Black Widow

Directed by Cate Shortland is this standalone adventure from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It takes place just after Captain America Civil War and, via a brief flashback introduction to the young Natasha and her early life with her sister Yelena and family, we find Natasha Romanov (Scarlett Johannson) on the run to Norway. When there she is hunted down by mysterious assailant after which she decides it’s time to be reunited with her sister (Florence Pugh) a highly trained assassin who is also on the run after discovering her own dark secret. Together they decide to embark on a sisterly adventure to exploit Yelena’s secret and correct what she has discovered. Hopefully that’s a spoiler free enough synopsis!

Let’s get straight to it, I really enjoyed Black Widow. It works well as a self contained film and delivers the kind of things Marvel get so right, full speed action adventure with enough of a light touch to allow its 2hr15 run time to be pretty much drag free.

It is perhaps more Bond/Bourne than classic Superhero fare, packed full of mystery, breathtaking action set pieces, overly powerful villains and of course globetrotting across dramatic locations. It particularly shines in an almost non stop set of action sequences for the first 40 or so minutes.

Johannsson brings her Black Widow A-game but it’s fair to say she is upstaged on more than one occasion by Pugh who steals much of the movie with her dry wit and putdowns of her sisters Avenger stardom. While David Harbour’s Alexie probably helps to steal the other bits. Alongside that, Rachel Wiesz’s Melina offers the redemption story.

Within all the action there is a story about empowerment of women and their manipulation by those in power, which is done sometimes subtly, sometimes not so much. But this isn’t a film grandstanding a message, it is delivering exactly what is expected from Marvel, a well written, well directed, well performed action film.

Blockbusters are going to be significant in the return of cinema and what we need them to be is an enjoyable spectacle. For me Black Widow hits that mark perfectly and feels like a great sign off for Johannson and hopefully a beginning for Pugh. Because let’s face it Florence Pugh’s Yelena feels like a character we need more of!