Perhaps leaning more towards spy than superhero, ‘Black Widow’ is a solid and most entertaining addition to the big screen (and damn, does it feel good to say THOSE two words) summer calendar.
Great movie? Sure. Great MARVEL movie? Mmmmm…..not so sure.
Here’s the thing; Marvel fans have become accustomed to a lot of elaborate, jaw-dropping goodies for the senses – if Captain America isn’t in your face, beaning aliens with his magic shield, the Hulk is tearing apart real estate, Iron Man is rocketing by, etc., etc…..it’s loud and relentless delirium for those of us who used to read comic books with flashlights under the cover after bedtime.
‘Black Widow’, while certainly no slouch in the action department, is a little less ambitious in its presentation. When it DOES experience an adrenaline burst, it’s pretty darn good, but that shouldn’t come as a shocker – one of the original Avengers (and only woman on the team at the time), Black Widow is a fan favorite for a reason for Marvel faithful…she kicks serious butt. But the pulse pounding interludes are more spread out in Black Widow’s solo outing. It’s the screenwriters who seem do to the heaviest lifting here.
A prequel but not really a prequel (the film is primarily set in between ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and ‘Avengers: Infinity War’), we get to learn a little more about Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), her childhood and how she was separated from her sibling, Yelena (played by, in later years, the awesome Florence Pugh of ‘Fighting With My Family’). Thanks to the nefarious Dreykov (Ray Winstone) who works out of something called the ‘Red Room’, the sisters became one small piece of an army of ‘widows’ under mind control. Years later, it’s time for some unfinished business, with the ladies’ ‘father’, Alexei Shostakov a.k.a. The Red Guardian (David Harbour), adding not only a helping fist or two, but a ton of comedy relief as well.
Because we know the fate of Black Widow (spoiler alert for anyone who didn’t see ‘Avengers: End Game’….it’s not good), it’s a given that we won’t see any follow up solo outings for this particular hero, although two things to consider here; #1) This is the Marvel Universe, anything is possible, and #2) Yelena is a fantastic character, could we possibly see more of her? Maybe?
Again, it’s Marvel. You know the answer.
