Hm. I have very mixed feelings on this film, but I’ll start off with what worked. Scarlett Johansson. It’s no surprise that Johansson delivers yet another incredibly nuanced performance as the titular character. Having sang her praises many a time throughout the MCU and championing her as one of the better and more fleshed out characters I was excited to see how they’d add a much-needed backstory to this already dynamic and complex character. This is accomplished in the film, with it being set between Civil War and Infinity War we get to see Natasha at a crossroad with where her decisions in life have led her and I was super satisfied with the conclusion she makes, both about her families and managing to forgive herself.
Other than Johansson, we are also treated to two incredible performances from Florence Pugh and David Harbour. The latter delivering a great comedic relief in the form of a goofy Soviet Union knockoff Captain America while also managing to add some sweetness and heart in some touching scenes. But Florence fricken Pugh. She steals the show. It’s no surprise as Pugh is an incredible actress but here she manages to elevate the entire film with her touching heart-to-heart moments with Natasha, pure iconic lines and expert wit, charm and heart. Marvel have been killing the game lately with there unique duos and Johansson and Pugh can be added to the list. The film truly shines when these two are able to bounce of each other, whether emotionally or comedically, they have such a magnetic chemistry that’s so fun to watch. My favourite scene from the film is when they both sit down to have beers precisely for all these reasons. I’m sad we won’t see this duo again.
Technically, this film is a feat in certain aspects. The fight choreography is stunning and is up there with CA:TWS. This is no surprise as Black Widow has often had some of the best choreographed scenes in the MCU but there are multiple scenes I can point to here where I was enthralled by the action. The score also was really great, especially in these action scenes, it added to the sense of how threatening the people the heroes were facing were.
Ok. On to the stuff I didn’t love so much. THE THIRD ACT. This really angered me as in the first two acts what had been set up was so interesting and full of heart. The first two acts felt different to what we’ve seen in the MCU before, it was directed and shot with a different energy that helped the film feel separate but still a part of the wider MCU. Also it felt far more intimate than a lot of the other films. Then it all comes crashing down (literally) and becomes a generic CGI battle. The CGI also being noticeable bad in a lot of places in the final act battle. It was disappointing to see as the other set pieces were super fun and visually looked good to amazing and was balanced with smaller moments focused on characters. Then to have a more typical action ending felt like a missed opportunity to do something special.
The pacing of the film was a little odd too. I loved how non-stop the first half felt but once we meet Natasha’s mum it feels like the film halts until the final act. Yes, this allowed us to dig deeper into the family dynamic a bit more, but I wish this was balanced better. Having a few more of the intimate scenes that were character focused would’ve really enhanced this film as it’s what the film was best at.
Also the egregious use of a slow version of Smells Like Teen Spirit over the opening credits was horrible. It was tonally awful and that took away from anything happening in those credits.
The villains that seem to be getting a lot of criticism didn’t bother me. I really enjoyed Dreykov and how he tied to Natasha’s overall story and while Taskmaster was a little wasted I again loved how they tied into Natasha’s story as a whole. The fight scenes with Taskmaster were super fun and also the conclusion they come to and how that motivates Natasha’s character going forward I loved.
While this isn’t the greatest movie in the world, it’s still incredibly fun and adds more background to Natasha’s character which I’m a fan off. I’m disappointed though, this could’ve been so much more but I’m happy with a lot of the things we got.
The end credit scene was so touching and also was a huge hype moment, I can’t wait for what it’s setting up.
★★★1/2
