Black Widow Review: Scarlett Johansson gets the overdue standalone film she deserves; Florence Pugh is the MVP

Black Widow:

Black Widow Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz

Black Widow Director: Cate Shorland

Streaming Platform: Disney+Hotstar Premium

Black Widow Stars: 3.5/5

Black Widow has been a lengthy wait for Natasha Romanoff enthusiasts, simply because she has all the merits for a standalone movie in the MCU; a dynamic personality who can hold her own ground and a mysterious, tragic backstory that entails box-office cha-ching! While we had to bid a bittersweet farewell to Nat in Avengers: Endgame, Cate Shortland's directorial capitalised on the time gap between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War to tie Nat's present with her past.

The storyline of Black Widow takes place immediately after Civil War's complicated events as Natasha is on the run for aiding Steve Rogers and in the process, breaking the Sokovia Accords. However, in a prologue, we're taken back to 1995 when a young blue-haired Natasha (Ever Anderson) and her sister Yelena Belova (Violet McCraw) lead a happy family life with parents Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) and Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz). However, this "normal" family turns out to be a bogus ruse as Alexei and Melina turn out to be Russian undercover agents while Nat and Yelena are forcefully taken to the Red Room for years worth of brutal training period at the hands of General Dreykov (Ray Winstone).

In present time, as a fugitive, Nat flees to Norway and after an encounter with the mysterious Taskmaster, who is able to mimic her fighting moves, she lands up in Budapest. On the other hand, Yelena is able to escape the vicious control of Dreykov and is in possession of the antidote vial to free the other widows. To fight an evil mastermind like Dreykov, Nat and Yelena reluctantly free Alexei aka Red Guardian out of a Russian prison before finding a safehouse when coming in contact with Melina. The dysfunctional family has to fight past their own problems before they can get their hands on Dreykov.

In mindset, Black Widow isn't a typical Natasha Romanoff standalone film as we're used to seeing in the MCU. However, at its heart, it very much is because tying Nat's present to her past is what explains such a complex character, at best. The "Red Room" and "Budapest" incidents are what people theorised for years when it came to Nat and in Black Widow, we see the puzzle being solved but not in precisive detail but that's not necessarily a bad thing. As a part the Avengers, Nat was a contrast to the superheroes with powers, where she's met her match, both physically and most importantly, mentally. It would have been insightful if the forced hysterectomy on the widows would have been a focal point to understand their troubled minds, like we witnessed with Nat in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Ray as Dreykov is every bit a maniac with condemnatory dialogues that instantly makes you loathe him. Unlike other MCU villains, who are bad for a reason, Dreykov is just a horrible person. "I recycle the trash. And I give them purpose. I give them a life," Dreykov pridefully spites when talking about his widows as a wondrous creation.

Eric Pearson, who wrote Black Widow's screenplay and whose credits include Thor: Ragnarok, adds intimate emotional gravitas in the midst of swift hand-to-hand combat action sequences, adding a semblance of cinematic balance. And with Cate's nurtured direction, we see not just Nat, but Yelena, Alexei and Melina's twisted character sketches as well, which stems from years and years of manipulation. Albeit, the twists though meant to be flabbergasting is quite easy to solve, especially Taskmaster's identity.

Scarlett continues to make Black Widow a force to be reckoned with but also adds so much vulnerability to Natasha. You know she's going to survive the events of Black Widow but you're also well aware of her heartbreaking fate in Endgame. This in-between storyline justifies her undying need to sacrifice herself for the greater good, something which had left fans baffled and even bitter at the time. However, it's the new entrant, Florence, who comes out as the MVP of Black Widow. While Nat had the Avengers to enable empathy within her controlled mind, Yelena has a major identity crisis between being bluntly fierce and a young woman with a kind heart. The troubled "sister" equation between the duo stems from a violent reunion to bickering about a jacket with pockets all over to even a tearful goodbye. Their equation, though tampered, is still strong and gives a prompt headstart to Yelena's future, as witnessed in the epic post-credits sequence. The classic MCU wit is inhabited instantly by Florence as Yelena's sarcastic wit comes blazing through, especially when she mocks Nat's signature pose and roasts the Avengers any chance she gets.

As for David, the big man looks like he's having a ball of a time and the audience too will be left laughing out loud at his over-the-top shenanigans as the Russian equivalent of Captain America, who is full of himself. Rachel, too, is spectacular which doesn't come as much a surprise, tackling her motherly instincts hindered by a calculative approach. The foursome makes for a hilarious, catastrophic family which somehow makes sense. Their dinner spectacle is a comic delight.

What is an MCU movie without its thrill-seeking action, and with vibes similar to that of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Black Widow aces these fast and furious sequences with physical ease. While the final battle is as dramatically chaotic as one can imagine, it's the more minimally intricate, cornered ones that are my personal favourite; Nat and Yelena fight-laced greeting and especially, Nat's first encounter with Taskmaster are exemplary examples. Even Nat and Yelena's dangerous mission to break Alexei out of a Russian prison has the spunky, fun element induced. It was refreshing to see limited CGI used in a superhero movie, adding relatable realism. Gabriel Beristain's ambitious cinematography enabled the viciousness of the fight scenes (the riveting car chase sequence being a fine example!), Leigh Folsom Boyd and Matthew Schmidt's unruly editing may lead to a bit of a headache.

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Particularly, it was Lorne Balfe ominous score that added more depth to Nat's backstory, interlaced with moody, unconventional picks like Think Up Anger's cover of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit along with classics like Don McLean's American Pie and Sia's Cheap Thrills added to the mix.

In finality, just like how Bruce Wayne is equally an interesting character sketch as Batman, Black Widow is more about Natasha Romanoff than just her beloved alter-ego. This equates to a terrific swan song for an always-cherished MCU character while making way for new ones like Yelena Belova to shine in the future.