Stream it on Disney+ (Premium access required through October 6).
Also, now playing in theaters.
The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) has reached something of an unusual nexus point. After a successful and entertaining ten-year build-up towards the epic and triumphant conclusion of the grand story (referred to as The Infinity Saga), many fans (including myself) started wondering where Marvel would go from here. After such a successful execution of an order as tall and massive as that, what else could Marvel really do to keep things fresh afterward? If Marvel had decided that it was time to call it a day and hang up the cape, I would have understood, as they have delivered some of my greatest movie experiences and fulfilled their promise of an emotionally resonating grand story. However, Marvel is not only successful in narrative and entertainment value; they are also financially successful. And in Hollywood, if something is guaranteed to make tons of money, potential expiration dates are entirely ignored.
I don't mean to give the impression that I dislike the MCU. I love most Marvel films and their related content, including their most recent shows, Falcon and The Winter Soldier (oh, wait, I'm sorry), Captain America and The Winter Soldier, and Loki. Marvel does appear to have a solid plan for more engaging stories even after their grand finale, which I am genuinely excited about; it's just a shame that their first major movie kicking it all off, Black Widow, isn't really up to the task of getting me excited for what comes next. It's not superhero fatigue, it's not a lack of enthusiasm on either side, and it's not due to a sudden and unexpected case of lackluster quality. If you ask me, it's all about bad timing and a story that should be significantly more interesting than it actually is.
For those who don't know or need a quick refresher, Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, is a Russian trained spy & assassin who defected to the United States to work for S.H.I.E.L.D: think the NSA but with superheroes. Anyway, part of her backstory is that she was enrolled in a special training outfit for young girls (referred to as The Widow Program) to function as human weapons for Russian officials. Long story short, Natasha escaped and proved her new loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D by taking down the director of The Widow Program. At least, she thought she did.
The story of the movie proper takes place sometime between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) is on the run from the government for her role in the events of Civil War. She finally seems to have successfully evaded the authorities and is prepared to hunker down for a while until something from her past reaches out to her. It turns out that Natasha's long-lost little sister Yelena (Florence Pugh), a fellow survivor of The Widow Program, is in trouble and needs her help. After a tough reunion, Yelena explains that the director of The Widow Program, a ruthless man named Dreykov (Ray Winstone), is alive and well. Even worse, he's continuing his plan of taking in young girls to train as weapons for the state, but now he's implemented brainwashing technology to ensure absolute obedience and loyalty. Now, Natasha and her little sister must team up to confront their troubled past and takedown Dreykov once and for all.
FYI, there are a few other elements to the narrative that I'm intentionally skipping over. Both to keep the summary of the film's story as short as possible and for the sake of those who are not regular followers of the MCU. What I have described is more or less the bare bones of the main plot.
The main attraction for this film is that it is the long-anticipated and much-desired solo film for Black Widow: Marvel Studios' most prominent female character who has been involved with this grand project pretty much since the very early days of Phase One. The only reason it has taken this long for her own movie to get made is that all of the non-creative suits at Marvel's corporate headquarters are still under the delusion that "women don't sell action figures." Because, as we all know, half of the world's disposable income is just not all that important (he said sarcastically)! While this film is much appreciated for at least finally delivering part of what we (the fans) wanted, its impact is somewhat diminished by its terrible timing and not-so-impressive presentation.
For those who don't know, in the last Marvel film, Natasha Romanoff heroically sacrificed herself as part of the Avengers' last-ditch effort to save the world from a powerful threat. Despite the fantastical events that transpired afterward, she did not survive. So, while it is wonderful that she finally has her own movie, it's not quite as engaging as it really should have been because we already know what happens to her later down the timeline. Imagine starting the film E.T. with the ending scene of returning to his home planet before proceeding with the film. There's not much in the way of high steaks or emotional investment when we already know the eventual outcome of the character.
Also, this is one of those Marvel films that isn't bad per se; it's just sadly underwhelming and not on par with what they have delivered so well in the past. It feels like the movie wanted to do too many things at once. Some subplots are introduced and concluded within minutes (resulting in too much confusion), plot twists towards the end with no sufficient prior build-up or satisfactory execution, and a constant shift in the balance between action and character development occasionally makes the film feel unfocused. Even the post-credits teaser is nothing special as it doesn't clue us into anything that we don't already know.
Despite these issues with the film, there are some parts of it I genuinely love. David Harbour, as Natasha's father, is, as always, hilarious and entertaining as ever. His natural charisma and lovable antics increase the entertainment value of every scene he's in. Also, Florence Pugh, as Natasha's little sister, is incredible: both in looks and in capability. She brings an organic sense of levity with a sarcastic behavior that I find endearing. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future, both in the MCU and other projects. Plus, the overall theme of what makes family and the importance of free will are always appreciated. Despite the overall mess, there are some worthwhile parts of this film.
I cannot in good conscience recommend this film, even to fellow fans of the MCU, because it sadly doesn't add anything substantial or all that exciting like it really should have. I know it partially suffered from the constant changes in release dates due to the pandemic (along with other acts of corporate arrogance). Still, even so, both Natasha Romanoff and we (the fans) deserved better than this! Here's hoping that things can only go up from here.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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