Black Widow an average movie
Disney has been one company that has appeared particularly
hesitant to theatrically release blockbusters
ever since the start of the pandemic. The launch of the company’s streaming service has provided them an outlet to release movies rather than theaters. Black Widow is the latest entry in the
company’s series of Marvel superhero
movies. In spite of its pedigree, the movie feels more like a typical espionage-based action movie. This leads to a number of
highs and lows that are somewhat atypical for these Marvel movies. Black Widow constantly toes the line of being unique while
never feeling confident enough to cross it. The result is an action movie that is decent
enough but possesses very little staying power.
The story of Black Widow takes place before the movie Avengers: Infinity War. The titular super spy Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) discovers a
sinister conspiracy that has placed a team
of powerful assassins in the hands of a dangerous kingpin. Because of her own past as a manipulated assassin, Black Widow gathers a team of allies to fight against the
evil-doer controlling these killers-for-hire. This setup is a decent
basis for an intriguing plot. Unfortunately, a lot of the twists that
are revealed about this plot make little
sense. Furthermore, the story lacks any real stakes simply due to the fact that we already know what happens in the movies that take place after this one. We know that no one is any real danger, so any scenes
of tension are drastically undercut. What’s more, the movie never manages to fully decide on a tone. There are scenes that are distractingly goofy and feel rather awkward
considering the fact that this is a movie
about assassins and government conspiracies. For example, the villain flies around
the world in a giant flying castle. I hope I’m not the only one who finds that very
silly considering the rest of the movie is about killers fighting
in the shadows to try and stop a humantrafficking kingpin. Having said that, if you can just look past
the logical and tonal flaws, the pacing and
action scenes are engaging.
Speaking of engaging, I think the best part of Black Widow is
its protagonist. She is a well-defined character with interesting motivations. She truly is
the kind of character who can lead an entire action movie on her
shoulders thanks in no small part to Johansson’s stoic but human acting. She plays a character with a tough exterior but a kind heart beneath it
in the classic way you would expect an action hero to be portrayed. In spite of her
solid characterization, it’s somewhat unfortunate how the movie treats her and the other main characters as if they were invincible. Black Widow has no
superpowers. Most of her team similarly do
not have super powers. They are just very well-trained spies and
soldiers. In spite of that, they manage to get put through the
metaphorical wringer in this film only to
hardly take an ounce of damage. There are parts where characters smash through walls of buildings and then dust themselves
off as if they just tripped and fell. It’s a lazy way of writing these characters so that they’re nearly invincible for no reason.
Do you remember Die Hard (1988)? Do you remember how engaging that movie is because its hero is portrayed as an average
mortal person who is constantly getting
hurt? That makes us fear for whether or not he can make it in the
end. If John Mcclane were able to survive
his fights without getting the least bit worn down, we would have no reason to be invested in his struggles because it would be clear the movie would never let him fail or be put in any serious danger. This is a lesson Black Widow’s filmmakers
don’t understand. They thought that by
just making their hero beat up bad guys without ever having to face any real challenge, that would be exciting. But what’s more exciting, a football game where one team
steamrolls the other or a football game where
it is neck-and-neck until
the last play?
Even though Black Widow is P.G.-13, there are still some odds and ends that might
be a bit rough for some viewers. Particularly, there are multiple references to genital mutilation in the movie. What’s more, the villain toes the line of
sexual aggression at multiple points. Usually, these Marvel movies don’t include material this serious,
so please just be aware. Other than that, the
movie has surprisingly little blood in spite
of its constant violence. There are a few uses of
pretty mild swear words.
Black Widow’s quality ends up being about on par with your average blockbuster. It has some unusual issues and definite signs of a less-than-stellar writing team, but it’s still fun to watch. The action is still engaging, and the overall plot is
exciting enough. I just can’t see this one leaving a lasting impact. It’s a bit too generic for that. If you’re a fan of
action movies or of these Marvel superhero movies, then I think
Black Widow will contain enough to hold your interest. At the
end of the day, it’s still a fun ride. I merely fear that by the end of
the summer no one will remember this one.
Overall Grade – C (Entirely average)