Black Widow Movie Review: Worth The Wait?
Is Black Widow worth the wait? Or did they wait too long?
The quick and easy answer to that question is both. Black Widow is a highly entertaining action-packed thrill ride of a movie. But it is lacking in some areas because they waited so long to make the movie. So, what does this Marvel fan think of the movie? Black Widow is out now in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access. (Extra $29.99 charge.) Below is my full Black Widow Movie Review. FYI: It does contain slight spoilers.
My Black Widow Movie Review
Black Widow has a complicated history. (The character and the movie. Haha!) If you remember halfway through 2019 Marvel’s Endgame, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), A.K.A. Black Widow, sacrifices herself on Vormir so that the Avengers can get the Soul Stone. I cried, and if you are a Marvel fan I am sure you cried as well. It was a dramatic and emotional end for Natasha. I mean, all she ever wanted was to get rid of the red in her ledger dangit, and all I wanted was to know what happened in Budapest. Haha! While Black Widow is the best female-led addition to the MCU it is less about Natasha and more of a passing of the torch or Black Widow mantle.
Black Widow is, but isn’t about Natasha
Scarlett Johansson is, again, amazing as Natasha Romanoff in Black Widow, but the first disappointment is the movie isn’t about her. But wait! The movie is supposed to be about Natasha. That is what I thought and I am sure a bunch of people thought that, but sadly it isn’t. One could say this is one of the problems of releasing a movie out of the timeline, which is true, but on the flip side, the movie is really just a setup for other characters who will be in Marvel phase 4. Such as Yelena.
This makes Black Widow a mixed bag of emotions. For those who are fans of Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, it is a poignant look back at her quest for redemption, and a confirmation as to why she sacrificed herself on Vormir. (I mean watching the movie was like watching memories from a ghost.) For others, the movie is a glimpse of hope and excitement for a new Black Widow, Florence Pugh.
Stand out actors of the movie
Speaking of Florence Pugh. Again, Scarlett Johansson is billed as the main character of Black Widow, but Florence outshines her in EVERY SINGLE SCENE. This makes me feel slightly bad for Scarlett Johansson because she is supposed to be the focus and center of HER own character’s movie. Even David Harbour as Alexei/The Red Guardian outshines Scarlett! Florence and David have some of the best lines in the movie, and their acting is just far superior. While this excites me and gives me hope for the future of Marvel, again it is bittersweet.
Who is the real villian in Black Widow?
Another big disappointment in Black Widow is the villain. In trailers, and promo’s Taskmaster seems to be billed as the “villain”. Taskmaster is a fantastic villain character in the comics and I am sure many individuals got excited when we learned Taskmaster was going to be in Black Widow. I know I did, but the taskmaster in Black Widow is a dud. The real villain in Black Widow is The Red Room and Dreykov (Ray Winstone). It is not lost on me the correlation between Dreykov, how he runs the red room, and how women are thought of and treated around the world. At times the interactions between Natasha and Dreykov are a little creepy, but the intense scenes between Ray Winstone and Scarlett Johansson are some of the best scenes Scarlett has done as Natasha/Black Widow in the whole MCU.
Marvel’s Biggest Mistake – Waiting to long
Even though Black Widow disappointed me in some areas I still immensely enjoyed it, but by releasing Black Widow years after the death of Natasha Marvel made a big mistake. (It takes away from the movie and Natasha’s character.) If Black Widow had been released before Endgame fans would have had a deeper connection to her character. Making Natasha’s sacrifice in Endgame even more devastating. But I mentioned before, releasing it after Endgame made the movie less about Natasha and more about setting up all of the other characters in the MCU. So, my recommendation to you, if you want a bigger impact from Black Widow, watch it where it falls in the Marvel movie order. (After Captain America: Civil War, but before Avengers: Infinity War.)
My Rating
I give Black Widow an A- rating. While not the best Marvel film in the MCU it is the best female-led Marvel film, and the action is still jaw-dropping edge of your seat good. Florence Pugh and David Harbour’s performances are spectacular, and I am excited to see Pugh in future MCU projects. Black Widow is a great addition to the MCU and worth going to the theaters to see or paying to see it on Disney+ Premier Access. (It is so much better than Captain Marvel. You can read my review of that HERE.) But wait! There’s more! Make sure you stay till the end of the credits. There is an end-credit scene!
Black Widow Parent’s Guide
Is Black Widow ok for Kids to watch? Black Widow is rated PG-13 and feels very different from other MCU films. It has a heavier topic which comes with more adult jokes, language (some in Russian), and action/peril. I do not recommend it for young kids. But if your older child has watched Avengers: Age of Ultron then they should be ok with Black Widow.
I hope you enjoyed my Black Widow Movie Review. If you have seen Black Widow I would love to know your thoughts. Drop them in the comments!
Black Widow Synopsis
In Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller “Black Widow,” Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow, Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour portrays Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz is Melina.
