If you asked me a year ago whether I was excited for Black Widow, I would have answered “no.” I didn’t plan on seeing the film. I was once the ultimate Marvel fanboy, having seen both the midnight premieres of The Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). However, after watching Captain America: Civil War (2016) in theaters, the franchise lost its magic for me. Each installment felt like retread territory. I didn’t see Doctor Strange (2016) or Black Panther (2018) when they first came out in theaters, but chose instead to wait until they were available ‘on demand.’ Finally, after enjoying Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), I knew that I was officially over the franchise. I was satisfied with the overall narrative arc of the universe and thought future installments would be extraneous.
Then WandaVision was released on Disney+. It was a glorious introduction to Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Quirky and heartfelt, funny but still exciting, the series was unlike any other MCU product I had watched before. Could this show be indicative of where the franchise, including the films, was headed? I decided to give Black Widow a shot, hoping that this would be the case.
I should have realized that just because something is successful on television does not mean that it will be translated to film. Unfortunately, Black Widow is a tired, familiar film that is a step backward for the MCU. There is nothing glaringly offensive or noticeably bad about the film; it is just boringly competent and easily forgettable.
The unoriginality of the film is even more disappointing given that the premise had potential. Fans have been begging for a Natasha Romanoff origin story or solo film since the moment she was introduced in Iron Man 2 (2010). Despite lacking superhuman powers, Natasha (a.k.a. Black Widow) is one of the most colorful, complex Avengers, from her sharp wit to her uncanny ability to extract information from any source. My favorite moments of The Avengers are often whenever Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson) is on screen.
The opening sequence featuring Natasha’s childhood underscores how good this film could have been. It is highly reminiscent of the critically acclaimed television series The Americans, in which Soviet spies pose as an American family to steal government secrets from the U.S. during the Cold War. As a young girl, Natasha is forced to live in the Ohio suburbs with a fake family comprised of another girl named Yelena and two adults posing as their parents. After the adults accomplish their covert mission, the group is forced to flee the country. The scene feels like it belongs to a fresh, inventive spy movie. Everything is shrouded in Cold War-esque secrecy, and it is fun to slowly glean the truth about the family being spies. I also loved how Natasha interacted with her temporary family. It was heart-wrenching to watch her give up everything she began to love in the U.S. and return to the Soviet Union.
To Black Widow’s credit, the film understands the talent and dynamics of Natasha’s fake Ohio family and makes them the primary focus going forward. Natasha teams up with Yelena and eventually enlists her former parents to destroy the organization that forced her to be a spy. The family-like interactions among different characters between action sequences are cute and hilarious, but still feel realistic thanks to stellar performances from the A-List cast. In particular, the chemistry between lead actresses Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh (the adult Yelena) is amazing. The two actresses convincingly act as sisters from the moment they first share the screen, and their bickering and playful teasing make otherwise bland scenes memorable. I couldn’t stop laughing during the scene where Yelena makes fun of Natasha’s iconic “Black Widow pose.” David Harbour and Rachel Weisz, who portray Natasha’s parent figures, are also quite endearing, although I wish Weisz had more screen time.
The film fails, however, to maintain the momentum from its opening scene and to fully utilize its excellent cast. The bulk of the story unfortunately feels like a cut-and-paste superhero action film. The rapid editing and staging of action scenes clash with the less flashy opening and could easily have been mistaken for a Captain America movie. The primary villain is a goofy, cartoonish mess with no compelling motive besides the tired trope of trying to control the world. And of course, the most climactic scene is a film cliché that involves the main characters rushing to escape a structure as it explodes.
But the film’s most disappointing problem is that none of its events hold any weight. A majority of viewers will almost certainly know Natasha’s fate (spoiler alert!) having already seen Avengers: Endgame, which takes place after the events of Black Widow. Any tension is evaporated simply by the fact that the audience knows Natasha must live past these events. While the audience does learn to love new characters, specifically Yelena, the film is focused on Natasha and ultimately feels pointless.
If Black Widow had been released after Captain America: Civil War, my opinion of the film likely would have been more positive. Back then, a female-driven superhero movie would have felt well-timed instead of pandering. Knowing Natasha’s fate wouldn’t have been an issue because it wasn’t decided yet.
The truth may be that Disney realized too late that a Black Widow film could sell well. The film was produced and foisted on viewers long after it made sense to do so. Both Natasha Romanoff and the viewers deserved better. Still, if you are a diehard MCU fan, Black Widow has enough moments to not be skipped.
Grade: B-
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