Spoilers ahead...
Plot: The Origins of Black Widows and How Natasha Connects With it
Set some
time after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Natasha Romanoff
(Scarlett Johansson) is on the run for violating the Sokovia Accords, the same
accords on which most Avengers had different opinions. Hiding in a safehouse in
Norway, she is forced back into her past, one she believed was over after
killing Dreykov (Ray Winstone). Now, she’s on a mission to finish Dreykov and
his 'Red Room,' where he brainwashes young girls, turning the capable ones into
'Black Widows' while killing the rest.
Scarlett Johansson’s Solo Marvel Movie Came Too Late
One
wonders if this movie happened out of necessity or due to fanbase pressure.
Natasha deserved her own movie, but it should have come before the third Avengers
movie or even earlier. Watching it now, knowing Natasha is dead, ruins the
enjoyment, and Scarlett Johansson’s performance feels mentally drained, as if
she wasn’t contributing 100% to the role. This might be because the film itself
is a mess.
The start
is pretty good, establishing the fake parents of Natasha and Yelena Belova
(Florence Pugh)—Alexei (David Harbour) and Melina (Rachel Weisz)—with a lovely
use of "This Will Be the Day That I Die (American Pie)" while they
drive away from trouble. The scene where a young Natasha is told to help her
mom by getting the plane off the runway in a do-or-die situation is also
compelling. The opening credits track "Smells Like Teen Spirit," with
a montage of blurry, dark scenes showing the dirty world of Dreykov and the Red
Room, is very well captured and sets a mood I was hoping the entire movie would
maintain.
The way
the action set pieces are done—my favorite being the chase involving both
Natasha and Yelena—and how the villain Dreykov isn’t shown until the very end,
reminds me a bit of the last Bond movies.
Weak Climax and Over-stretched Natasha-Yelena Sister Drama
Where the
film could have excelled was by diving deeper into the 'Red Room,' showing what
exactly happens there in more detail, even if it went a little dark. The idea
of mimicking is introduced but never really utilized in the narrative. They
could have easily cut the first meet-and-fight scene between Natasha and
Yelena; there are many other ways to break the ice between characters. Even the
rescue mission where the sisters (not real) try to rescue Alexei was too
stretched for my liking.
The
climax was a mess too, yet that final credits scene showing Yelena grieving at
the loss of her sister was emotional to watch. The link to Clint felt
unnecessary, clearly meaning Yelena will go after him, even though it wasn’t
his fault that Natasha died.
As I said
earlier, I couldn’t enjoy Scarlett Johansson’s performance; her roles in other Avengers
movies combined would make for a better watch when it comes to Natasha’s
character. Florence Pugh was fun to watch, though her character also felt
half-baked. I did love her imitation of Natasha’s pose, which she finds
disgusting. Their little banter makes for a good watch. Her long reply to
Alexei regarding whether it’s that time of the month was hilarious too.
David
Harbour was disappointing; his comedy never really landed for me, which is
surprising given how much I love him in Stranger Things. Rachel Weisz
does get some good scenes at the start and then much later on when the family
reunion happens.
Verdict on Black Widow
Overall, Black
Widow turned out to be very disappointing and dull in parts, even more so
than Captain Marvel. Natasha surely deserved a better final movie
(ironically still her first). It’s hard to say what went wrong—whether it was
the wrong timeline to showcase Natasha’s solo movie or just the timing of the
release that made it not work.
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