Film Review: BLACK WIDOW

BACKGROUND: The "Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)" was created by Marvel Comics editor and writer Stan Lee, writer Don Rico, and artist Don Heck, and debuted in Tales of Suspense #52, published in April 1964. Along with many other Russian female orphans, Natasha Romanova was biotechnologically and psycho-technologically enhanced, trained, and brainwashed as a covert "Black Widow" Russian spy. However, after learning the truth of her origin, she later defected to the United States, became a agent of the spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and eventually a member of the superhero team, the Avengers.

THE STORY: This Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film begins after the events of "Captain America: Civil War (2016)", with the Black Widow a fugitive for violating the Sokovia Accords, which required - (supposedly) for the good of society - all individuals with superpowers and/or enhanced skills, abilities, or technology to register, to be assessed, and to be monitored and regulated. Much like requiring all individuals to be vaccinated for COVID-19, the loss of individual "freedom" did not sit well with every superhero.

So, the Black Widow went on the run, which eventually lead her back to her fake Russian family (including an abundance of useless fight scenes, special effects, yada, yada, yada), and the ultimate objective of the story: to stop a narcissistic and ruthless leader of a covert Russian agency from using an international ring of brainwashed female super-spies (Black Widows) from taking over the world.

Hum? Doesn't this plot seem . . . familiar?

Well, it should.

Beginning with "Dr. No," in 1962 and the consecutive success of the next three-(3) films in the James Bond film franchise, "In Like Flint" was released in 1967 as an American spy-science fiction comedy film that starred James Coburn as super-spy, Derek Flint. Flint's objective: To stop an international ring of brainwashed female super-spies from taking over the world. Watch the trailer below.

Yes, most, but not all, of the technical aspects and special effects in "Black Widow," released in 2021, are clearly superior to than those in "In Like Flint," which was released fifty-four-(54) years ago in 1967. However, "In Like Flint" is much more engaging, more watchable, more fun, more exciting, and the story, which was largely impromptu, is also much better than the extremely predictable, color-within-the-lines MCU playbook. For example, fights and action sequences should serve a purpose to the story, to ideally lead to or impact a worthy conclusion of some sort, but "Black Widow" has our heroine in frequent perilous situations but with absolutely no immediate threat to her actual death; therefore, why waste our time with CGI content that does not develop the story or prompt the viewer to become personally involved in the fate of heroine?

Most importantly, it was a terrible mistake to begin this story after the events of "Captain America: Civil War," because "we" don't care about the past, and at best, Natasha Romanoff's activities during this period is best handled as a five-(5) minute flashback sequence and NOT by spending over two-(2) hours watching highly predictable super-power gymnastics, gesturing, and derring-do.

Instead, film would have been far more engaging if the opening sequence began with the Black Widow's apparent death in "Avengers: End Game," and launching the appearance of Thanos' greatest adversary, Adam Warlock. In the Marvel Comic book, Warlock was the "key" player in the "Infinity War Saga," and it was just dumb, stupid that Marvel NEVER introduced Warlock into the MCU. Just like the Vision, Warlock actually has the Infinity "Soul Gem" embedded into his forehead, and he uses this stone to take souls! Get it. Warlock has the power to bring Romanoff back to life by replacing her soul. Then, with Romanoff back to life, what's next? Does she pursue her romantic interests with Bruce "The Incredible Hulk" Banner? Does she partner with Adam Warlock to fight other threats to the universe? What?

Scarlett Johansson's performance appeared weary and heavy-laden, which weighed heavy on the overall tone of the film. Florence Pugh as Romanoff's sister, Yelena Belova, stole the show, and arguably, appeared more as "the lead" and not as a subordinate character. This poorly scripted film wasted Rachel Weisz's talent, and equally disappointing, David Harbour as Alexei (The Red Guardian) functioned more as a buffoon than as a "serious" character who's supposed to mirror the superhero prowess of Marvel's Captain America.

Direction by Cate Shortland was totally Marvel-by-the-numbers-action-based-sequencial-visual-storytelling. Editing was crisp but predictable. Instead of a briskly paced film lasting approximately ninety-(90) minutes, film has a pedestrian, pseudo-epic running length of two-(2) hours and fourteen-(14) minutes that should have been trimmed by fourty-four-(44) minutes.

Adam Warlock

RECOMMENDATION: The best "platform" for this character is a short-term, eight-(8) to ten-(10) episodic series on Disney+, such as "Loki" or similar Marvel series streamed on Netflix, such as "Luke Cage" and "Daredevil." As produced, directed, written, and performed this "Black Widow" is not worthy of a theatrical release. Instead, for a more enjoyable experience and for only $3.99 on Vudu, Prime Video, or Roku watch "In Like Flint."

STARRING

DIRECTED / WRITTEN / PRODUCED BY EDITED / CINEMATOGRAPHY / ART BY

Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff
Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
Rachel Weisz as Melina
David Harbour as Alexei
Ray Winstone as Dreykov
Ever Anderson as Young Natasha
Violet McGraw as Young Yelena
O-T Fagbenle as Mason
William Hurt as Secretary Ross
Olga Kurylenko as Antonia / Taskmaster
Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Young Antonia
Liani Samuel as Lerato
Michelle Lee as Oksana
Lewis Young as Scientist Morocco 1
C.C. Smiff as Scientist Morocco 2
Nanna Blondell as Ingrid

Plus, twenty-three-(23) actresses
as Black Widows

Directed by
Cate Shortland

Screenplay by
Eric Pearson

Story by
Jac Schaeffer
Ned Benson

Based on the Marvel Comic
Book Character created by
Stan Lee, writer
Don Rico, writer
Don Heck, artist

Line Produced by
Zakaria Alaoui, Morocco
Per Henry Borch, Norway
Leifur B. Dagfinnsson, Norway
Howard Ellis, Hungary
Adam Goodman, Hungary

Co-Produced by
Mitchell Bell
Brian Chapek

Associate Produced by
Jamie Christopher

Produced by
Kevin Feige, P.G.A.

Executive Produced by
Victoria Alonso
Louis D'Esposito
Nigel Gostelow
Scarlett Johansson
Brad Winderbaum

Edited by
Leigh Folsom Boyd
Matthew Schmidt

Cinematography by
Gabriel Beristain, Director of photography

Art Direction by
Thomas Brown, Supervising Art Director
Jann K. Engel, Additional Photography
Stephen Wong, Digital Art Director
Jim Barr
Oliver Carroll
Connery Davoodian
Chris 'Flimsy' Howes
John Snow
Mike Stallion
Mark Swain
Clint Wallace