Black Widow Movie Review

Glad to have you back, Marvel! We've missed you! Black Widow, the first and presumably only solo movie to feature Scarlett Johansson's character of the same name from the various Marvel Cimematic Universe movies, is one of the more infamous cases of a movie getting delayed time and time again due to the pandemic. Thanks to finally convincing Marvel Studios to do day-and-date releases on Disney+ Premiere Access, though, the film got its theatrical release after about four trailers and, from my experience, being advertised before every (and I mean EVERY) movie that was released in theaters. So, on one hand, I'm always one to rush out to see every Marvel movie, but on the other hand, the overstretched advertising campaign did put me in a lull. (Side note: A similar scenario is still ongoing with No Time to Die.) But with that said, how does the actual film hold up?

My Quick Thoughts on the MCU

Short and sweet: I love these movies. I have seen all of the movies in theaters, I have all of the Blu-Rays, and even when a lesser movie like Thor Ragnarok comes around (I know what I said, and I stand by it!), I still keep that track record because I love following these characters and these stories so much! My favorite of the movies, as well as one of my favorite movies in general, is Avengers: Infinity War. My favorite solo movie is Doctor Strange. I don't really consider any of the movies bad, but the least good for me are Thor: The Dark World and The Incredible Hulk. As far as I'm concerned, though, these movies (and Disney+ shows, side note) are still going strong, and if Black Widow is any testament, they'll continue to be strong.

The Story

After a prologue from 1995, the film kicks off immediately after the events of Captain America: Civil War where Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, played again by Scarlett Johansson, as she is on the run from the U.S. government. Things get complicated, though, when her adoptive sister, Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh, sends her a package that indicates that she needs her help taking down an old enemy. From there, they go off to retrieve their old "family", including their "father", Alexei, previously known as the Red Guardian, played by David Harbour, so they can get what information they need to accomplish their mission.

What's Good About It

Scarlett Johansson is Great as Always

What can I say? She has sold the role just as much as the rest of the Avengers cast. When she needs to be funny, she can be funny. When she needs to be emotional, she sells that really well. What else can you say? She is Black Widow.

David Harbour is Great Too

Harbour was already a standout actor as Hopper in Stranger Things, and here, he's great as both the emotional father-not-father who is trying to connect with his daughters but also aware of his past mistakes and hilariously as the previously famous superhero being overshadowed by Captain America. Again, he sells both roles perfectly.

The Trailers Did Not Give Too Much Away

Again, this is one of those movies that had to restart its marketing campaign four times, and in those campaigns, I was afraid that we would see too much of the movie before seeing the actual movie (as we had with last week's F9). Luckily, there was still a substantial number of surprises in this film. The biggest giveaway from those trailers was Black Widow's white suit. That's impressive. 

Other Bits:

-The Action is Well Constructed

-The Cinematography is Gorgeous

-(Most of) the Rest of the Cast Does Good Too

What Doesn't Work About It

Florence Pugh is Bland in This

I remember all of the tweets I kept reading saying that Florence Pugh was this standout actress, does a phenomenal job, amazing performance... And then I see her in the actual film, and all I saw was the same facial expression throughout the film, and all I heard was the same monotone voice. On top of that, a huge amount of her dialogue is exposition. It probably wouldn't bother me as much if not for the hype behind it. Like, this is supposed to be the standout performance of the movie?

Other Bit:

-Every vehicle crash in this is CGI

Where Should You See It? In Theaters (in 2D)

This should be a no brainer. The movie has all of the spectacle and high-octane action that Marvel has been known for bringing to the big screen. If you can, see it in theaters! (Side note: My theater had a few 3D screenings, and nothing about the film stood out as needing to be seen in such a premium format. Stick to the 2D.)

Overall Thoughts

Marvel once again brings us the movie magic with Black Widow. I can't call it one of my absolute favorites, but it was still surprising how good it was and a ton of fun. And if this is Scarlett's last outing in the MCU, then I wish her well and thank her for getting one last movie to us (and if not, I look forward to more in the future).

My rating: