Movie Review: Black Widow Finally Gets Her Moment To Shine
Watching Black Widow was like a watching a delayed Super Bowl; we have been wanting, for quite some time, to see the Widow shine. Yet, even though it is her film, you can’t help but feel like she isn’t the center, at least, not as much as she would have been had we not known she would die in the Infinity War and Florence Pugh would devour the screen as her “sister”: Yelena. Out July 9, the Black Widow returns bigger than ever but with the same problem she always had; she’s a powerful second with fans that want her to lead.
Scarlett Johansson’s role as Black Widow has made her an even bigger, icon ic international star. She was the fierce, human being that could kick ass with a sick silhouette and savvy. Yet, audiences always wanted more of her character, of which new characters were introduced with solo films before Widow was even considered for hers. Similar to Ant-Man, you walk into this movie thinking, “This would have been really nice 5 years ago.” By now Marvel has raised its stakes to literal, cosmic levels, of which Black Widow’s 007 feel is a grounded twist that is oddly refreshing, especially after the past 2 chaotic years. Of course, it has as many grandiose, random stunts as Jason Bourne joining the Fast And Furious franchise. The film delivers when it comes to highs, but it its humanity that seals the deal. The problem is that it is not, necessarily, Natasha Romanoff’s.
Now, I want to be clear: Black Widow is a good film and fulfills the desire of her fans to see more of her soul. By now, Johansson is set as a successful actor that can actually act, and she milks the few scenes we have with her caring for others like a family. We have her “father (David Harbour as Red Guardian) who brings a bright humor and lightheartedness that does well with Rachel Weisz’s Melina inherent, maternal warmth. With Yelena’s stoic wit and fiery fighting skills, you feel like Natasha has a makeshift nuclear family, which explains her dynamic with The Avengers. This is a woman whom all her life had to make a family from the professional group of spies and superheroes she worked with, and this film solidifies that truth in a beautiful, exciting storyline.
Maybe, I am getting sentimental as I don’t know if we will see Johansson as Black Widow again, but I never fully realized the underbelly of sadness and resilience of this character until this film. She is a child spy who became an adult spy that never knew love beyond how she could maneuver it through or out of a mission. There is a devout loneliness to her that Scarlett does well to relieve through her “family” and fantastic, gritty fight scenes. Directed by Cate Shortland with a screenplay by Eric Pearson, I can’t say that this film has a “big bad” as Taskmaster, the main villain, doesn’t really matter compared to what does: Natasha has a family, and I would love to see them all in more Black Widow/ Marvel films.
