After all these years, Black Widow finally gets her own standalone movie and... it's okay. I actually found Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz to be entertaining additions, but the story felt cobbled together and it was riddled with plot holes. I know Natasha is a very skilled assassin, for instance, but she's almost invulnerable in this. It probably would have been better to give Black Widow her solo film a year or two after Iron Man 2 came out.
2,483 Reviews
It was OK--nothing more
preppy-317 July 2021
Black Widow ( Scarlett Johansson) must deal with a villain from her past and her long-absent family.
LOUD, confusing and far too long. It starts off OK but quickly falls apart and becomes confusing and convoluted. The film is also way too long--it doesn't need to run over 2 hours. There's also tons of CGI at the end--way too much. The acting is OK. In short a long forgettable MCU movie.
LOUD, confusing and far too long. It starts off OK but quickly falls apart and becomes confusing and convoluted. The film is also way too long--it doesn't need to run over 2 hours. There's also tons of CGI at the end--way too much. The acting is OK. In short a long forgettable MCU movie.
They Should've Had More of These From the Beginning
toseale31 July 2022
After many years and many movies, Black Widow, one of the original Avengers, finally got a movie. And while it wasn't anything groundbreaking, it was still a fun watch. Taking into consideration the splash of spy genre, a pack of new and interesting characters, plenty of action and intensity, I'd say this wasn't a bad movie. It's something exciting, while not totally memorable in the large expanse of the MCU. Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh both did great. David Harbor's character was good and definitely became a favorite in the movie, but I think he still has some things to unravel. The ending "big reveal" was kind of mediocre, but the final fight swept it under the rug mostly. Hopefully we'll get more of some of these characters in the future so they'll have the time they need to grow. Overall, if you haven't watched it and want a movie to watch while you're bored, I'd recommend this one.
Natasha Romanoff, aka "The Black Widow", finally gets to tell her story
AlsExGal21 August 2021
I was expecting a typical, CGI-infused Avenger movie, and it certainly is that. Black Widow, though, has a lot in common with James Bond movies. There's even a scene in which 007 is playing on TV. The Black Widow must stop a Russian General called Dreykov, a sort of SPECTRE czar megalomaniac who "rescues" unwanted girls and turns them into super assassins, called widows. Widows go through extensive training. A select few get chosen. The rest are killed. This makes Dreykov a monstrous misogynist, in a movie, directed by a woman, Cate Shortland, which has unmistakable feminist themes. There are two main Black Widows: Scarlett Johansson's character, and Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh. Belova is impulsive where Romanoff is introspective. The two are sisters only in that they grew up as part of a Russian cell, in an Ohio suburb, along with Rachel Weisz as their brilliant scientist mother, and David Harbour, as Red Guardian, Russia's version of Captain America, as the dad.
The action set pieces, and fight scenes were good, but no better or worse than your typical Marvel Avenger movie. There are the standard wisecracks, as Johansson and Pugh riff on each other. Yelena teases Natasha's signature landing move, with one arm extended behind, the other hand on the floor, and legs spread apart, a fighting stance Yelena finds diva-like and pretentious, and is disgusted with herself when performing the same pose. The chemistry between Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh is nimble and enjoyable. The scenes with David Harbour, arm wrestling people in a gulag prison, are also very funny. In summary, this is a solid, fun Marvel movie, with a hint we will be seeing more of Black Widow Yelena Belova.
The action set pieces, and fight scenes were good, but no better or worse than your typical Marvel Avenger movie. There are the standard wisecracks, as Johansson and Pugh riff on each other. Yelena teases Natasha's signature landing move, with one arm extended behind, the other hand on the floor, and legs spread apart, a fighting stance Yelena finds diva-like and pretentious, and is disgusted with herself when performing the same pose. The chemistry between Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh is nimble and enjoyable. The scenes with David Harbour, arm wrestling people in a gulag prison, are also very funny. In summary, this is a solid, fun Marvel movie, with a hint we will be seeing more of Black Widow Yelena Belova.
More Disney-isation of Marvel
gordon-mccrae15 July 2021
Marvel character finds a problem.
Marvel character calls some friends for help.
Marvel character finds out something they didn't know.
Marvel character seems to have lost.
Marvel character actually wins.
Yep, standard Disney/Marvel recipe complete, put it out for people to watch, make a load of cash, rinse and repeat.
I'm being really generous with my star rating because they had the guts to actually do a Black Widow movie.
Still better than either of the Wonder Woman (I WONDER why I watched them) movies, but that's not saying much.
It's like death and taxes now; there's bound to be an iffy Disney/Marvel movie or show along every six months or so. It's got to the point where it's like watching a soap opera because we're only still watching because we're invested in the characters.
Soon enough the "normal" people will stop watching because they're not invested in the characters in the first place.
Marvel character calls some friends for help.
Marvel character finds out something they didn't know.
Marvel character seems to have lost.
Marvel character actually wins.
Yep, standard Disney/Marvel recipe complete, put it out for people to watch, make a load of cash, rinse and repeat.
I'm being really generous with my star rating because they had the guts to actually do a Black Widow movie.
Still better than either of the Wonder Woman (I WONDER why I watched them) movies, but that's not saying much.
It's like death and taxes now; there's bound to be an iffy Disney/Marvel movie or show along every six months or so. It's got to the point where it's like watching a soap opera because we're only still watching because we're invested in the characters.
Soon enough the "normal" people will stop watching because they're not invested in the characters in the first place.
It Lacks Depth. But Nice Backstory
AngelHonesty9 December 2023
Yes, the movie is an average film. But I enjoyed it because finally, I get to see where Black Widow came from. It's nice to see some of what made her, her. It is a shame that they didn't get more into it. I think the movie really could have given us more about the ruthless training and experiences that Widow had to endure. A lot of the movie was implied but not shown.
The plot was simple. It was nice to have some new heroes and villains. I really liked the cast and the jokes were fun. But as I said before the plot is very simple. Pretty much about killing a guy, a guy that we really didn't know or have any bad feelings for because we barely even got to see the man being evil. The movie lacked on showing the power of the widows. They had very spaced out and very few scenes of them.
I did enjoy the sister dynamic of the two girls. It was fun to see them both in action and it was fun to see them bicker with each other. In a way it is a sad movie. With what happened in the previous film. Did it do the Black Widow Justice? Some. It really could have been better by showing more. It missed all the heart string moments. Giving us more of an eye candy film with not much depth.
"Your pain only makes you stronger"
The plot was simple. It was nice to have some new heroes and villains. I really liked the cast and the jokes were fun. But as I said before the plot is very simple. Pretty much about killing a guy, a guy that we really didn't know or have any bad feelings for because we barely even got to see the man being evil. The movie lacked on showing the power of the widows. They had very spaced out and very few scenes of them.
I did enjoy the sister dynamic of the two girls. It was fun to see them both in action and it was fun to see them bicker with each other. In a way it is a sad movie. With what happened in the previous film. Did it do the Black Widow Justice? Some. It really could have been better by showing more. It missed all the heart string moments. Giving us more of an eye candy film with not much depth.
"Your pain only makes you stronger"
Pleasantly Surprised
tymoody9 July 2021
I don't quite understand the hate the movie is getting. Too many people expected full comic book accuracy with Taskmaster, which would have been hard to accomplish and harder to fit in the story they were trying to tell. I understand the disappointment from fans who expected that full Taskmaster story, but do not think it means that this movie was a flop. Florence Pugh was excellent in the film and the chemistry between her and Scarlett Johansson was great. Good fighting sequences except for parts of the third act where the CGI was very noticeable. Plus that end credit scene was amazing. One of my only complaints is that Marvel stated you wouldn't need to watch the shows to understand the movies but if you hadn't seen falcon and the winter solider the end credits may not make a 100 percent sense. At least make it clear the shows are a must watch if you are going to make them necessary to understand certain things. Overall a great movie.
FP and DH carried this movie
Calicodreamin9 July 2021
Florence Pugh carried this movie, her and David Harbour laid down some seriously good comedic moments. The action was as over the top as any other marvel movie so on brand there. The acting was okay and CGI was expectedly good. It felt like Johansson took a back seat to other characters which was disappointing.
If this is what the next phase of MCU is all about then I'm out
andy-0084614 July 2021
There was a real opportunity with this film. It could have been a gritty backstory about a difficult upbringing. That would have been interesting. They could have made Natasha all Jason Borne'd up and showed her dark espionage skills. That would have been interesting. The training of an assassin and the emotional dichotomy of a paid killer. That too would have been interesting.
Instead we got two hours of unimaginite "plot" with phoned in dialogue delivered by bored actors riddled with Clichés and borrowed scenes from other, much better movies (and I bever thought I would say that about Moonraker) . The only respite was being able to giggle at Ray Winstone's pitiful attempt at a Russian Accent. As he would say on the adverts. When the fun stops.... Stop.
Instead we got two hours of unimaginite "plot" with phoned in dialogue delivered by bored actors riddled with Clichés and borrowed scenes from other, much better movies (and I bever thought I would say that about Moonraker) . The only respite was being able to giggle at Ray Winstone's pitiful attempt at a Russian Accent. As he would say on the adverts. When the fun stops.... Stop.
No clue why the hate
seejackrunguitar22 May 2022
This is a super solid, fun, well choreographed action entry in the Marvel universe. Very similar feel to the winter soldier and civil war. Acting is great, fight scenes are awesome, and the humor is well timed and refreshing.
NoOne milks a Cow, like Marvel does... NOONE!!!
saadgkhan10 July 2021
Marvel: You're finally getting your own movie.
Scarlet: Oh' Really?
Marvel: As long as it'll be used as a backstory of our future Avenger in Phase4.
Scarlet: whatever? What's my Paycheck ?!?
Honestly, I watched the whole thing without being getting bored due to sheer talent onscreen not due to writing or direction. However, the moment i finished, I instantly forgot as well. Problem with Marvel is that once everything you put out becomes a brand. They see storylines as how it can move their other movies like Phase4 or show Hawkeye here. It doesn't serve the story or character you're watching atall. Everything has to connect to something in the future. The untimely forced humour and video games like CGI in the end has become cringing but hey I watched it for free so no complaints.
Scarlet: Oh' Really?
Marvel: As long as it'll be used as a backstory of our future Avenger in Phase4.
Scarlet: whatever? What's my Paycheck ?!?
Honestly, I watched the whole thing without being getting bored due to sheer talent onscreen not due to writing or direction. However, the moment i finished, I instantly forgot as well. Problem with Marvel is that once everything you put out becomes a brand. They see storylines as how it can move their other movies like Phase4 or show Hawkeye here. It doesn't serve the story or character you're watching atall. Everything has to connect to something in the future. The untimely forced humour and video games like CGI in the end has become cringing but hey I watched it for free so no complaints.
This film is the epitome of...
ThomDerd10 October 2021
...Average filmmaking.
Here are few words which can describe this film: Unnecessary Uninteresting Disappointing
Re-watch another marvel film to shake off the dullness after you are done with black widow.
I m not saying don't watch it; but once you do, you will know!
By the way my reviews for black widow here keep getting deleted.
So here's another one...
Here are few words which can describe this film: Unnecessary Uninteresting Disappointing
Re-watch another marvel film to shake off the dullness after you are done with black widow.
I m not saying don't watch it; but once you do, you will know!
By the way my reviews for black widow here keep getting deleted.
So here's another one...
Half good, half fine.
tim-stjames13 June 2022
The film isn't likely to go down in Marvel history as much more than a footnote, nor does it tell us much about the studio's next phase. The pieces are great, but the execution leaves plenty to be desired. After an entire year of no Marvel movies on the big screen, it's difficult not to recommend this as worthy escapist popcorn fun. But that's it.
I GIVE A 6 for a MARVEL STANDARD
queenvalbrient20 July 2021
This movie is pretty entertaining but after hits by hits by awesomeness MARVEL UNIVERSE MOVIES end with amazing ENDGAME.... This is a solid 6 (i could give worst but the fact that the movie is pretty entertaining save this)
There could be so much potential. BUT THEY KEEP WRITTEN HER AS SIDE KICK even in her own movies, nothing special. They could've dig deeper on her personal past, since it was talked a little in AGE OF ULTRON. But i just feels like the story is RUSHED and forces to fit to the MCU... Just doesn't up to the standards after END GAME..
Super girl needs to fight her inner demons and past demons. This said fight is good, but it is not fresh
gabriel_sanchez30 November 2021
I watched this movie with my family as a family-time movie with a rating suitable enough for my daughter to watch. Turns out the ride was ok.
This movie is yet another same old superhero stuff. Definitely not bad, but just the same you are used too.
Getting to know Natasha's past is cool, but it feels shallow. There is not much information about the organization she was part of.
I am biased when watching superhero movies. I find them pleasant to the eyes because of all the graphics and stunts, but the plot is always the same.
A good watch if you like superheroes or if you are willing to watch something family-friendly with someone. Not really my thing, though.
This movie is yet another same old superhero stuff. Definitely not bad, but just the same you are used too.
Getting to know Natasha's past is cool, but it feels shallow. There is not much information about the organization she was part of.
I am biased when watching superhero movies. I find them pleasant to the eyes because of all the graphics and stunts, but the plot is always the same.
A good watch if you like superheroes or if you are willing to watch something family-friendly with someone. Not really my thing, though.
Marvel.lass film. Just Marvel.lass.
Her-Excellency12 July 2021
I am starting to believe that people just rate movies badly or purposefully give them low scores because they have nothing better to do. When a production studio spends so much money and time in delivering a film as entertaining as Black Widow is, and people pay a mere ~$14 to see, then complain about it not being any good, you know they're straight up in dire need of a new hobby.
The thing is, that it isn't really just individuals doing this. Recently there was some minor celebrity who was quoted as saying he felt bad for ScarJo and that she could have picked a better film to be in. Now this from a guy who next year will probably be auditioning for Subway commercials. Are these types of stories meant to stir up controversy, ergo 'talk', and as such, free advertising in the form of posts across social media?
Either way, what a disservice for those who simply enjoy good movies.
Was Black Widow a "10"? No. Is it a Shawshank Redemption or Godfather? Of course not. But when you take the drivel that's out there earning 6's and 7s, to relegate Black Widow to earning anything less than a SOLID 7.5/8, is pretty sad.
They story was extremely well-acted by everyone involved. Not one actor was out-of-step. More so, it was amazingly well-crafted in that it offered us a FULL back-story on Natasha Romanoff and answered as many questions as possible without over-cramming or becoming bogged down with surplus material. Beyond that, like all of Disney/Marvel offerings, it was funny. The humor ranges from simple to tongue-in-cheek to more complex, and is scattered throughout the film a'la Joss Whedon style. It is a feel-good movie full of action, heartfelt family moments, and the underlying sadness of knowing it is a prologue to the eventual end of the Black Widow's tale.
The thing is, that it isn't really just individuals doing this. Recently there was some minor celebrity who was quoted as saying he felt bad for ScarJo and that she could have picked a better film to be in. Now this from a guy who next year will probably be auditioning for Subway commercials. Are these types of stories meant to stir up controversy, ergo 'talk', and as such, free advertising in the form of posts across social media?
Either way, what a disservice for those who simply enjoy good movies.
Was Black Widow a "10"? No. Is it a Shawshank Redemption or Godfather? Of course not. But when you take the drivel that's out there earning 6's and 7s, to relegate Black Widow to earning anything less than a SOLID 7.5/8, is pretty sad.
They story was extremely well-acted by everyone involved. Not one actor was out-of-step. More so, it was amazingly well-crafted in that it offered us a FULL back-story on Natasha Romanoff and answered as many questions as possible without over-cramming or becoming bogged down with surplus material. Beyond that, like all of Disney/Marvel offerings, it was funny. The humor ranges from simple to tongue-in-cheek to more complex, and is scattered throughout the film a'la Joss Whedon style. It is a feel-good movie full of action, heartfelt family moments, and the underlying sadness of knowing it is a prologue to the eventual end of the Black Widow's tale.
Return to the MCU
imxhill7 July 2021
This is one of the most 'entertaining' movies I've seen in a while.
The action scenes are fantastic in the movie. The hand-to-hand combat scenes, the chase scenes and the cgi-filled sequences. They are extremely well made and kind of brutal in some way.
The characters are also great. S jo was great as black widow and the supporting characters were good as well. Interactions between them was fun to see, especially Johansson and Pugh's characters.
The film has some flaws however. The middle portion of the movie drags a bit and the villain was kinda weak.
It told a great storyline and it made me want to see more of the characters from the movie.
The action scenes are fantastic in the movie. The hand-to-hand combat scenes, the chase scenes and the cgi-filled sequences. They are extremely well made and kind of brutal in some way.
The characters are also great. S jo was great as black widow and the supporting characters were good as well. Interactions between them was fun to see, especially Johansson and Pugh's characters.
The film has some flaws however. The middle portion of the movie drags a bit and the villain was kinda weak.
It told a great storyline and it made me want to see more of the characters from the movie.
Disappointing
benjaminjensen-6402114 July 2021
Finally marvel made a black widow movie that should have been made about 5-6 years ago. The first 20 minutes of the movie was actually pretty good. But the rest not so much, the third act was a complete mess and some of the writing was so weird, also they completely wasted Taskmaster, very disappointing and how can Yelena outshine Black Widow in a Black Widow movie? This just feels like more of a movie setting up the Yelena character in the mcu than actually making a good Black Widow movie. Just another mediocre marvel movie that could have been better than just meidocre.
Better than any phase 1 and half of phase 2
passamazonassessments18 June 2023
This movie was late because it could beat most stage 1 and half of stage 2 MCU movies.
This movie is more action packed than Iron Man 2, Thor ( the god of boring) and Captain Amuuriicaaa. The Hulk is the only movie that is more action packed.
I was actually hesitant to watch it because some people give this movie a 3. If this was the first MCU movie released then it would probably average close to an 8, reviews of entitled and strange reviewers including. I'm not sure why people have such high expectations that they give it a 1, but such reviews should be discarded out of your mind if your not some comic book psycho, but like watching movies.
This movie is more action packed than Iron Man 2, Thor ( the god of boring) and Captain Amuuriicaaa. The Hulk is the only movie that is more action packed.
I was actually hesitant to watch it because some people give this movie a 3. If this was the first MCU movie released then it would probably average close to an 8, reviews of entitled and strange reviewers including. I'm not sure why people have such high expectations that they give it a 1, but such reviews should be discarded out of your mind if your not some comic book psycho, but like watching movies.
She's Back!!
Cirdl316 October 2021
What a great movie, idk why y'all hating this movie, this movie was really great i know in The Middle of The story It's Kinda boring when they meet they're mother, but there's so many epic scene, when they save they're father, ending scene when Yelena and Natasha fell, and when they are running from Taskmasker in the beginning of the film.
The CGI was so good, you know there's a lot of CGI movie in pandemic was kinda bad cause they're use not much budget maybe cause black widow was filmed before pandemic. There's so much beautiful deleted scene
Well the ending scene when Natasha and Yelena fell from the Red Room that was so good, so epic. Hope Yelena will join the Avengers.
The CGI was so good, you know there's a lot of CGI movie in pandemic was kinda bad cause they're use not much budget maybe cause black widow was filmed before pandemic. There's so much beautiful deleted scene
Well the ending scene when Natasha and Yelena fell from the Red Room that was so good, so epic. Hope Yelena will join the Avengers.
B-O-R-I-N-G
mamceldridge10 July 2021
Average and very generic
85122229 September 2021
Greetings from Lithuania.
"Black Widow" (2021) had good actors doing solid work. All were good. But it was directing and story and script that left flat. Story was generic, villain was very generic, and there were no stakes basically. Actions scenes were OK, and i liked fighting scenes.
Overall, OK movie to see it on boring evening once, and never return to it again. Not a bad movie for sure, but very average and generic.
"Black Widow" (2021) had good actors doing solid work. All were good. But it was directing and story and script that left flat. Story was generic, villain was very generic, and there were no stakes basically. Actions scenes were OK, and i liked fighting scenes.
Overall, OK movie to see it on boring evening once, and never return to it again. Not a bad movie for sure, but very average and generic.
What's the point of dragging black widow's past??
Misss2515 March 2022
I don't feel the necessity of knowing black widow's story at all. Maybe MCU is out of story and that's why pulling all this unnecessary stories into it. However, I would love that if the story was decent, it just too boring.... :3.
a decent action entertainer
saru202031 August 2022
It is overall a not-so-bad or a decent action entertainer.
The only problem with all Hollywood movies is that we get to watch all the best scenes stitched together in the few mins trailer & it feels like there isn't much in the movie since the movie feels like an elaborative extension of the trailer itself, this problem could be easily overcome with loads of suspense & twists & turns and now you know why this film is a decent one only, still a one-time watchable for sure for some of its breathtaking action sequences that too performed only by the girls and especially the other protagonist girl's acting was so casual and seemed interesting & engaging to some extent especially when she was mocking the protagonist's actions & postures.
But, overall this is an out & out girls-only film and for that same reason, it does garner some attention and this film should've also gotten such attention.
The only problem with all Hollywood movies is that we get to watch all the best scenes stitched together in the few mins trailer & it feels like there isn't much in the movie since the movie feels like an elaborative extension of the trailer itself, this problem could be easily overcome with loads of suspense & twists & turns and now you know why this film is a decent one only, still a one-time watchable for sure for some of its breathtaking action sequences that too performed only by the girls and especially the other protagonist girl's acting was so casual and seemed interesting & engaging to some extent especially when she was mocking the protagonist's actions & postures.
But, overall this is an out & out girls-only film and for that same reason, it does garner some attention and this film should've also gotten such attention.
Not the best Marvel outing, but still a great movie
cwp-1662710 July 2021
Don't listen to the negativity, make up your own mind.
I was saddened to see the luke-warm to negative reviews, but then I realised - they are always there.
This movie is worthy of the MCU, do I wish it had been released years ago, maybe after Civil War? Yes, but then it wouldn't function as Black Widow's "swansong".
Seeing more on the history of this character is long overdue.
Florence Pugh is outstanding in this film, and Johanssen is as good as ever.
WW84 wishes it could be as good as this.
I was saddened to see the luke-warm to negative reviews, but then I realised - they are always there.
This movie is worthy of the MCU, do I wish it had been released years ago, maybe after Civil War? Yes, but then it wouldn't function as Black Widow's "swansong".
Seeing more on the history of this character is long overdue.
Florence Pugh is outstanding in this film, and Johanssen is as good as ever.
WW84 wishes it could be as good as this.
See also
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