Black Widow (2021)

This is a wondrous, hilarious goodbye to Natasha that might be 2021’s funniest film, thanks to perfect comic timing from Johansson and strong additions from Pugh, Weisz and Harbour. The film celebrates diverse body types and women’s agency while delivering satisfying fights.

The critic calls it a stellar vehicle for Johansson with first-rate support from Pugh, Weisz and Harbour, praising Shortland's propulsive direction, humor, emotional interludes and shift into espionage thriller territory with strong family dynamics.

The critic praises the film as a sublime, exhilarating spy romp that benefits from being free of the Avengers, with Florence Pugh as its secret weapon who brings soul and heart. It singles out the family dynamics and character work for praise.

The long-overdue solo movie delivers action and emotion as a rousing addendum to Johansson’s MCU story. It succeeds in injecting emotion into the backstory while foregrounding intimate character moments amid non-stop action.

The review finds it a solid, quaint Bourne-meets-Marvel romp that gets the job done with effective banter and fights between Johansson and Pugh.

The review calls it an enjoyable adventure about messed-up families that fulfils cravings for big-screen action. It praises the energetic set-pieces and Pugh’s charismatic performance but complains that it loses standalone value with plotlines added to set up future films.

The critic finds the film highly enjoyable as a standalone MCU episode that delivers the long-overdue backstory for Black Widow, with strong comic turns and family dynamics. It singles out David Harbour’s scene-stealing Red Guardian for particular praise.

The critic praises the satisfying mix of muscle, emotion and spy-movie influences, especially the dynamic between Johansson and Pugh. It singles out the vigorous fight scenes and humour for praise while noting flaws including a sluggish final act and overlong runtime.

The critic highlights the film's focus on chosen family dynamics among the assassins and the strong rapport between Johansson and Pugh as highlights amid the action.

The review finds the film bewildering in execution but singles out its final stretch for exploring atonement and a different resolution to revenge, giving the heroine more humanity.

The film is a pleasure as an inessential character piece that gives Natasha a past and a soulful, funny requiem. It humanises the Widow through strong family dynamics and creative action sequences despite a silly plot.

The review highlights the film as a refreshing change with strong performances from Johansson and Pugh, noting its human fight scenes and droll supporting turns. It singles out the sibling dynamic and Pugh’s audition as a future Marvel star for praise.

The film confirms Black Widow could have carried her own movie long ago, with strong performances especially from Florence Pugh and tight action choreography echoing classic spy films. It is a sleek, character-rich MCU entry that enriches the franchise despite some third-act clutter.

The film is grittier and more layered with feeling than expected, with Shortland establishing a deliberate, earthbound mood closer to neorealism. Scarlett Johansson holds it together with soul while Florence Pugh shines as the cooler, more jaded sister.

The review finds it a relatively fun Marvel-meets-Jason-Bourne adventure with laughs and heart. It singles out Florence Pugh’s breakout performance for praise while complaining of strange beats, thin characterisation and missed opportunities that keep it from being a classic.

The review calls the film briskly enjoyable in its espionage and action elements but argues it fails to earn real gravitas from its darker themes. It singles out the limitations of the Marvel formula when tackling serious subject matter for complaint.

The critic describes it as a barbed farewell to Natasha that critiques the character while introducing Yelena, noting serviceable action and self-reflexive elements but viewing it as a narrative cul-de-sac.

The critic calls it an energetic placeholder in the MCU that proves diverting rather than gripping. It praises muscular action and some performances but singles out the lack of inventiveness, stakes and a story that lets Johansson truly shine for complaint.

The critic finds that Black Widow fails to balance low-key pseudo-familial bickering with conventional CGI-smashing action set-pieces. It singles out the stronger mid-film prison-break avalanche sequence for praise while noting that fantastical elements clash with the generally sombre tone.

Shortland brings intensity to the action but the film feels programmed into submission by the Marvel machine, turning an overdue solo adventure into both a treat and a missed opportunity. Johansson is treated as a franchise afterthought in a story that homogenizes its talents.

The film is fun to watch with solid storytelling and thrilling action but loses the essence of the story in the middle and absorbs independent talent without allowing it to shine. Marvel’s chokehold results in a visually interchangeable product that is very little else.

The movie uncomfortably mashes a family reunion story with a spy thriller and lets Scarlett Johansson get overshadowed by Florence Pugh. It is an overdue but uneven solo outing for the character.

The critic calls it a surprisingly adventurous spin-off that serves as a palate cleanser, praising the new cast members especially Pugh and Harbour for their chemistry and humor in the family dynamic, and notes it cycles through various tones successfully for a fun experience.

The film is treated more as a vehicle to introduce new characters than a deep dive into Natasha Romanoff, resulting in a baton-passing effect. It works best as Marvel’s take on a 007-style spy adventure, with capable women in front of and behind the camera, strong action set pieces, witty banter, and standout performances from Florence Pugh and the supporting cast.

The film is a solid mid-tier Marvel entry focused on family dynamics and well-staged action, serving as a victory lap for Johansson and a star vehicle for Pugh. It falters in the third act with clichéd plotting and villains.

The critic praises the film as a thrilling swansong for Natasha, highlighting its action, humor, emotional nuance, and focus on family dynamics, especially the relationship with Yelena. It notes some typical Marvel pitfalls in the final act but concludes it does justice to the character.

The critic finds Black Widow a welcome return to the MCU despite inconsistencies, praising its thrills, wit, action, and performances especially by Johansson and Pugh. They single out the sisterly bond and Shortland's assured direction for praise, while noting some uneven supporting performances and narrative issues in the final act.

The critic views it as a disappointment and too little too late, praising Florence Pugh's performance and the fight scenes directed by Shortland, but complaining that it squanders potential by crowding the story and not giving Natasha enough focus.

The review finds it almost the movie Natasha deserves but not quite, praising the performances of Pugh, Weisz, and Harbour for elevating the story, but criticizes it for glossing over dark themes and feeling like standard MCU fare with emotional shortcuts.

Black Widow delivers calorie-free entertainment with strong performances from Pugh but suffers from familiar spy-thriller weaknesses, weak villains, and excessive plot contrivances. It works best as a bridge to future MCU entries.