Movie Review - Black Widow (2021)

It's likely that anyone watching this has seen the previous film, featuring this titular character, that of Avengers: Endgame (2019). However, given that a possible, summer blockbuster like this could attract those uninitiated to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, or those who haven't fully kept up, it's possible that there are some who are unaware of what happens to the titular character toward the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame. As such, I won't spoil what happens in Avengers: Endgame. I'd like to think of this as a stand-alone film and unlike other stand-alone entries in the MCU that are coming out since Avengers: Endgame, this one has more of an excuse for being somewhat disconnected. Whether one accepts how disconnected is a test of one's suspension of disbelief, but I was able to go with it because the action scenes are rather well done.

Chronologically, this film takes place between Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018). For those who need some table setting, a certain number of the super-heroes, known as Avengers, have been deemed fugitives or criminals, particularly because they're protecting one who is responsible for the deaths of several people. Specifically, Captain America is a fugitive because he's protecting his friend, Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, after it was revealed Bucky assassinated several high-profile people. The reason Captain America protected Bucky is because Bucky had been brainwashed or under mind control, which made him innocent, even if he technically committed those crimes. That didn't matter to the government at that point, so protecting Bucky made Captain America a criminal too.

Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story and Lost in Translation) stars as Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, a Russian spy and trained assassin who was recruited for the American government agency, known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Because of her expert skills, she was made a part of the team of super-heroes, known as the Avengers. In the 2016 film, she supported Captain America in his protecting Bucky. This made her a criminal too. As a result, she went on the run at the end of the 2016 film. That's where this film picks up.

This is an action film, so having Natasha in hiding, living quietly in seclusion, isn't the path that we get. In a roundabout way, the film does deal with the issues, which made Natasha go on the run. This film steps back a little and pulls those issues that led into the 2016 film's narrative. Natasha was a crucial factor in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and that 2014 film is ripped off here. A lot of the same beats, both thematically and narrative-wise are repeated here. This 2021 film is basically just a gender-swapped version of that 2014 film. Even the final action sequence here is a rip-off of the one in 2014. With that said, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is in my opinion the best entry in the MCU after now 24 entries. Therefore, if this film, directed by Cate Shortland, and written by Eric Pearson, is going to rip-off another film in the MCU, it might as well be the best entry.

Florence Pugh (Little Women and Midsommar) co-stars as Yelena Belova, the adopted sister of Natasha. She was taken from her birth parents and given to two Russian spies who lived in the United States. She lived with her adopted parents for several years until she was 6. After that, she was basically stolen away and put into human trafficking or a child soldier program. That program was called Red Room and was specifically for girls. Like Bucky, this program has evolved to mind control. She knows that her adopted parents were spies that didn't actually adopt her. Yet, she sees them as much a loving family as anyone else. She also sees the other girls who were brought to the Red Room, including Natasha as her actual sisters.

The whole idea of the Red Room and the issue of human trafficking are actually dark places where this film starts. I'm not sure the film ever truly reckons with the implications in an emotionally satisfying way. It's adequate in its emotional through-line but not as satisfying as the ending to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The film juggles themes of family more than the 2014 film. The relationship between Natasha and Yelena are crucial to that and in that regard, the film succeeds in depicting what is an interesting, compelling and strong sisterhood. However, the film is hit-or-miss when it comes to the adopted parents.

David Harbour (Hellboy and Revolutionary Road) also co-stars as Alexei Shostakov, aka Red Guardian. Alexei was the Soviet Union's version of Captain America. He fought in missions in a way that Captain America did but for mother Russia. It's a question if Alexei is a contemporary to Captain America, which would possibly make him 100 years old, instead of a man who looks like he's in his late 40's or early 50's. Alexei isn't as buff or muscular but he is a beefcake with super-strength. He acts like Al Bundy from Married With Children (1987) at times. His relationship with Melina, played by Rachel Weisz (The Favourite and The Constant Gardener), isn't fleshed out as much as it could. Harbour and Weisz individually are good in their roles. Harbour is given more to do though.

Even though this film cribs a lot from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the villain and his dynamic with Natasha mimics that of Marvel's Jessica Jones (2015). I wasn't the biggest fan of Jessica Jones, but that 2015 series did a better job with the villain and his dynamic to the female hero. The underlying theme of men who control women or a kind of misogyny is better addressed and developed in that series. This film gets to a depiction of a level of brutality, but it didn't sell the psychological aspects as well, given that the villainy involves mind control.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, some language and thematic material.
Running Time: 2 hrs. and 13 mins.

In theaters and Disney Plus.