecked movie theaters (including literally everything else), and only recently have we started seeing films come back to cinemas in glorious, full capacity. That said, with the addition of a multitude of streaming services like Disney Plus and HBO Max, we're seeing simultaneous streaming and theatrical releases, an increasingly controversial model that has led to the very Black Widow herself (Scarlett Johansson) suing Disney over lost profits at the box office. I for one am glad to be able to go back to the cinema and enjoy these high budget, special effects heavy films on the big screen, not my 55" screen at home. The first positive aspect of the film is for that very reason---there was a permeating sense of normalcy in seeing a superhero film back on the big screen. It had nothing to do with the aesthetic quality of the film itself, but just sitting down and being able to relax in this one-of-a-kind environment makes one think of the days before this pandemic forever changed our lives. And that already gave this film a leg up for me--it brought me back to those exciting days, weeks, and months leading up to Endgame. The film has a thrilling, dark, and suspenseful opening action sequence, culminating in a plane chase that immediately gets you on the edge of your seat for the rest of the film. And, in contrast to some of Marvel's other comedy-centered efforts like Thor: Ragnarok, this film has a darker approach, offering us serious subject matter and themes revolving around abuse, control, and tyranny. This was especially welcome, as I'm someone who prefers the more dramatic, serious Marvel films. Now, that isn't to say the film has no humor---no no, there is still plenty of that to go around here. And thankfully, most of the jokes and moments land. And from what you've probably already heard, most of that is thanks to newcomer Florence Pugh and her interactions with Black Widow and others in the group. It translates to a juggling act between the humor and dramatic moments, which are pretty well balanced. Although the film overall is an entertaining, enjoyable outing, Black Widow suffers from multiple angles. First and foremost, Marvel dropped the ball in not releasing this film 5 years ago when the events are actually taking place, as the film is set right after Captain America: Civil War (2016). By now in 2021, we know the epic, climactic events that happen in Endgame and we know what befalls Black Widow herself, and because of that there's a persistent feeling of events in the film being inconsequential. It's through no fault of the film itself---it's the fault of an extremely untimely release date. Had the film been released way back in 2016, one would be a lot more invested and interested about on-screen plot points. Another unfortunate aspect of the film is how it physically treats Black Widow herself. She's a superhero, yes, but she has no superpowers. Yet, she miraculously survives car crashes and insane drops and falls while walking away mostly unscathed. The sense of realism for her abilities and limitations that were present in superior previous films like Captain America and the Winter Soldier (2014) are gone here, and in place we have a hero (a human) that can supposedly survive anything. Marvel has made this mistake before, and it continues to push the button here. Another aspect that suffers is the character of Taskmaster. I won't spoil anything (so I'll keep this brief), but let's just say the character is completely silent and their identity is kept a secret until the last 20 min or so of the film. It's supremely disappointing, especially considering that the character is handled in a much more compelling fashion in the comics. Finally, two more characters are underutilized. First, the antagonist Dreykov, though powerful, is largely in the shadows and absent for the duration of the film, and his character (in true Marvel villain fashion) is one dimensional. Second, David Harbour's Shostakov/Red Guardian is largely sidelined and given little screen time to showcase his abilities, outside of a prison escape scene. It's a shame on both character fronts, considering how one can see the potential for so much more. In the end, Black Widow, though an undeniably entertaining and enjoyable return for Marvel and the theatrical experience, suffers from a painfully untimely release, unrealistic action moments for the title character, a disappointing Taskmaster, and underutilization of Red Guardian and the villain Dreykov. Ultimately, the film lands in the middle of the MCU cannon. If you love Johansson’s Widow and were one of those dying for a solo film years ago, you should still like this one, just don't go into it expecting one of Marvel's finest. Written by Anthony Watkins, August 8, 2021 |