Once 2020 rolled into 2021 and movie theaters still hadn’t opened yet in LA, but vaccines were starting to roll out, I’d made a decision. I was going to hold out until I was vaxxed up before going back. However, there’d be one exception. Black Widow. I’ve seen all 23 other MCU films in theaters, all the way back to the OG Iron Man, and I was not about to break my streak. I’d even planned on taking a vacation day in the middle of the week so I could see it on 11 AM on a Wednesday morning or something. Thankfully, I got my surprise J&J vaxx that woulda taken care of me in time for Widow’s May date. And then more thankfully she got pushed to July, giving us even more time.
Because this was a special movie, I opted to go see it at Alamo. Although really, it’s because at the time tix went on sale, I wasn’t currently holding any upcoming Alamo tix and I hate that. But still, MCU movie, I was gonna go all out. Whatever it takes, yeah? Isn’t that what the Avengers say. I jumped so quickly on those tickets, I didn’t realize until afterwards that I’d picked the open caption screening. I felt bad that I may have taken a seat from someone who needed it (esp since it turned out to be the only OC showtime) but skipping right to it, I absolutely loved it. I typically watch movies at home with the subtitles so that I can be sure to catch all the dialog, so of course I’d be into it on the big screen. Esp with the thick Russian accents most characters had, it was brilliant. WE. NEED. TO. NORMALIZE. THESE. SCREENINGS.
Right, so the movie. It honestly felt like a filler movie. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s a reason not every movie can be Endgame. I’ve always said that even the worst MCU movies are not bad movies, esp when compared to some of their less stellar competitors in the genre. So this was certainly on the lighter, less weighty side, which is fine. If there is anything wrong with that, it’s that it didn’t really further the story of the MCU. The film took place in between Civil War and Infinity War, so we ultimately know how the broad strokes will play out. Still, a fun place to visit. Besides, we got all the D+ series that have been setting so much groundwork for Phase 4, that this was a nice little break.
What it did do best, and may be that one crucial piece of setup is introducing Florence Pugh as Yelena. I won’t go into what she’s primed for, but she was my absolute favorite part of the film. Florence stole every scene she was in, as she often (always) tends to do. Once we were getting towards the end of the film, I realized I no longer cared what Nat was doing and I only wanted to watch Yelena. Given where things leave off for both of them, that’s probably a good thing for the future of the franchise.
David Harbor was another standout, so hopefully we’ll find a way to bring him back as well.
Black Widow – \m/ \m/ \m/ \n