Black Widow

This is an article “Black Widow” by Marc Primo

Release date: 09 July 2021 (USA)

Director: Cate Shortland

Language: English

Production Companies: Marvel Studios

Producer: Kevin Feige

SPOILER ALERT: Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have long-anticipated a solo Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) movie ever since the character appeared in 2010’s Iron Man 2. While the Avengers saga came and went with the character dying, the most reasonable film to make was her back story which by no means is uninteresting or lacking compelling plots at all. So, fans all over the world remained excited when the official announcement came out, even if the Black Widow’s origin story would come post-Endgame.

One thing was made clear though. This non-origin story does not directly tie-up with the significant events of the Avengers timeline whatsoever and focuses on Natasha’s childhood and the events during her incognito phase following the end of Captain America: Civil War. Think of it as a side quest, if you will.

It’s not a competing force with the recent Wonder Woman movie either as both don’t really share the same femme fatale nature with each having different plots and objectives. Black Widow centers more on tying loose ends and facing difficult pasts to be able to move on in the heartless world of espionage. From the opening score of a darker version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, viewers will instantly detect the typical spy thriller atmosphere that’s typical of any spy-oriented film of the 21st century. Nonetheless, it’s a welcome movie with a lead female character kicking everyone’s butts just as we would expect; or at least that’s what fans would think.

A good forty minutes into the movie, so little is shared with viewers, particularly on where the Black Widow’s story is actually going. She grew up with a seemingly regular family life with her parents and a little sister. Then, all of a sudden, the unit was torn apart by federal operatives, and the next thing we see is a young Natasha and her sister Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) being yanked away from each other to who-knows-where, while their father figure Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) is shaking hands with shady characters, and their mother figure Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) is injured and boarded onto a plane. The next few minutes remain confusing and only when we see Natasha as an adult does everything become clearer. Clearer, yet still not compelling enough to follow.

Fans who follow Johansson’s career know she fits the role perfectly and can perform all the action and drama that come with Natasha’s story flawlessly. There weren't any problems acting-wise, with Pugh even carrying most of the entire movie on her shoulders via an excellent performance that many would probably mistake her character as the lead role. Viewers would also understand the strong feminist force of the film with Weisz’s limited minutes onscreen getting the job done, and Harbour, though effective as both the mysterious father figure and disgraced Russian superhero Red Guadian, being relegated into a mere comic relief presence.

Perhaps, the main problem of the movie was that fans expected more of the Black Widow’s story considering everyone saw her die in Endgame. This was supposed to be her redemption vehicle but by the time the credits roll, she seemed to be downgraded into a distant observer if not a mere supporting character to Pugh’s Yelena. Yes, the signature Marvel comedy was there (particularly how Black Widow can’t help projecting her half-split superhero stance each time she falls from the roof which disgusts Yelena to the bone), while the action scenes and special effects are superb as usual. But the broken relationships that needed to be fixed don’t seem to blend well with all of the film’s revenge-filled action sequences.

The chemistry between Johansson and Pugh is effective, despite the former’s trademark seriousness being a tad bland for the latter’s masterful balance of emotion and humor. However, just as all the drama seems to build up, the action scenes suddenly disrupt everything to make the audience cling to the characters by a thread. Somehow, there is a certain discord on how Natasha’s story (or better yet that of her family’s) connects with the whole MCU.

Though the movie is not positioned as an origin story, it still owes fans some context as to how Natasha became the super spy that she is. Unfortunately, the film skipped that part entirely. While it may have been more logical to dish the traditional MCU film with all the superhero action, expensive CGIs, and mysterious villains, fans of the Black Widow wanted to see how her life progressed from being a child groomed to become a Russian spy to an adult with existential issues. Many will agree that that might have been a better plot, considering we already know what the character’s fate is.

Shining the spotlight on Yelena (who practically gave us every hint that she will continue the Black Widow), the same elements are also missing which could have made her character more familiar and endearing. No one ever saw what happened to them inside the Red Room so it becomes a bit hard for audiences to get into how the two are so adamant to destroy it. In a way, more elements seemed a bit too forced to fit the MCU checklist rather than simply tell Natasha and Yelena’s stories.

While not as dark as viewers would want it to be, Black Widow could have been bolder in dealing with more mature and disturbing issues on human trafficking and forced slavery which is what the Red Room is all about – a hidden fortress where children are snatched and forced into becoming deadly brainwashed assassins. Showing us how the Black Widow grew a heart when she had thought she had killed a child (who eventually becomes her nemesis Taskmaster played by Olga Kurylenko) during a mission is not enough to build the true character fans expect. But alas, those angles could have never fit the family-friendly MCU movies. Heck, even the lyrics to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” were censored, particularly omitting the term ‘libido’ in the chorus.

What results is a weak tug at our heartstrings and a huge blow to our concept of the character. The film played its topics pretty safe that it didn’t manage to create the huge impact it was destined to. Many might wonder if they are watching a sequel to Spy Kids with how well-hidden the pains of both Natasha and Yelena have gone through during their stints at the Red Room. And because of that, viewers couldn’t connect with their emotional development which hopefully they can improve on once Pugh assumes the shiny, black, and tight-fitting leather suit in the future.