This review of Black Widow is spoiler-free, with the spoiler-filled version coming this weekend so people have the chance to see it first!
I was lucky enough to snag advance tickets so I could attend the Thursday night showing (as I’ve done for every Marvel movie in recent memory, although there wasn’t a fan event for this one). It genuinely felt so good to walk into a theater with a massive screen (I went to an XD screening at my Cinemark) and watch a Marvel movie with other fans who were just as excited as I was.
Beginnings of Black Widow
This film gives you a peek into her life way before she ever met any of the Avengers, before SHIELD was even a thought in her mind. The opening of the film was one of the strongest points in a pretty dang solid film, in my opinion. It hones in on the style of more of a spy thriller than a superhero film, which is a touch I appreciated. The young actresses showcased in the opening sequences were quite good, especially young Natasha (portrayed by Ever Anderson). She easily conveys Natasha’s fighting spirit and intensity at such a young age.
The opening sequence not only establishes Natasha’s past, but gives the audience a gritty, more realistic look at what her past consisted of. In previous films, they’ve discussed or shown snippets of her past such as the Red Room, but we’ve never gotten a look at the horrors of what that entailed for her and so many other young women until now.
Spy, Assassin, Avenger
I won’t go into detail about the main plot of the film to keep this Black Widow review spoiler-free, but I really enjoyed seeing Natasha outside the context of being an Avenger. This film also pulled no punches, quite literally. The action sequences were done amazingly and I felt the entire time more like I was watching a Mission Impossible-style spy film than a tried and true Avengers flick, which I LOVED (it also helps that Lorne Balfe did the score for both Black Widow and Mission Impossible: Fallout).
As a fan, I adored seeing Natasha get into a knock-down-drag-out fight. Getting to see her in a brutal, realistic (as far as action movies go) fight for her life. She didn’t have to be pretty, her moves didn’t have to be sexy- she was allowed to bleed, to bruise, to grunt in realistic pain, to get her ass kicked where it applied. I prefer that any day to the “sexy femme fatale only takes down baddies with her thighs!”
Final Thoughts
Go see this film on a big screen with your friends (with the necessary health and safety measures, of course) if you can. This film was unique not only in its story but in the way it chose to finally showcase female superheroes, or hell, just female characters in an action movie. Brutal fights that show you the aftermath and the toll it takes on someone both physically and mentally, with enough humor to balance out it’s heavier moments. While this film is about Natasha, it’s truly an ensemble piece, and it’s all the better for it. Be aware there is a post-credits scene, and you’ll be more likely to understand a bit of it if you’re caught up on the Disney Plus MCU shows. I won’t say which one, and you don’t need it to fully comprehend it, but it will help.
While this review of Black Widow is spoiler-free, you can DM me on Instagram @Glamgeekguru to chat about the film, or watch this space/my Instagram stories for when I upload the spoiler version of my review!