Arts & Entertainment
Marvel Is Back On The Big Screen With 'Black Widow'
Find out what we thought about the highly-anticipated superhero film starring Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz.
HOLLYWOOD, CA — Marvel Fans, rejoice! Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is back on the big screen with yet another superhero film. This time around, it’s “Black Widow,” the first full-pledged Marvel blockbuster in two years, following 2019’s “Captain Marvel,” “Spider-Man: Far from Home,” and “Avengers: Endgame.”
Directed by Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland, the new movie stars Scarlett Johansson as the mere-mortal superhero, whose alter-ego is former Russian super-spy Natasha Romanoff. “Black Widow," an origin story, is set between "Captain America: Civil War" and "Avengers: Infinity War," recounting Natasha’s childhood and her whereabouts while separated from her fellow Avengers.
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In the film, the would-be superhero is first introduced as a little girl living with her mom Melina (Rachel Weisz) and dad Alexei (David Harbour) along with her little sister Yelena in Ohio in 1995. Moments later, the plot finds the entire family on the run from the government as they attempt to flee the country. Meanwhile, the military is hot on their trail. Why? As it turns out, Natasha’s parents are Russian spies who have been posing as a suburbanite married couple with children.
Years later, Natasha and Yelena (Florence Pugh) join forces as they set off on a mission to topple the maniacal General Dreykov (Ray Winstone), the evil man behind the Red Room assassin program that turned the fake sisters into cold and heartless killers. But first, the whole make-believe family gets reunited to deal with long-simmering issues.
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All in all, Johansson is superb, shining a light on what makes Black Widow tick. Pugh also rises to the occasion with her outstanding gravitas. Plus, Shortland’s close-ups beam with heart-piercing immediacy.
See/Screen it. Marvel’s formula of explosive, high-octane actions along with entertaining repartees still work; however, there are times when “Black Widow” can feel rather convoluted as if it’s meandering aimlessly in the dark.
(Fun Fact: “Black Widow” will also reveal what exactly transpired in Budapest, the city that was first name dropped in 2012’s “Avengers.” )
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