(CCR Original Content) Black Widow 2021 Review [Spoiler Free Review and Spoiler Section below picture] (7/10)
Black Widow is a 2021 superhero movie directed by Cate Shortland with screenplay by Eric Pearson. This film was produced by Marvel Studios with producer Kevin Feige and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The movie stars Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Ray Winstone and Rachel Weisz.
Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and her sister Yelena (Florence Pugh) are living what seems like a normal life in 1995 Ohio, with their parents, mother, Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and father, Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) when suddenly they must leave the country. They are all Russian undercover agents and Alexei, the super-soldier known as Red Guardian, has stolen intel from S.H.I.E.L.D. They flee to Cuba where the sisters are forcibly taken to the "Red Room" for training after they've met General Dreykov (Ray Winstone), their boss. Now in 2016 after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Natasha finds herself a fugitive on the run from U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) after violating the Sokovia Accords. She's attacked by an incredibly skilled assassin called the Taskmaster and finds that she's not his target but rather a package she had with her. After learning the package originated from Budapest she heads there where she finds her sister Yelena and learns of a plot that not only jeopardizes the safety of those trained in the "Red Room" but possibly the whole world.
This movie was really good and it was great to see a Marvel movie again. I didn't see this one in theaters but I still enjoyed watching it in the safety of my home with my family. So this movie came off like a really good spy/action movie but definitely had that Marvel feel to it. It really felt like watching something out of the Bourne or Bond series films but with admittedly less plot and gadgets, but the action was really spot on. There was awesome car chase scenes and expertly crafted fight choreography too. It was even reported that they went through 13 BMW X3's for the car chase scene with Scarlett and Florence so you can tell that they really wanted to get things right and had a vision of what they wanted the audience to see for that particular scene as well. I thought there was really great chemistry from all the actors together and that it was pretty good casting. Scarlett and Florence argue throughout the film just like real sisters, and the looks that David Harbour and Rachel Weisz exchange feel like they were genuinely together. The opening scene of the movie had great acting and was very emotional. I just feel like one role/actor was kind of a bad casting and/or was greatly underutilized. I think the biggest flaw of the move was that for being a spy movie, the plot never had any mystery to it and everything was kind of predictable or at least very easy to follow. Not much of a thriller or thinker where you had to put two and two together. The cinematography was spot on and felt like you were watching any big budget spy or action movie and on par with what you expect from Marvel Studios. The tone fit the film for the most part but kind of "see-saw"-ed from time to time as they mixed serious themes with comedic dialogue throughout. But that's to be expected from a PG-13 action/spy movie from Marvel and it was a little reminiscent of the film Captain America in that regard. The music was good and there were a couple of songs that stuck out in that regard American Pie by Don Mclean and a cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit by Think Up Anger; also Cheap Thrills by Sia. The musical score was also good and the Black Widow theme was pretty epic but also with hints of melancholy to it that seemed to underline both her tragic background as well as the tragedy of the events to come in her future. Altogether the movie was really good and I give it a 7/10. If you are big time into the MCU and Marvel franchise movies then this is a must see film but if not then it might come off as just a barely above average action/spy film so that's why it doesn't get my "Must See Seal of Approval"
Look Below This Picture For Spoiler Section Or Click On Picture For Our YouTube Review
Spoiler Section Review:
This movie was really good. I definitely recommend it if your looking for an action movie to watch or wanting to see a good Marvel movie especially if you haven't seen it yet. I didn't get to see it in theaters but I bet it would have been an even better experience watching it there because of all the awesome actions scenes. I liked the direction in the movie and how the director chose to open it up with that emotional scene in the past and how their little family and whole life in Ohio got uprooted when they completed their mission. I liked how it went from there and straight into where in the timeline the movie takes place by having Black Widow/Natasha running from the government for violating the Sokovia Accords placing it after Captain America: Civil War. It was pretty slow building in my opinion and had some scenes that didn't seem needed and kind of dragged the film a bit. Like her meeting with the character Rick Mason for supplies and being on her own. Also it showed her being smart enough to trick Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross and his agents/men going after her but when she ran out of gas/fuel she had to go into town which didn't make any sense for someone trying to stay off the grid. I really liked David Harbour's character Red Guardian and the whole scene with him in the prison was funny and cool. I can't believe he broke that guys arm. It was even said that, that character is actually a mutant in the comic books so Marvel might be trying to hint their way into including mutants in the MCU. The cinematography was everything you would expect from Marvel Studios and they really impressed with that scene of everyone falling out of the sky even if it didn't make any sense. They said it was done using a combination of practical and visual effects and filmed in a wind tunnel against a blue screens with actors and stunt performers being held by wires and mechanical arms. The writing was ok, I mean the script made sense and dialogue was decent. Nothing seemed too terrible although there were some scenes that were kind of cringe for me like when the sisters argued with each other. I mean they had good chemistry and seemed like sisters but felt a little forced to me or at least a little cliché. That fight scene though between them was pretty hardcore and looked like some stuntwomen got hurt filming that for sure. My criticism is that for a movie that took so long to be made, the plot could have been beefed up a little bit more, and the film sure didn't feel like a Bond movie in that regard. The costume design was good and I liked the way they had the other Widows look similar but unique at the same time. I liked how they weren't all Russian, which didn't make sense at first but then it did when you take into account they could also be used in different regions around the world. I think I wasn't alone with liking the white Widow costume and especially Taskmaster's design. The set designs were good and looked like most scenes were filmed on location in a couple of places like Norway and London. I thought the Red Room which was an aerial fortress was very interesting and seemed similar to one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier except more Russian. I think my biggest complaint was with Taskmaster and no not because role was given to a woman. I love Olga Kurylenko as an actress and I like a lot of movies she's been in like Hitman, Oblivion, and Centurion to name a few, I mean the list could go on. I just think they really did the audience a disservice by giving her a non-speaking role and totally underutilized a great actress by having Taskmaster wearing a mask for nearly the entire film. It was also pretty obvious in my opinion that the identity of Taskmaster was going to be General Dreykov's daughter when they gave that whole flashback and story as to what Natasha/Black Widow did in order to try and kill him. So to me that wasn't very good plotting or storytelling/building for a spy movie. It seemed too direct. A better one to me was when they went looking for Melina and as they were all talking and reminiscing she came clean to them that she had already alerted the "Red Room" to their arrival. That was a good twist and something out of a spy movie. So like I said a really good movie and worth checking out, I give Black Widow a 7/10.