Black Widow Review

Привет Камрад! Let’s talk about Черная вдова, Black Widow (I hope I did that correctly, if not then please correct me I have been studying Russian in the recent months and am giving it shot, but I digress).

The film opens up in Ohio with a young mother Melina (played by Rachel Weisz) and two daughters Natasha Romanoff (played by Ever Gabo Anderson) and Yelena (played by Violet McGraw). The family heads in for dinner and the father (played by David Harbour) arrives; and he brings uncertain news. There’s a promise to his daughters that they are going on an adventure but the mother is reluctant but knows what must be done. The family escapes off into action by just nearly missing the police because they have an hour to pack up their family, get to an airport and fly off into the night without their belongings; not even a bug out bag. The police find them at the airport and this moment breaks into a the beginning of what Natasha played by Scarlet Johansson is truly about. During the preparation to take off the father stays behind and reveals that he has super human strength. The mother begins to speed up the plane for take off but when the officers begin shooting they nearly hit Natasha as a child and hits the mother. The airplane veers off the runway while the father is shooting at the officers as well as running to jump on top of the plane. Natasha is forced to take over flying the plane with wounded guidance from her mother; they barely escape but they do. Immediately after landing, Melina is rushed to the medics and the father who is actually the Red Guardian promising his daughters that everything would be ok. When Natasha realizes the family is about to be separated she grabs the gun of a soldier and threatens to kill them if they touch her sister. After the father’s promise both girls are put to sleep. The audience is greeted with a dark introduction of human trafficking to gain perspective of her childhood and what others have experienced by the request of General Dreykov.

Years go by and Shostakov is imprisonments in Russia while Natasha defects S.H.I.E.L.D. After bombing Dreykov’s office in Budapest killing Dreykov and his daughter Antonia; a plan she put together with Hawk Eye. Natasha becomes a fugitive after breaching the Sokovia Accords Framework For the Registration and Deployment of Enhanced Individuals. When she escapes from the U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (played by William Hurt and responsible for the super soldier project in the U.S.) she flees to a safe house in Norway that is supplied by New Yorker Rick Mason son of Phineas Mason.

During Natasha’s tribulations her sister Belova kills a rogue former Black Widow. The fight scene is quick but does not leave you wanting more or needing less. During Yelena Belova is delivering the final blow the rogue widow releases a red synthetic gas that neutralizes Yelena; completely breaking her from a mind controlling agent. Yelena learns about what is happening with the widows and sends an antidote vial and a photo of them as kids to Natasha due to her Avenger status; and goes to hide in Budapest.

Natasha is unknowingly driving a car with the vials isn’t it and then the introduction to the anti-hero/villain of the film; Red Room agent Taskmaster who begins attacking her. During the attack the audience witnesses Taskmaster throwing the shield exactly like Captain America and going into a well played fight with Natasha which introduces the idea that Task Master mimics whoever they are fighting. Let’s pause for a second.

Taskmaster is a Marvel who is generally out for themselves. Taskmaster appeared in the 1980’s demonstrating photographic capabilities at the cost of their long and short term memory. Taskmaster is a male named Tony Masters; whom is believed to be born and raised from Da Bronx. While watching television Tony realizes he has the capabilities to mimic everything they were doing very well. After being psychologically evaluated, Tony began to abuse his abilities for personal gain growing up. After growing he began to mimic superheroes and eventually created their costume with a white cowl and skull. He has been an adversary to Captain America, Ant-Man and Spiderman; but usually portrayed as a hired gun by numerous criminal organization to train in fighting.

Natasha fights Task Master but keeps it short and simple; especially after realizing her sister’s message is coming from Budapest. Tracking down Yelena leads the sisters to break into sibling rivalry of trying to hurt each other but not; even choking each other at the same time with the same curtain. Once the two have cooled off Yelena reveals that Natasha has not truly killed General Dreykov and the Red Room is very much still active. There’s tension between the sisters that is mixed with mischief, love and anger; especially for being left behind by Natasha. Widows and Taskmaster break into Yelena’s home and we watch the chase. It is enjoyable to watch the sibling rivalry between the sisters mixed with their mission conversation; like how Yelena makes fun of Natasha for being a “poser” and whipping her hair up whenever she does something heroic.

Natasha and Yelena meet up with Mason who supplies them with a helicopter; because we all need friends like this. The pair decide to break their father out Shostakov/Red Guardian to learn about Dreykov’s location; which leads them to Vostokoff who lives on a small farm outside of Saint Petersburg. During the prison break we learn how much in love with himself The Red Guardian is because he is sent a toy of himself and is absolutely fascinated; until he realizes there is a message inside. It is evident that the Red Guardian chose to stay in prison and could have broken out at any time. Yelena looks at the chaos around them and comments how it is a good way to die. When the trio arrive to the farm immediately Red Guardian’s socially awkward personality shines and he begins asking Natasha like a fan boy if Captain America ever talked about him. It takes Natasha a minute to realize he is serious and becomes angry because as their father he had abandoned her and Yelena at a young age for the government. At the farm they meet their mother Vostokoff, they had no idea that she was still alive because the last they saw of her was that she was shot and was taken away from them as soon as they landed in Cuba; right before Natasha and Yelena went through Dreykov’s widow abuse. They learn about a mind controlling chemical that is used on the widows. During a brief dinner moment Shostakov’s socially awkward fun kicks in again. He struggles in the bathroom to put on his old uniform and swears it still fits him properly. He sits next to his daughters and wife only to immediately gross out the “kids” by telling the wife “You know I’ve been in prison for many years and i have a lot of energy”. As much as they are fighting about their imperfect family, it is easy to see the dysfunctional family unit still as a family and be relatable because of their dysfunctional aspect. Rapidly we learn that Vostokoff alerts Dreykov about whose at the farm and the agents come in to take them.

Shostakov is in a glass prison next to Natasha, Yelena is tied up on a table and Vostokoff is talking to Dreykov. During conversation we learn that Natasha convinced Vostokoff to help them kill Dreykov and the pair used face mask technology to switch places. The Red Guardian is baring his soul to who he thinks is Natasha but it is actually his wife who frees him in the midst of his dramatic woes. Vostokoff with Dreykov is actually Natasha in the official Red Room, an aerial facility to keep out of sight; Yelena learns Vostokoff planted a knife in her belt and she begins to free herself.

Dreykov sees through Natasha’s disguise and reveals that Taskmaster is his daughter Antonia; whom Natasha blew up when she was trying to kill Dreykov. The guilt Natasha has had over Antonia slowly turns into rage. Dreykov continues his villain soliloquy about his obligation to put technology in Antonia’s head but she is also unable to make her own decisions.

Let’s veer off a little bit. I understand this film was to be female empowering and I can work with Taskmaster being a female BUT the origin story change is what throws off comic readers; particularly the key point that Taskmaster copies people because of their capabilities NOT because of technology. Sure they can be a hired gun for criminal organization and working for Dreykov but Taskmaster truly is only interested in themselves. The skill that makes Taskmaster is dependent on technology and that changes a characters depth, choices and means anyone with the technology can be Taskmaster opposed to the character being as original as they are, but I digress.

Dreykov is confident about Natasha that he chooses to send Taskmaster/Antonia to handle the rest of the family. Natasha tells him that was a mistake and the viewers learn about a pheromone the Widows are programmed with which stops them from killing him. His arrogance oozes out and we see Natasha was warned about this from Vostokoff during their planning. Dreykov begins his villain tirade and reveals how many widows he truly has and how he calls them. I thought this was interesting because it represented a patriarchal perspective of how the patriarchy leans to control women; without rubbing it in your face. Natasha breaks her nose and severs the olfactory nerves in her nasal passage and punches Dreykov in the face.

We flash to Taskmaster walking up on Shostakov and Vostokoff talking and Vostokoff takes off. Shostakov doesn’t realize his beloved left him with them and the battle begins. Vostokoff takes out one of the facility’s engines even after being blocked by Dreykov. Taskmaster catches up only to be locked in a cell by Vostokoff. Yelena is looking for the widows so she can use a gas to “free” them from the chemical in their brain. During her search when she falls from the vents she grosses herself out when she lands like her sister and flips her hair up as a pose; continuing the sibling mockery.

Due to Natasha being able to hit Dreykov he panics and his the red button which calls all of the widows to save him. The widows arrive and protect Dreykov and he takes off to save himself. Natasha begins fighting the widows even though she doesn’t want to and truly came there to save them. Natasha is finally taken down and on the floor while the widows all take turns beating her to a pulp when Yelena runs into the room and sets off a small bomb with the antidote. The widows stop attacking Natasha and begin to run as the Red Room aerial facility begins to fall apart. As everyone runs, Natasha stays behind for a second to reveal she took Dreykov’s ring that controlled the panel for the widows. Dreykov realizes his ring is missing last minute and Natasha begins uploading a “virus” to get rid of the program and free all of the widows in the world.

The on going Marvel action sequence of Natasha barely escaping death we see that when her and Yelena are in a position to survive safely; Natasha follows her character’s natural choice of self sacrifice to save her sister. This is important because it is consistent with what she did when she jumped to save Hawk Eye. We see fragments of the Red Room destroyed and falling from the sky. Vostokoff and Shostakov escape on a plane but Yelena sees Dreykov about to escape and she sacrifices herself to destroy the aircraft. During Yelena’s free fall, Natasha take a parachute and jumps after her sister and proceeds to do the family tradition of self sacrifice. After landing Natasha survives only to meet Taskmaster again but frees her after fighting to get her mask off and give her one of the antidotes. Antonia is free and appreciative to the motion. Yelena appears from her parachute and Natasha gives her the other surviving antidote and the other locations of the other mind controlled widows to free them.

Sirens blare off in the distance and Vostokoff, Shostakov, Yelena and Taskmaster say their goodbye to Natasha. Two weeks later Mason supplies Natasha with a Quinjet to use in freeing the imprisoned Avengers. Post-credits, Yelena is grieving after her sister only to be met with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine who insinuates her sisters death is the fault of Clint Barton; and gives Yelena the assignment to kill him.

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This film was a lot of fun. I personally enjoyed the Red Guardian the most because of his socially awkwardness as a father and hero; and the sibling arguments between Natasha and Yelena. The actors did an amazing job and it felt like a true dysfunctional family who love each other but they all have their own selfish habits. The female empowerment aspect of this film was etched into it without it being shoved down your throat; unlike Marvel’s Captain Marvel that even for me as a feminist found the film to be doing too much. The characters were fun and they were more than just being “sexy”. DC’s Wonderwoman held the similar themes of feminism without it being force fed. It is also great to see Scarlett embody a character who cares so much about freeing women from the patriarchy; and considering the charities and philanthropic behavior she brought an element of herself into Natasha Romanoff that made the film absolutely amazing. The whole cast was amazing! Спасибо за чтение. до свидания Comrade ^_^