Black Widow soars with solid performances – movie review

Disney’s highly anticipated Marvel film Black Widow is the first solo outing for Russian assassin-turned-Avenger Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson). It finds its footing as an espionage spy thriller that excels due to the stellar casting of new faces in the MCU family. Having seen all the Marvel films, I can say that this is a well-crafted Avenger film and one of my favorite solo films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also stars Florence Pugh as Yelena, David Harbour as the Red Guardian and Rachel Weisz as Melina.

The movie takes place after the events of Captain America: Civil War and before Avengers: Infinity War. It opens in 1995 in Ohio with a young Natasha (Ever Anderson), who lives with her mother Melina (Weisz), Alexei (Harbour) and younger sister Yelena (Violet McGraw). They soon have to make a quick exit and escape to Cuba. There it is revealed that they are Russian intelligence agents posing as an American family, while working for General Dreykov (Ray Winstone). Natasha and Yelena are sent to the Red Room, where Black Widows are trained using mind control and have no will power. 

In the present, 21 years later, Natasha (Johansson) is on the run from the SWAT team after the events of Civil War and hides out in Norway. Meanwhile, Yelena (Pugh) is a skilled assassin who has figured out how to escape from Dreykov’s control. She sends for Natasha and together they are chased by a new enemy Taskmaster. Soon, they are joined by Melina and Alexei in their mission.

The film leaves behind its superhero canvas and instead operates as a high-octane, globe-trotting spy thriller, more to the liking of a Bond movie. There are elaborate stunts, bike chases, fascinating fight choreography and epic action set pieces. While the film carries Natasha’s name, the plot is less of an origin story, but is instead set up as an ensemble piece with four top-notch leads.

The plot falls on the weaker side, but the reason this film works is because of the casting. The new additions – Florence, David and Rachel – add to the movie’s unconventional family dynamics as the trio offer up well-rounded performances. Black Widow not only gives Scarlett a chance to shine, but Florence Pugh and David Harbour win hearts with their cheeky humor and on-screen charisma.

Florence comes fresh off her most recent Academy Award nomination for Little Women, and is also noted for her excellent work in Midsommar. She makes her grand entrance into the Marvel universe playing Yelena and crushes every scene she’s in. She steals the show with her cynical charm and comic timing, while displaying vulnerability at the most opportune moments. She easily cements herself as the new favorite Marvel character for many, and at times, overshadows Scarlett.

Scarlett isn’t so much the centre of the story, but she still is a more fleshed out character than previous entries. Also, it was refreshing to see her not get a romantic interest, but instead focuses on who she is outside of the Avengers. Scarlett brings justice to her superhero Avenger character, making her more sympathetic given the flashbacks of her traumatic past. Somehow, it also felt like she was passing the baton to Yelena as Natasha is dead in present timeline, after the events of Endgame. It made every moment with Scarlett feel all the more bittersweet – felt like a fitting send-off.

Together, Scarlett and Florence display warmth and complexity as sisters who bond over their shared trauma. Their witty banter and chemistry keeps the scenes fresh, becoming the highlight of the film. For his part, David no longer lives in the shadow of his role as the Stranger Things sheriff. He proves his incredible range as the bearded, scene-stealing and hilarious Red Guardian. It was quite unexpected and he very much becomes an audience favorite. Rachel is not given much time to woo the audience, but she makes her presence felt when it matters most. The scene with her pigs are hilarious, to say the least.

Overall, while the sheer size and scope of the film is enough to draw fans, it’s the rich performances by the cast that will keep the audience entertained for a little over two hours. Click here to read our press conference coverage with the cast of Black Widow. ~Marriska Fernandes

 Black Widow is in theatres and on Disney+ with Premier Access on July 9. If you have seen the film and would like to write a review, click here.

Originally published on Tribute.ca.