Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy, and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Director: Cate Shortland
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, Rachel Weisz
Release Date:
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence/action, some language and thematic material
Runtime: 2h 13min
Review:
Black Widow, directed with a meticulous hand by indie director Cate Shortland, is an engaging spy thriller/family drama that's far more grounded than most Marvel movies. Scarlett Johansson's long overdue solo outing feels a bit like a film displaced in time, you get the strong sense this film should have come out much earlier. Being sandwiched between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers Infinity War allows the stakes to less grand and more personal. That being the case, the film is able to focus on her character and relationships on a more granular level while still delivering massive action set pieces. This makes the film's first half feel more like a Mission Impossible/Bond mash up than a straight up superhero film. It also benefits from more organic banter and interactions which is due in no larger part to the stellar cast assembled. Johansson wears this character like a second skin at this point but she's able to bring some more nuance and vulnerability to her performance here. It'd have been easy for her to phone in her performance, but you get the sense she really cares about this character and cares about her legacy in this universe. Her costars deliver equally strong performances even if the script is clunky on more than a few occasions. Florence Pugh delivers a fun and memorable turn as Natasha's "sister" Yelena Belova. Pugh's wry wit and spunk really shines through her entire performance. It's a perfect showcase for an immensely talented actress who looks to be taking over the mantel from Johansson. Pugh and Johansson have natural chemistry together and they serve as the beating heart of the entire film. David Harbour is perfectly cast as Russian super solider who's more brawn than brains. Rachel Weisz is sadly underutilized but she makes the most of her scenes since she's clearly acting well above the material. Ray Winstone's villain isn't asked to do much more than talk menacingly and look vaguely greasy which leaves the finale lacking the cathartic kick it's meant to have. Instead, it does what most Marvel movies do, and become a long CGI action sequence which is well choregraphed but becomes mildly numbing by the end since we know how it'll all end. There in is the main problem with the film, had Marvel made and released this film after Captain America: Civil War it would have amplified the emotional impact of the character's ultimate sacrifice in Avengers Endgame. Ultimately, Black Widow is a well-made spy thriller that fleshes out her character on a personal level but still feels like a missed opportunity.
B
