Natasha Romanoff, a.ka. Black Widow is the MCU’s most prominent female character. With her solo feature on the coming, her death in Endgame came as a bit of a surprise. She made the ultimate sacrifice to retrieve the Soul Stone from Vormir.

Cate Shortland’s Black Widow is a joy precisely because it is inessential – rewinding to near the start of Phase 3, it fills a non-vacuum in the MCU storyline, rather than propelling it ahead. After a few setbacks, Marvel’s Phase 4 has officially begun. There will be Kung fu and craziness, and multiverses galore ahead. However, rather than diving right into the chaos, this particular extension begins with a very thoughtful character piece.

Critique and Review of Black Widow

The film, which is partly an origin tale and half swan song, erupts with dramatic combat sequences and seamlessly shifts between a spy thriller and a family comedy. Scarlett Johansson’s appearance in Black Widow will most likely be the final time fans see her in the MCU. Endgame solidifies her character’s fate, making the film’s stakes look non-existent, imbuing it with a bittersweet sadness.

It provides a character who doesn’t have a future, a history

The film’s announcement prompted many concerns, one of which was how Natasha was still alive? The explanation is that the film is a prequel, and the tale takes place before the events of Endgame. The events of Black Widow take place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. It also gives the fans a plausible explanation for where the namesake Hero is, after escaping police for violating the Sokovia Accords.

Thin villain department

Black Widow, like many other characters in the MCU, is lacking in the area of a proper Villain. In this film, The Taskmaster is the major antagonist. He is portrayed as a murder machine that can mimic its opponent’s combat abilities. The action is definitely memorable, but portions of the film lack the urgency that a more powerful foe would have provided. It is a more focused picture than we have seen from the MCU before, skillfully shifting from one action set-piece to the next and barely losing steam in a handful of sequences. It seems to reason that a no-nonsense killing machine like Black Widow would have a no-nonsense episode, but it’s still amazing to watch it happen.

Comparison with James Bond films

Black Widow incorporates spy-action classics into something that feels fresh and distinctive on its own terms, owing in large part to Shortland’s crisp action choreography and a fantastic ensemble. It possesses both physical strength and charming tenderness. With few abilities or even super-gadgets in play, the action sequences are more akin to the James Bond-style car chases and hand-to-hand combat than the more blatantly fanciful displays of a Thor or Spider-Man film.

There are a few Bond references in the film. In one of the scenes from Black Widow, we witness Black Widow enjoying a rare moment of leisure by sipping beer and watching the film Moonraker. The fact that Black Widow can quote the dialogues from the Bond film suggests that she has seen it several times. There were also space headquarters and skydiving scenes which were similar to Moonraker.

Several additional performers in the Black Widow film have ties to the James Bond franchise. In the film Quantum of Solace (2008), Olga Kurylenko played the primary Bond girl Camille, while actor David Harbour played CIA agent Gregg Beam. Rachel Weisz, who also stars in Black Widow, has been married to the James Bond actor Daniel Craig since 2011. Jany Temime handled the costumes for Skyfall and is consequently this film’s costume designer.

Is Scarlett Johansson’s Avenger finally being honoured by Black Widow?

The film is both timely and out of date. Covid-19 delayed the film, but it should have been released years ago. It is appropriate and ironic that Black Widow takes place in the past. However, in the actual world, it arrives in 2021, more than a year beyond its original release date. It was released around five years after it should have been produced.

Black Widow was the MCU’s lone female hero for many years, first arriving in Iron Man 2. Thor, Captain America, and Spider-Man have all had two stand-alone movies since she first appeared. Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel each received one, with Captain Marvel becoming the first female Marvel hero to have her own film, beating Natasha to the punch. After the death of her character in Avengers: Endgame, Natasha now has her own film. There’s no doubt that Johansson’s character deserved a standalone film much sooner. There is also no disputing that there was a lot of baloney regarding whether or not people would pay to see a female-led action picture for many of those years.

It should not have taken the Black Widow 11 years to receive her own independent adventure. But, owing to some energizing new character dynamics and clever twists, Marvel has finally gotten her right. Natasha’s history is pieced together in the film to create a fully developed character picture.

In conclusion

Black Widow strikes an ideal balance between the potential gravity of the subject and the inherent levity of its characters. It is vibrant, spectacular, and a lot of fun. The character was developed out to a level never previously seen in a film. The action drowns out the concepts, but it is still a tremendously enjoyable standalone adventure with a terrific supporting cast. Though it is not a typical Marvel film, it serves its purpose in entertaining. It serves up to be another tasty dose of the blockbuster Marvel recipe, with a delightful family dynamic providing extra character development in the middle of all the action.

Further Reading: https://www.cinemamonogatari.com/games/