Luke McWilliams gives his review of the 2021 Marvel superhero film, Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johannson and Florence Pugh.
In Ohio, 1995, a Russian sleeper cell agents, super-soldier Alexei Shostakovich (David Harbour) and Black Widow Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), pose as a family with their surrogate daughters Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova. After they complete their mission to steal S.H.I.E.L.D. information, the family escape to Cuba where their boss, General Dreykov (Ray Winstone) places the two young girls into the Red Room for training as Black Widow operatives.
Flash forward to 2016 and Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) is a fugitive for violating the Sokovia Accords, as seen in Captain America: Winter Soldier. Fleeing to a safehouse in Norway, Romanoff receives a package from her long-lost surrogate sister (Florence Pugh), containing the antidote to the mind-controlling effects of the latest Black Widow program.
First introduced in 2010’s Iron Man 2, a Black Widow solo movie was only really considered after the success of the DC Extended Universe’s Wonder Woman in 2017. Similarly helmed by a female director, Australian Cate Shortland, Black Widow drops the male gaze that has framed the character to date, instead showcasing Romanoff’s struggle with the fallout of her past.
Florence Pugh of Fighting with My Family fame is a standout, with hints that there may be a future for her character.
Verdict: While a solid Marvel entry, the outing is embarrassingly late for one of the original Avengers. An origin story is preferred over a cobbled-together side-adventure wedged into the established continuity. 3 stars.
Black Widow is playing at Dendy.
- Luke McWilliams | themovieclub.net
Read more:
