Movies are back! I went to the theater to watch Black Widow and the big screen is where you should see this movie. I missed the MCU and I'm not the only one. The crowd at the movies actually clapped when the Marvel logo showed up and when the movie ended. Yes, it's a really good movie. It's not the best Marvel movie, but it is pretty freaking good with a great score, great action scenes, awesome dialogue, great acting and terrible Russian accents, mostly. I did appreciate the correct use of swear words.
As we have been promised, Black Widow takes place right after Captain America: Civil War which means Natasha Romanoff is on the run. She's good at being on the run. But you can't run from your past. The opening credit scene which takes place in the past almost brought me to tears, and yes, that is what this movie is about. Just like Captain America: The Winter Soldier this movie has an issue that it tackles. Just not so expertly. But since it so heartbreaking you can't help but feel it. In fact it looms over the movie a lot more than Romanoff's future. Now I'm going to feel a pain in my heart every time I listen to "smells like teen spirit". I know some people have issues with movies getting political, but I think it just makes this spy thriller even more unique.
Young Natasha Romanoff lives with her adoptive family which includes a mother, father and a younger sister. The de-aging technology is really good, but still not there yet. In case you didn't know Ever Anderson plays young Natasha and she is also Milla Jovovich's daughter. Jovovich was born in Ukraine and you can tell that she taught her daughter some Russian. Even though she can an American accent sometimes when she speaks she still sounds more fluid then anyone on screen speaking Russian. Violet McGraw plays young Yelena Belova and she also played young Nell in Haunting of Hill House. She was excellent there and she's excellent here. The de-aging worked better for David Harbour then it did for Rachel Weisz in my opinion. Harbour plays the Red Guardian, a Russian version of Captain America and Weisz plays the Iron Maiden but it is most just a name in this movie. But they are still excellent in what they are given. Except Harbour's Russian accent which is awful. The family member that steals that show is older Yelena Belova, Florence Pugh. Pugh is a movie star in the making, she just has so much charm and charisma. But the story is basically that of one of the most dysfunctioning families we've seen on the big screen.
On top of that there is the story of Natasha Romanoff coming to terms with her past. The movie is mostly set right after Captain America: Civil War and Romanoff is on the run after she violated the Sokovia Accords when she attacked the King of Wakanda. She is a master at running away and staying hidden, but you can't run from your past forever and in this movie it really catches up to her. She must deal with her broken fake family and her heartbroken heart little sister, her life as a spy, the history of the red room and survive Taskmaster. Yes they totally changed Taskmaster, but I'm ok with that. This movie will make you look at the post credit scene of Civil War differently. And it puts a different light on Romanoff during Infinity War and Endgame. Plus, you will look at her scene interrogating Loki in the first Avengers movie differently as well. It shades a different light on the character as a whole, which I guess is what we expected this movie to do.
The action in this movie is brilliant. A lot of hand to hand combat which I love. Although some scenes will make you wonder how anyone can stay alive after that. I think that the similar fighting styles between the characters is actually super cool. I mean they were trained similarly. I just wish we had even more of the hand to hand combat in this movie. I would have loved that. I love seeing Romanoff fighting and we still don't have enough of that.
Obviously, the acting in this movie is great. Scarlett Johansson just brings everything she has to this character and it shows. Every time she gets upset I wanted to cry. Plus she looks flawless. The outfits, the hair, the makeup, she looks fantastic. Yet Johansson got what she wanted, her character is not overly sexualized in this movie. No female character is. She just looks fantastic and that's it. Florence Pugh is brilliant but from some reason her scenes get some humor in it which doesn't always work. She kills it in her emotional scenes and she has tons of charm, but sometimes the humor just stamps over the drama, a problem which Marvel has in general. No one gets a worst treatment then David Harbour's Red Guardian. He is just a walking joke, but he does the best with that he has. I love Rachel Weisz and I missed her in big movies but someone should have changed her makeup because it looks so bad that it is actually distracting. I would have loved to have seen more of her and seen her kicking ass, but she was more of an intelligent foe in this movie. Everyone did the best with what they were given in this movie. But yeah, it's a Black Widow movie and Johansson was just perfect and brilliant.
This is not just Johansson's movie. It does set up a few interesting things for phase 4. Especially that post credit scene. I'm not crying, you're crying. Surprisingly, the movie does have some connection to the Disney+ shows. It’s a small connection, but you might think less of the post credit scene if you haven't watched one particular show yet.
I feel like this movie sets up things for phase 4 too much. I feel like won't don't have enough Black Widow in this movie. I am not ready to say goodbye to Scarlett Johansson as this character, I still want more and I feel like this movie didn't give us enough of her in all of her glory. I want an entire Budapest movie or an entire movie of her on a mission, I just want more. This was not enough. I mean I really liked this movie, but I want more. Even another movie like this. I am just not ready for a goodbye.
I've seen this movie already twice at the cinema and probably will see it a few more times on the big screen. I loved it. It was worth the wait and I'm so glad that this is the first movie I choose to see on the big screen since the pandemic started.
Have you watched Black Widow yet?
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