Marvel’s Black Widow | Film Review

2021 is the year where Marvel finally takes the wickedly powerful female characters of the MCU and shows their potential, heart, and ability to captivate audiences. Black Widow’s triumphant return to the big screen parallels the dark storyline with the real-life horrors of human trafficking, domestic violence, and historical female oppression.

Set after Civil War, Natasha Romanoff is on the run from breaking the Sokovia Accords and receives a mystery package from her sister, Yelena (the fabulous Florence Pugh, Midsommer), whom she hasn’t seen in years. Yelena shakes Natasha’s world when she tells her that Romanoff’s biggest defeat, releasing her from the grips of Dreykov as a super assassin, survived the hit. With Dreykov (Ray Winstone) still alive, more and more Black Widows are ripped from their homes and subjected to rigorous training or killed if they can’t cut it.

The package in question could be the key to breaking these girls and women worldwide free, so Yelena and Natasha team up with their former secret Russian spy “parents”; Melina played by the ageless Rachel Weisz, and Alexei, Marvel’s Red Guardian, portrayed by the magnificent David Harbour. What ensues is 2 hours of bonkers jokes, tremendously choreographed fight scenes, and heartfelt reflection as the team goes to take down the “big bad”.

I’ll admit that a Black Widow movie – after we all watched her emotional, sacrificial death in Marvel’s Endgame – was something I felt I didn’t need at all. Honestly, Scarlett Johansson’s character was rarely given anything worthwhile to do and it made her seem so secondary. Simply existing to further the arcs of the “bigger, badder” superheroes. Hence why I was hardly interested. But most MCU films are worth the theater viewing, so I gave it a go, and despite a few complaints, I’m happy that I did.

Seeing Black Widow in a busy theater with fresh popcorn is the way to go. It has been so long since we’ve experienced a big Marvel blockbuster in theaters and that’s an experience that summer doesn’t feel complete without. As a woman, watching every badass character on screen be a female, a film directed by a woman (an indie filmmaker, no less), and a story that strives to empower women in many fashions, truly felt like an experience all in itself. The even better thing is it’s a film for EVERYONE, it just makes it a little more special for women. 

Scar-Jo is our lead but she’s not our only standout. Florence Pugh as Yelena adds a depth of unexpected comedy and the perfect brat sister to counter Romanoff. Mockery of Natasha’s Avengers pose and hair flip is a bold choice given Johansson is an executive producer, but is a running joke in Black Widow that will be stuck in your mind the next time you do a rewatch. Yelena and Natasha haven’t seen each other in nearly two decades, yet they bicker and fight like every close sibling pair does.

There is an underlying thematic question of what qualifies someone as family, between the sisters fighting and them trying to adjust to the reality that their Russian operative “parents” were fake. Yet, the only family they’ve ever known. Alexei fully believes he did all the right things, just never received his true claim to fame like Captain America did, adding heart to the boob that is Harbour’s super soldier. This addition to the script is sweet and realistic, as many parents face the moment where their sweet little tot grows up to do bigger and better things than them (isn’t that the goal, anyhow?). While Melina’s loyalty becomes questionable, Rachel Weisz is a charming and believable scientist, even if her Russian accent is basically nonexistent.

Aside from some in-and-out accents, the biggest downfalls are the villains. Dreykov is a monster and deserves for audiences to see him as much, but Winstone and the writing of this character let us down. A good villain makes us believe THEY believe in what they’re doing. Dreykov says he does, however, Winstone’s caricature of a baddie is cringey at worst, unfortunate at best. 

And then there’s Taskmaster. Oh man – the comic fans will revolt! Drastic changes have been made to Taskmaster and I’ll mostly have to leave it at that to avoid spoilers. Does it play well for the film? Absolutely. Will it bode well with fans of the comic character and pay it proper tribute? Welp, I’m afraid you’ll have to go see Black Widow in theaters to confirm your opinion. 

What I enjoyed most about Black Widow is how grounded it is and the allegories made. While much of the plot is driven through advanced technology, the concept of little girls being ripped from their homes, sold to a Russian empire to become brainwashed, trained assassins is incredibly real. Women and children have been taken advantage of for decades upon decades in our real-world, exploited for various purposes including becoming child soldiers. This real-world parallel makes Black Widow resonate with audiences on a much deeper level.

Director Cate Shortland proves to Marvel and audiences alike that she’s got what it takes to build a powerhouse of a blockbuster. Having a talented cast and a big budget doesn’t guarantee you success, it still requires skill. And the challenge of going from indie filmmaking to big-budget filmmaking comes across so natural for Shortland. Not to mention, there are so many sexy butt shots, you’ll feel like you’re in a Michael Bay film (but not in a bad way). 

If you’re debating whether to see Black Widow, wait no longer. I don’t know about you, but I’m always in the mood to watch kick-ass women move through stunt choreography like a dance battle. 

Black Widow is now in theaters worldwide and on Disney+ for an additional charge
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, and David Harbour
Screenplay by Eric Pearson
Directed by Cate Shortland

Follow our further discussion on Black Widow via this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: