Black Widow Review
One of the least anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films has turned out to be the one we’ve had to wait the longest for. It was due to be released in spring 2020 but the Covid-19 pandemic forced the release date back to July 2021. We’ve had plenty of TV shows to keep us occupied on Disney+, but was the wait for the next big film worth it?
The film follows Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson) as she’s on the run following the Avengers fall-out in Captain America: Civil War. It’s a story we knew nothing about until now, as the next time we see her, she’s busy saving the world from Thanos. Apart from the odd line or flashback, we’ve been given very little information about Natasha Romanov’s history. Aside from being a spy with a shady past, we don’t know an awful lot about the character before she joined S.H.I.E.L.D. It’s perhaps why fans have generally struggled to feel a connection with the character, but this movie does a decent job at rectifying that.
We learn about Black Widow’s childhood, from her birth mother abandoning her, to being part of a Soviet spy programme with a fake family, and being trained as an assassin in the Red Room. A lot of her early life was chosen for her, and she seemed to have no free will. Ever Anderson plays a young Natasha so well that you are immediately drawn to her in a way viewers haven’t been in previous MCU films. We not only see her strength, but also her vulnerability as she tries to protect her little sister, Yelena Belova (played by Violet McGraw) from the Red Room.
When the two sisters reunite as adults, it’s clear straight away that they’ve lost any ounce of trust they once had in each other. Yelena (played by Florence Pugh) has the same resilience and strength as her older sister, but with a little more humour and sarcasm thrown in, and we’re yet to find out where her morals lie. The way their relationship adapts in front of our eyes has you gripped all the way to the post-credits scene. Anyone with a sibling can relate to the complex, difficult, and loving relationship you experience — often all at the same time — although maybe with less near-death experiences.
We’re also introduced to their father figure, Alexei Shostakov — AKA Red Guardian (played by David Harbour) and their mother figure, Melina Vostokoff (played by Rachel Weisz). They’re by no means likeable characters, but it’s clear to see how each of them influenced both Romanov and Belova, and they prove crucial to the mission the group embarks upon.
The villain, Dreykov (played by Ray Winstone) is reminiscent of men that have been outed in the #MeToo movement. He’s an old, white, weak man with a lot of power. He uses that power to abduct and abuse young girls, eventually making concoctions to keep them under his spell. In some ways, he’s the most realistic and dangerous villain we’ve seen in an MCU film, and yet he’s one of the least memorable. That’s by no means an insult to the character, he has to live in the shadows to keep his operation alive, and so he has to be the opposite of a Joker-type villain who craves attention.
The film ultimately fills in the blanks of Black Widow’s life. It feels like it not only teaches us more about the character, but puts her story to bed and gives us — and her family — closure. If anything, it’s a shame we didn’t see more of this in previous MCU movies, perhaps many of us would have warmed to the character more.
This film is by no means the best work MCU has ever done, but it was never going to be after the likes of Avengers Assemble, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. However, it is leaps and bounds above the flops such as Thor: The Dark World and The Incredible Hulk. It’s an enjoyable adventure with some genuinely sweet moments, and Black Widow is a character deserving of having her story told. If anything, it exceeds expectations, even if those expectations were a little low to begin with.
Hannah Parker
