Scarlett Johansson starrer ‘Black Widow’ ticks off all the boxes that make it a perfect summer blockbuster. High-speed car chases, tons of explosive actions and a glamorous cast with a sprinkle of traditional Marvel humour into the mix. While the film has its fair share of minus points, Marvel’s spot-on casting is what keeps the audience hooked till the end.
While we were aware of Black Widow’s tragic fate in Avengers: Endgame, her mysterious backstory definitely kept us on our toes for the latest flick. And it’s safe to say that the film does deliver, for the most part at least.
Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Rachel Weisz (Melina Vostokoff) and David Harbour (Red Guardian) are absolute delights to watch every time they are on screen. Not to mention Scarlett Johansson carries on her classic Black Widow charm.
Black Widow is the second woman-led Marvel film after Captain Marvel (2019) but is much more entertaining than its predecessor. Being the first Marvel film to hit theatres since 2019 meant a lot would be riding on this film. While it isn’t one of the better Marvel movies we have seen, it still manages to hold out on its own.
The majority of the story takes place after the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016). The film highlights that Natasha is on the run from the government and the Avengers have pretty much disbanded due to the fallout from the events of the Sokovia Accords. The spy-thriller Bondesque film has enough twists and turns to keep us entertained.
Black Widow has also crossed a notable milestone in the box office by grossing $200 million globally. Which, going by Marvel’s standards isn’t much, but it’s still a decent figure in the pandemic.
Unfortunately, like a lot of Marvel movies in the past, the villain, falls short once again. Ray Winstone (Dreykov) and Olga Kurylenko (Taskmaster) both have poor characters arc, a weak backstory and a plethora of plot holes.
The film’s post-credit scene brings back Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Valentina Allegra de Fontaine) from The Falcon and The Winter Solider as she recruits Yelena for a mission to kill Clint Barton. This may probably be followed up Hawkeye’s show on Disney Plus.
Black Widow is now out in theatres and is also available for streaming on Disney Plus for $30.
Final Verdict: 3.7 stars (out of 5)