BLERD AT THE MOVIES
Honestly, I'd rather watch a series about Black Widow wiping out the red in her ledger over the one where Loki meets nine hundred of his alt-universe selves. Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in Marvel Studios' The Avengers (Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Marvel Studios, 2012) Hiya; long time no see! Welcome back to (At Home With) Blerd at the Movies. Although movie theaters are reopened and gearing up for the summer movie season, I'm not ready to head back to the theater just yet. Until then, I'll be watching movies mostly at home. In case you don't know (and now you do!), this is where I share what movies I've been watching while socially distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today's edition: After a few pandemic-related delays, Black Widow has finally arrived in theaters (and on Disney Plus, for the folks who don't feel comfortable returning to the theater yet). It took years to finally get Natasha her own standalone film, but it's finally happened. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally declassified its dossier on one of its most enigmatic characters-- several years too late. Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in Marvel Studios' Black Widow (Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Marvel Studios, 2021) Title: Black Widow Where to Watch: In theaters or on Disney Plus via its Premier Access feature (additional fee required). The Pitch: Set in between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, Black Widow follows the titular super-spy/Avenger (played for the final time by Scarlett Johansson) as she confronts the darker parts of her ledger when her past comes back to haunt her. Pursued by a relentless force determined to take her down by any means, Natasha must not only confront her checkered past as a spy but also the broken relationships she left in her wake long before becoming an Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Reader beware... you're in for some light spoilers. Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova in Marvel Studios' Black Widow (Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Marvel Studios, 2021) I'll admit: I wasn't onboard with a Black Widow movie when it was first announced. Part of it has to do with the simple fact that I'm not really a fan of how Natasha Romanoff has been depicted on the big screen. I don't blame Scarlett Johansson; after all, she's just portraying the character as written on the page. Rather, Disney and Marvel Studios are the target of my ire. For over ten years, Natasha has been depicted as more of a sexpot super spy with a malleable identity and small hints of a checkered past littered throughout her various film appearances. Considering what we know about Joss Whedon now, it's not entirely surprising that, once the character wound up in his hands, Natasha felt more like a combo of Whedon's most beloved creation-- Buffy Summers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- and one of his more squicky female leads -- Echo of Dollhouse -- when we saw her in 2012's The Avengers. By the time Captain America: The Winter Soldier came around, Joe and Anthony Russo were given the task of reinventing Natasha so she could be less like a stock Whedon creation and more like an original character. Unfortunately, as time went on, Natasha got the short-end of the stick. Her appearances in Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War felt like glorified cameos, at best. At worst, she felt like an obligatory inclusion to the roster, someone who needs to be added so that A) fans of the character aren't enraged by her absence and B) audiences and fans don't (rightfully) criticize Marvel's poor track record of female representation. One could argue that if you were to cut Natasha out of said films, nothing would really change; that's how little she contributed to them. And then there's Endgame. Endgame was probably the first Avengers film to show Natasha come into her own as a character and a core team member. We'd seen glimpses of her abilities and personality in previous Avengers and Cap films, but rarely was her story and character given the time and space to flourish. Endgame saw Natasha struggle with the staggering ramifications of Thanos's snap, as well as fight to keep the team together when Tony and Steve were more than willing to walk away from it all in the name of "moving on." For the first time, Endgame showed how much the Avengers meant to Natasha, a woman robbed of her bodily autonomy, free will, and a family. In Age of Ultron, Whedon clumsily (and insultingly) insinuated that the only way Natasha could have a family of her own was by having a child but Endgame showed that she already had a family-- and she was willing to fight like hell to protect them. Sadly, the latter undid all that goodwill with Natasha's death. Like Infinity War, Endgame has a poor grasp of how to successfully kill off its characters. Both films are more concerned with creating deaths that solely aim to shock viewers into bawling their eyes out, and no character death is more exemplary of this than Natasha's. For the Avengers to get the Soul Stone and build their own Infinity Gauntlet that could reverse Thanos's snap, Natasha and Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, her longtime friend and fellow Avenger, are forced to make a harrowing decision: one of them must die to bring the Soul Stone back to the team. In the end, Natasha makes the ultimate sacrifice-- and her death becomes Endgame's version of the brutal (and unnecessarily traumatic) death of Tara Maclay of Buffy. To add insult to injury, whereas Tony gets a funeral attended by everyone-- including Harley Keener from Iron Man 3 --and Steve finally gets to have his dance with Peggy Carter, Natasha gets... nothing. (On the one hand, I get why she doesn't get a gut-wrenching funeral scene, but it feels like Natasha hasn't really been mourned yet. It's almost as if her death was just collateral damage, not just to the Avengers but to the writers responsible for that scene. If that doesn't communicate the ample amount of disrespect Natasha received during her time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then I don't know what will.) Normally, Marvel Studios does a good job adapting characters from the comics for live-action, save for a few outliers (e.g. Frank Castle/The Punisher, Patsy Walker/Hellcat, Hawkeye, Elektra, Whiplash, Malekith the Dark Elf, to name a few). Yet, Natasha's decade-long history of misuse within the Marvel Cinematic Universe feels the most egregious. Sure, Disney and Marvel Studios seem more committed to diversifying the franchise, but one can't help but feel that its motives are more financial-based rather than an actual attempt at authentic representation. Moreover, it's hard not to think of Black Widow as anything but a consolation prize. Despite the film's genuine efforts to give Natasha, her world, and her experiences the depth they all deserve, it's hard to shake the feeling that Black Widow exists to placate the fans who were deeply disappointed by Endgame's poor treatment of her -- and, by extension, almost all its female characters. This movie is what they get for sticking around in the end; after years of calling for not only a movie but for Disney and Marvel to do right by the character and the actress who portrays her, Black Widow is their response. Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in Marvel Studios' Black Widow (Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Marvel Studios, 2021) Now, all of this isn't to say that Black Widow is a terrible film. In fact, it's quite the opposite. After sitting through two Disney Plus shows, WandaVision (which I adored) and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (which I thought was meh), where the action was lackluster even by MCU standards, Black Widow brought the action I was craving from a Marvel Studios project. Although the action setpieces don't top Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which remains the gold-standard for Marvel movie action, Black Widow comes pretty damn close. In a way, the action is reminiscent of Atomic Blonde, another comic book movie adaptation revolving around a mysterious super-spy with a sharp wardrobe, vibrant hair color, and kick-ass fight moves. You can feel nearly every kick, punch, and slam thrown Natasha's way; the film doesn't shy away from the bruises, broken bones, and knife slashes she endures as she sets out to achieve her mission. It aligns the action with the gritty, street-level action of Netflix's now-defunct Defenders franchise, Marvel's first attempt at trying to replicate their big screen success on the small screen. For the first time since it started pushing out its altered 2021 slate, I feel confident saying that, action-wise, Marvel is back. As for Johansson, she once again shows she was the right choice to play Natasha, balancing the character's trademark cunning with shades of vulnerability. For the first time in her decades-long history in the franchise, Natasha Romanoff is finally allowed to be a flawed and complex person, one who bears the weight of her traumatic past at all times and struggles to reconcile the current version of herself with the varied persons she had to embody for Russia, S.H.I.E.L.D., and even the Avengers. Johansson does an impressive job highlighting Natasha's inner turmoil regarding the past lives she has lived and the harm she has caused under those numerous guises. What I love most about this movie is that it finally gives the actress the opportunity to flesh out the character in ways she never got to in previous films; whereas Natasha has been stagnant character-wise in the past, Black Widow actually gives her a character arc with depth and an opportunity to evolve without losing sight of what makes Natasha a damn good spy and a damn good Avenger. Johansson is also backed up by a strong supporting cast. Without a doubt, Florence Pugh (Little Women) is a standout as Yelena Belova, a young woman indoctrinated in the same horrific Widows program Natasha defected from long ago. Once upon a time, a young Yelena had to pose as Natasha's little sister as part of a mission, and, to her, that sisterly bond was felt real to her. Although the film doesn't spend a lot of time ruminating on Yelena's traumatic experiences (nor does it really force Natasha to consider how her defection to S.H.I.E.L.D. may have unintentionally caused more harm than she once thought), Pugh conveys the heartbreaking effect her Widow training has had on Yelena. One of the sadder yet understated scenes involves Yelena discussing an article of clothing she bought while riding around with Natasha; she mentions that, for the first time ever, she's able to buy her own clothes and, ultimately, do what she wants without fear of retaliation. It's a small scene that highlights the saddening impact of the Widows program robbing young women and girls of their ability to make their own choices. (I'd argue that it is more effective than any of the film's other heavy-handed attempts at addressing the traumatic experiences women endure at the hands of very powerful men who continue to escape punishment and accountability for their abusive and manipulative ways.) In addition to Pugh, David Harbour (No Sudden Move) is delightful as Alexei Shostakov, a.k.a. Red Guardian, the Russian equivalent to Captain America. Although Alexei spends a lot of his time boasting about the enemies he's faced as Red Guardian -- resulting in a delightful running gag about the (imaginary) rivalry between himself and Cap -- Harbour eventually peels back the character's misplaced confidence and ego to reveal how much Alexei cares about Yelena and Natasha, whom he betrayed when they were children, and his desire to make amends for his past misdeeds. I truly hope we get to see more of Alexei and Yelena in the future because not only does Yelena deserve to become the next Black Widow, Alexei deserves to go toe-to-toe with Cap, whether it be Sam (the rightful Cap) or John Walker (the U.S. Agent formerly known as the government-sanctioned Cap). Unfortunately, the one character we didn't get to see much of in this movie is Melina, portrayed by Rachel Weisz (Disobedience). Despite Weisz's solid performance, there isn't much to glean about Melina except for her ties to Natasha, Yelena, and the Red Room program. Once we learn how integral of a role Melina played in the sustaining of both the Widows program and the Red Room, it comes far too late in the film. Our attention is already on the climactic battle between Natasha, the Red Room's creator Dreykov (Ray Winstone), and Dreykov's superpowered enforcer the Taskmaster (a beloved Marvel character who's depiction drew mixed reactions from viewers). It's the handling of Melina's character, as well as the Taskmaster, that signifies Black Widow's biggest flaw: there's just too much story for one movie. Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova in Marvel Studios' Black Widow (Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Marvel Studios, 2021) Black Widow is such a fascinating character in the Marvel Comics Universe that no two Natasha-led stories are the same. Furthermore, there is so much more to Natasha's story that no one comics run can truly tackle it all. From Natasha's history with the Red Room and the KGB to her relationships with various Marvel characters, from the Winter Soldier to Daredevil, the Black Widow comics are chock-full of varied and compelling storylines. As a result, I don't think Natasha's adventures should have been limited to just one movie. (For the record, I don't blame director Cate Shortland, who does a great job here, for that. Rather, I blame Disney and Marvel Studios' corporate sexism and misogyny; that's what held Natasha back for so long. Had Kevin Feige and Disney taken a chance earlier on Johansson and Natasha Romanoff earlier, we'd be sitting here talking about the third film in the Black Widow series rather than the character's first and only film -- assuming Yelena isn't being primed for the Black Widow mantle.) Throughout the movie, we get references to the moral compromises Natasha had to make to defect to S.H.I.E.L.D (given what we know about the organization thanks to The Winter Soldier, it is no surprise that Natasha's defection didn't feel like a real shot at freedom) as well as her history in the Red Room and what the Widows program robbed of her, but they only amount to fleeting references in Black Widow. If you're walking into this movie expecting more info about, say, Clint and Natasha's mission in Budapest or Natasha's near-fatal run-in with the Winter Soldier, you'll be left disappointed. Much like previous MCU entries, Natasha's checkered past are rendered as mere footnotes. One could argue that the lack of elaborating on said past might just be reflective of Natasha's desire to leave the past behind for good, but Black Widow does leave a lot to the imagination regarding the many lives of Natasha Romanoff, the history of the Widows program, and the enigmatic Red Room. This is why I say Black Widow should have been a television series. The movie tries to pack so much story and history into a tight runtime that some cards it lays on the table wind up getting overlooked. Furthermore, certain characters -- such as the mysterious Taskmaster, a skilled mimic and marksmen with a tragic origin tied to Natasha's morally compromising choices -- are rendered as mere outlines as opposed to developed figures. Had Natasha and Co. been given the miniseries treatment, then viewers would be able to better understand key parts of Natasha's history and better feel the impact of what young girls lose when they're forced to submit to the Red Room. Additionally, they could take their time to absorbing the larger narrative and watching the characters grow and develop over the course of the story. As a movie, Black Widow stretches itself far too thin trying to put its key pieces on the board and move them in a cohesive way. Similar to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the film covers so much and so little all at once. In the end, Natasha's character arc moves quite quickly and resolves itself faster than when it began. In contrast, Yelena's character arc gets fleshed out at a more reasonable pace and, by the end of the film, audiences are left feeling that one chapter of her story has closed and a new one is about to begin. Given how television devotes more time to character, theme, and story, a Black Widow limited series could have likely satisfied fans' curiosity regarding the darker parts of Natasha's ledger while giving them enough time to say goodbye to the character they'd been following since Iron Man 2. A six-to-eight episode miniseries could have accomplished more than a near two-hour film could've, despite the cast and creative team's best efforts. When the credits came to a close, I was stuck with the feeling that Black Widow is more of an outlier in the MCU's 2021 slate-- and, by extension, the overall MCU. Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in Marvel Studios' Black Widow (Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Marvel Studios, 2021) As I said earlier, it's hard to view Black Widow as something other than a consolation prize. For years, fans of the character have been waiting for Natasha Romanoff to headline her own standalone adventure. (Not to mention, Johansson had been hunting for the perfect director to bring Natasha's first (and only) big screen solo outing to life for quite some time.) From what I recall, there had been whispers of a Black Widow film being planned since the character's first MCU appearance back in 2010. It took nearly eleven years for this film to finally happen, but it still feels incomplete and half-hearted. Part of this feeling may be due to how average the story is by MCU standards. It's not like I was looking for a mind-blowing Black Widow film (After all, I know good and well I'm not the target audience for this film; Black Widow fans will likely be more receptive than me), but I was looking for a film that at least felt more original. Blame it on WandaVision, but I'm tired of the MCU sticking to the basics story-wise and refusing to take a few risks now and again. Black Widow apes The Winter Soldier's shocking story twists and turns and Captain Marvel's manufactured feminist vibes, resulting in a final product that feels somewhat uninspired and heavy-handed. When it delves into Natasha's flawed found family and the resonating horrors of the Red Room, Black Widow finally comes to life and tells an original and slightly envelope-pushing story. Yet, this feeling is relatively small compared to the gnawing feeling that overtook my mind by the film's end. Considering that Disney is its parent company, Marvel Studios tends to put on a progressive mask that fails to hide the corporate misogyny -- among other issues -- that Disney tends to wade into, especially when it comes to giving its female characters, whether they be princesses, Jedis, or superheroes, their time in the sun. Marvel has a poor track record with female representation, and, despite the inclusion of major heroines like Captain Marvel and the Wasp, the studio still struggles with doing right by the women who populate the MCU. Natasha Romanoff was the MCU's first major female power player and, historically, she's been treated terribly. Black Widow may have a female director at the helm, a female writer responsible for the story concept, and badass women in front of the camera portraying dynamic and flawed female characters, but it doesn't make up for the fact that Natasha deserved better from the get-go. Disney and Marvel waited several years to finally make amends with that, only to give the character a film after she was given a disrespectful send-off where her death only served to motivate her male colleagues to re-commit to stopping Thanos for good. It just goes to show that even when Natasha comes out on top, she still gets short-changed in the long run. What did you think of Black Widow? Share your thoughts in the comments and make sure to follow Your Friendly Neighborhood Blerd on Instagram!
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