‘Black Widow’ Film Review: You Can Always Count On Family

“I always found it best not to look into the past.”

This is a true spy thriller! Explosions, automobile chases, and a lot of action Black Widow has it all, and it doesn’t waste any time getting into it.

It makes you wonder why the Avenger took so long to earn her film and why she doesn’t have as many as the other founding members of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Overview

When a sinister organization with ties to her past surfaces, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), is forced to confront the darkest pieces of her past.

Marvel Is Evolving

Marvel has recently had more aesthetically gory fighting, such as in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It’s entertaining to watch! The early films felt more like Saturday morning cartoons, whereas the current feel genuine.

It’s not shocking to see someone get stabbed, and the killer viciously removes the weapon.

The action is consistent throughout, and I think I prefer it to most Marvel films, and the set pieces add to the excitement. It’s fairly common for people to fight with their hands or feet, yet they manage to keep it amusing!

Family Is Everything

Natasha’s relationship with the rest of her family is one of the best features of this film. Her sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), has some of the most enjoyable parts of the movie without question, and her relationship with her father only deepened my amusement.

When there isn’t much action going on, you can take comfort in knowing that you’re in excellent hands with Natasha’s family. 

Oh Marvel…

Most Marvel audiences, I believe, would point to the villains as one of the weaker components of their flicks. The antagonist isn’t great, and since this story takes place after Captain America: Civil War in 2016, we already know Natasha isn’t going to die here.

This takes away much of the tension especially in the final act. I was just waiting for things to play out like a typical end of a Marvel movie. Which is unfortunate because I believe that the rest of the film rises above many of the flicks that have come before it.

We Waited for This?

I hate to say it but the CGI can be pretty laughable at times in this film. Understandably there are many explosions that take place and most end up looking as they should. However, at certain times shots are very noticeably poor and they stick out like a sore thumb.

Conclusion

If you haven’t been to the movies in a long time due to the pandemic and want to see an action flick, this is a wonderful way to get back into it.

You don’t have to know everything there is to know about Marvel to enjoy this motion picture, and it will keep you engaged.

My eyes didn’t leave the screen much, from the bare-knuckled brawling to the exotic action set pieces. I remained engrossed, even when the film took its time and allowed the audience to catch their breath.

Natasha and her family are the stars of this film, and they dominate the show. It’ll make you wish we’d gotten to see them collaborate on more projects in the past.

Unfortunately, the primary antagonist is completely forgettable, and he was the sole reason I tuned out in the final act. I was just thinking to myself, “great, let’s get this over with,” which was not the emotion I hoped to have while watching the first Marvel film since Avengers: Endgame.

Another misstep is the occasionally awful CGI and bad shots. At times, the greenscreen will be more noticeable than the character in front of it. It’s obvious, and given that the film was meant to be released three times earlier, it screams laziness.

Lastly, this will go down as a good action film. It had its misses, but where it did well, it excelled.

Verdict 7.5 out of 10 Stars

Now available on Disney Plus!