Black Widow (2021)

 

For reasons which we all would like to forget, this film got pushed back pretty extensively, as cinema theatres were closed for quite some time. Not only that, but it is a real shame that this one wasn't made earlier, as it fits perfectly right before the events of 'Avengers: Infinity War', but hey: you can't win them all, I suppose? And people often jest that characters like Hawkeye and Black Widow are less marketable, because they are some of the few 'regular' humans among the various gods and demigods in this universe, but see: that actually makes them more interesting as they can hold their own against superpowered beings. 

Hah!

This might also be the reason why this one is, for the most part, more akin to a spy film and less an over-the-top action extravaganza, even if it does devolve into that in the final act. A bit of a shame, really, as this one could have been even better. Not that it is bad, not in the least. It is actually one of the more enjoyable romps in this cinematic universe thanks to certain characters and the actors portraying them with gusto. 

The first act is spot on: we start off in Ohio (of all places!) where a young Natasha and Yelena live a fairly normal life, until their father comes home and they have to run away all of a sudden. Turns out this family is a plant by the Russians to spy and they end up in Cuba, where the girls are ruthlessly taken away from their fake parents and each other by soldiers under the command of general Dreykov, later to be used in the Black Widow programme. This is designed to turn young girls into lethal assassins, as we have already learned from previous Marvel adventures. 

Cut to present day where Natasha Romanoff is running away from Shield following the events of 'Civil War'. She gets contacted by her younger stepsister Yelena Belova, who now knows that the Black Widows are mind-controlled through chemicals and she can use some sort of gas to free this hold. Natasha also discovers that Dreykov is still alive and now the hunt for him and the location of the infamous Red Room is on. They break out their so-called father Alexei (aka the Red Guardian) and head out to their surrogate mother Melina in order to bring justice to the girls and some peace of mind for themselves. But they soon discover that the lethal assassin known as Taskmaster is on their trail and the plot thickens... 

For the most part, this could be considered typical Marvel stuff, but some things endear me to this one more than others. Scarlett Johansson of course does her job well, but it is newcomer Florence Pugh who steals the show as Yelena. She is such an engaging character, because she is sarcastic and funny and it just fits. Really: some of her comebacks and remarks in this film are not only side-splittingly hilarious, but incredibly on point as well. The more standard comic relief is David Harbour as Red Guardian. He's fun, but a little predictable at times. Also: how great is it to see Rachel Weisz again? I know she has been acting quite a bit, but it's been a while since she was in something as action oriented as this since probably 'The Mummy'. 

The more disappointing bits come near the end. Ray Winstone is a great actor, but his portrayal of Dreykov is just a bit too blandly 'villainous general' to truly be engaging. It doesn't help that the final act does devolve into an 'everything blows up' spectacular, complete with a battle and stunts in the sky. A shame, because most of the rest of this film plays up the spy-part really well. Check out the shoot-out in the apartment between Natasha, Yelena and several Black Widows and tell me this doesn't have elements of latter day James Bond or Jason Bourne. 

In the end, 'Black Widow' is an enjoyable sendoff for Scarlett and hopefully a nice start for Florence in the MCU. One would hope they keep her character as snarky as she is here, because it really works. Of course, if you like Marvel, this is a must watch. Otherwise, just give it a go. You might enjoy it.