Marvel‘s Black Widow finally has her own solo movie, with her back story, and we’ll cover it in our review. Natasha Romanoff’s last appearance makes us see why she was such a crucial part in the Avengers team.
Black Widow‘s backstory movie has been long in the works. The Black Widow rights were acquired in 2004, but the project fell so many times. Scarlett Johansson‘s first appearance as Black Widow/ Natasha Romanoff was in Iron Man 2 (2010), and her story developed over almost ten years, and numerous appearances.
It’s safe to say that no one could do such a great job being Black Widow. Prior to her casting, Emily Blunt was in talks for the role, but there were some scheduling conflicts.
Black Widow offers the origins to a very tragic character, with the same tragic ending we saw in Avengers: Endgame. But while it’s meant to be a solo movie, it also focuses on her reconnection with her family, Yelena (Florence Pugh), Alexei Shokastov / Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz).
The four have an unbalanced family rhythm, filled with fights that would kill you in real life and unsolved issues.
Natasha Romanoff’s set on a mission to finish Dreykov, the man responsible for creating Black Widows. Dreykov uses the resources you found most: girls. He wants to create Black Widows who can “start and finish wars.” This gives a total new meaning to #girlpower.
“Pain only makes us stronger.”
Natasha thought she had already killed him, hinting to her “Budapest” adventure with Hawkeye, which they commented a few times in the Avengers history. She commented that was the mission that got her finally into SHIELD, but she has some unfinished business.
The timeline for Black Widow is set between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. This choice might’ve been influenced due to the actual timeline of the movie, which has been long in the works.
The script is incredible and filled with Marvel-like jokes, with comments like “Such a poser” from Pugh’s character, towards Natasha’s landing style. Over the four MCU Phases introducing the Avengers, we all watch them fall in specific poses during fights.
Pugh also noted the humor, telling Polygon: ““What we tried to do was use humor to talk to the trauma. Most people in this film who’ve been victimized, are actually making jokes about that because they’re trying to overcome it.”
The script Eric Pearson wrote is a great tribute to the woman Natasha Romanoff became over the years. She kept her heart during the most difficult times, and this showed her as the protector she always was. She protected her younger sister, Yelena, as much as she could. Natasha was the heart of the Avengers group. And it was also her heart that got her the ending she received in Avengers.
But the thing I want to focus on during this Black Widow review is the importance of a female director in a female-lead movie. Cate Shortland did a great time not oversexualizing Black Widow. Her costume, fitter than Pugh’s, was not all about exaggerating her curves. It was about practicality, and Yelena talks about her vest with “pockets,” several times during the movie.
Another thing female directors bring to the game is that women never wore her hair down during a fight. They all had different ponytails, braids or updos that allowed them to actually fight.
A similar thing can be noted in Margot Robbie‘s Birds of Prey. The movie also had a woman at the help, Cathy Yan. Margot’s hair was completely different than all her appearances in men-directed DC Comics movies. There’s also a scene where one of the characters offers a scrunchie during a fight.
Now Black Widow follows the same practicality for hair for almost the entire movie. Which is clearly a step in the right direction.
The cinematography is just as impressive as you can expect from Marvel, with over-the-top fight scenes and amazing explosions, shots and car crashes.
The music also represents a very interesting choice. Don McLean‘s “American Pie” has a big impact on the family’s “normal” life, and you actually catch Black Widow listening to Sia‘s “Cheap Thrills,” as she’s driving alone as a refuge in Norway.
“I’m not the killer that little girls call their hero,” Yelena tells Natasha. But Black Widow gives a new meaning to “fight like a girl.”
