Finally, the last original Avenger gets a standalone film in Black Widow, an exciting Marvel adventure that reveals Natasha Romanoff’s history between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.
A fugitive from The Sokovia Accords, Natasha (Scarlett Johansson shines) flees to Europe to find her ‘sister’, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh steals the film), as they both share a traumatic childhood as part of the Black Widow program training lethal, female assassins in the ‘Red Room’. Determined to end the deadly project means reconnecting with her past including her surrogate parents (Rachel Weisz and David Harbour, who hams it up in grand fashion). As Natasha gets closer to the truth, loyalties are tested, and secrets are revealed as a dark figure emerges from her past with an insidious plan that threatens her family and the world.
This is Natasha’s story as it flashes back and forth in time and how she found two families, one in Russia and The Avengers. The actors sell the relationships; credit goes to the excellent casting especially Pugh’s character who gets good lines and comebacks (and who has a future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). There is also a mysterious Marvel villain, Taskmaster, who makes a formidable adversary with a devastating secret.
The
themes (making amends, the concept of
family, and female subjugation and empowerment) drive a sometimes emotional
narrative that is punctuated with plot twists and borderline, over-the-top
action, though the hand to hand fighting
à la Bourne series works well.
It’s
good to see a Marvel film after an extended shutdown, and make no mistake, this film needs to be seen on a big
screen. It’s worth the wait. The post credit scene ties into a future Marvel
series.
***1/2 of **** stars (for Natasha fans)
No comments:
Post a Comment