But Shortland does not skimp on the action - the first 40 minutes or so of the 2 hour and 13 minute film are almost nonstop harrowing chases. There’s not much more to the plot than Natasha’s mission. More Marvel: Tom Hiddleston makes 'Loki,' on Disney+, worth it The movie has fun with MCU tropes, like the Iron Man landing She’s good, but it’s a tough task - among other things, Dreykov had developed a sort of super solider that can mimic the moves of its opponent. There are a lot of twists, fights and chase scenes, but everything boils down to this: Natasha intends to kill Dreykov. A leaker who claims to know Marvel’s MCU Phase 4 plans going forward said that Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow would make an appearance in an upcoming movie in the most unexpected way. It’s run by Dreykov (Ray Winstone), a heartless man who has developed a way to control free will.Įvents conspire to lead Natasha to Yelena, now played by Johansson and Pugh. It involves the Red Room, a Russian training program where Black Widows are created through brainwashing and intense physical training. It’s difficult to say much about what happens next without giving too much away. A tense chase scene involving a plane, screeching cop cars and gunfire transpires and the next thing you know, they’re all in Cuba. One day Alexi comes home, confers with Melina and tells the girls it’s time for the big adventure they had always talked about. She lives with her sister, Yelena (Violet McGraw), and their parents, Alexi (David Harbour) and Melina (Rachel Weisz). She’s on the run, a fugitive.īut first we see her as a child in Ohio, in 1995 (played by Ever Anderson). The movie takes place after the events of “Captain America: Civil War.” Scarlett Johansson returns, of course, as Natasha Romanoff, or Black Widow. 'Black Widow' gives us the back story of Natasha Romanoff It’s also nice to see a movie with so much action not relying on an overdose of testosterone. It introduces us to a few new intriguing characters, as well. This may be a curious diversion in the franchise timeline given how things turned out in “Avengers: Endgame.” But the timeline is getting tinkered with more and more, as anyone who watches “Loki” on Disney+ can attest.Īnd the standalone film, directed by Cate Shortland, gives the character her due.

It’s all about family, with all the good and bad that implies. In “Black Widow,” the long-awaited, oft-delayed film about one of the MCU’s more intriguing characters, we go way back into her past and learn all about what made her so ruthless and relentless. Despite a strong presence in many of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, we’ve never known a whole lot about Black Widow.

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