Black Widow – Movie Review
Follow Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Director: Cate Shortland
Distributor: Disney
Duration: 133 minutes

Black Widow – Movie Review

Site Score
7.0
Good: Cast chemistry
Bad: Generally feels a bit pointless
User Score
8.0
(1 votes)
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Rating: 8.0/10 (1 vote cast)

Even though Loki is still closing in on its conclusion, we have the next Marvel experience lined up for you. Black Widow, which will release in theatres around the globe on the 7th of July or via Disney+ VIP access on the 9th of July, has finally reached our doorstep. While there were a few questionable choices thrown into the mix, we did very much enjoy the experience as a whole, but more as an in-between snack, waiting for the main course. We can right off the bat say that we do commend how well the cast performed and fleshed out their characters within the limited time span of the film.

To prevent too many spoilers, as requested, we’ll stick to the basics when it comes to the story of Black Widow. While not exactly an origin story, we do get to learn a bit more about Natasha’s (Scarlett Johansson) past, what she endured and who her ‘family’ was. The movie itself takes place after the events that unfolded in Civil War, when Black Widow was no longer an Avenger and had to go into hiding. Even though she finds a remote place to stay low thanks to a friend, she immediately finds herself knee-deep into a situation concerning her ‘sister’ Yelena (Florence Pugh). It seems that her past is catching up with her, and those who suffered the same gruesome fate as her are actually still enduring it, or even experiencing worse.

The flow of the movie is somewhat odd, especially seeing you know that Black Widow still appears in movies that depict events later on the MCU timeline. Because of this, a certain suspense factor has been removed from the experience, as you know she won’t get truly ‘hurt’ in the film. That being said, after a very slow introduction, the movie picks up the pace and actually becomes quite enjoyable. The dynamic between the aforementioned family members also feels quite natural and amusing, albeit somewhat shallow at times. We feel like a lot had to be crammed into this movie, and that it should have actually been released in between Civil War and Infinity War. The very slow start also does not help to convey all the necessary information or character development. The latter is still decently done, considering this is supposed to be a standalone story. While enjoyable, and still worth a watch, it somewhat feels redundant and pointless at times to have this movie release at this point in time. Even though we do want to avoid going too political in our reviews, we have to say that the entire ‘Russian-bad-guy’ theme was laid on a bit too thickly, knowing Disney basically does everything in its power to please China, which doesn’t really have a better regime.

Acting performances were top-notch, and the cast even indulges themselves into some self-mockery at times. The characters don’t shy away from dealing a few low blows to Natasha when it comes to her career choices (joining the Avengers) or even her iconic pose and hair flick. It also shows that she has evolved as a character from being a piece of eye candy, to a valuable member of the team. We do notice a bit of a somewhat now-typical girl power theme in the movie, but it’s actually presented in a fairly pleasant way. We mainly see Scarlett Johansson in the limelight, but accompanying her are Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz and David Harbour. Each is sporting a proper character on the Russian side of the fence, to actually add a lot of ‘good vibes’ to the story when they are all acting in the same scenes together.

Conclusion

Black Widow is definitely not the best Marvel movie in the MCU. It is even held back because of its unfortunate time of release. That being said, it is a very enjoyable action flick with strong leading characters and a lot of heartfelt moments about family. The movie is at its best when it doesn’t take itself too seriously, mocks certain scenes from other MCU films, and even during the family moments that hit close to home. While you won’t be getting the most amazing Marvel experience here, it is a fun entry in its ever-expanding library of films.

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Rating: 8.0/10 (1 vote cast)
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Black Widow - Movie Review, 8.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating
Ibuki


Aspiring ninja.

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