"Black Widow" Feature Talkback (Spoilers)

Rate the movie

  • *****

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ****1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ****

    Votes: 2 66.7%
  • ***1/2

    Votes: 1 33.3%
  • ***

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • **1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • **

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • *1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • *

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    3

reflection01

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
4,082
That film sounds pretty good. Sucks that it didn’t get made but that’s a mid-00s rationale. Just a note those three films mentioned at the end came out within 3 months of each other, not the same weekend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Last edited:

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
54,912
Location
Shahdaroba
Is Black Widow just a standalone movie or will it get two more sequels just to make it a trilogy?.
So far they said it is a standalone movie and there won't be sequels and Scarlet is done reprising Natasha.
 

reflection01

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
4,082
I wouldn’t mind a sequel featuring Yelena that adheres to that mid-00s script.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

AdrenalineRush1996

Back with a better image
Joined
May 13, 2016
Messages
14,220
Location
United Kingdom

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
54,912
Location
Shahdaroba
Actually, Cate Shortland revealed not long ago that she has ideas for a sequel revolving around a different character, likely referring to Yelena.
I thought powerjake was only referring to Natasha. Like I said earlier in the thread, they could easily go in a different direction for a sequel and/or Disney+ series and simply title it "Black Widows" plural and focus on Yelena, Melina, Alexei, and the liberated Widows search for the others Dreykov had stationed around the world and what other threats they encounter along the way.

But I guess theoretically, emphasis on theoretically, if Scarlet had a change of heart and came to Feige with a pitch, they could easily place a sequel pre-Infinity War and a third during the 5 year time skip in Endgame.
 

Gold Guy

Two is always better than one
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
22,085
Location
New York City
I liked the movie. I wouldn't call it high-tier MCU, but it still delivers as far as cool action scenes, likable characters, and foreshadowing future events go.

Yelena is the obvious standout as far as new characters go. If someone had to replace Natasha, Yelena is a pretty good get.

I'm very mixed on Taskmaster's portrayal. The twist makes sense in the context of the film, at least, but I hope they're not done with the character.

I also like that while there was a lot of action, we still had time for more quiet character moments. Heck, the whole middle of the film was about the "family" getting back together. It was awkward, but I love scenes like that, with some inner resentment warring with genuine love for each other.

The opening credits were super intense. MCU films should do more credits like that one.

Ross is still a pain.
 

khuddle

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2012
Messages
795
Location
Kimberton PA
Looks like Marvel fatigue is finally setting in:

"The studio’s Marvel Cinematic Universe standalone origin movie Black Widow had a great fall in its second session at the domestic B.O., down -67%, with $26.25M." (Deadline.com)
 

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
54,912
Location
Shahdaroba
More like confidence in going to theaters hasn't recovered. It will be interesting to see how the numbers differ with Shang-Chi because it releases in theaters then 45 days later on Disney+, not same day like Widow.
 

reflection01

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
4,082
Yeah. The Delta variant spiking is probably worse for theaters now than it was a few weeks ago.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

reflection01

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
4,082
People saw it in the theaters then bought it on Disney+. Doesn’t make sense to spend in the theater to see it again when you can pay $40 for a month of Disney+ and the movie.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

powerjake

Banned
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
Messages
1,210
Location
Mexico

Fone Bone

Matt Zimmer
Joined
Jan 19, 2004
Messages
35,267
Location
Framingham, MA
Black Widow (Take Two)

I had a bad reaction to the first time I saw this, and I knew I was probably being unfair. Natasha being dead isn't actually this movie's fault. That failing belongs to Avengers: Endgame. So seeing the positive reviews the movie got contrasting with how unhappy I was made me decide to revisit it as long as I still had Disney+ Premiere Access.

I'm glad I did. It's not perfect, and one of my biggest complaints still stands, but it's a really nice Marvel Studios picture, made richer for the fact that it's like none of the others.

Let's get my major complaint out of the way. This specific thing I think hurt my enjoyment of the movie. The climax is way too damn big. It's a freaking spectacle, and I found the character stuff in the movie far more intense and fascinating. I don't like that Marvel Studios believes it needs to top itself in special effects bonanzas for every single movie. Outside of that climax, the movie was unlike all of the others, which made it special. That specific climax IS like all the others, which automatically makes the movie LESS special.

But I'm glad I get to review it again and talk about the stuff I like this time. I mentioned the first go-round that my favorite thing about Alexei is that he's too stupid to understand he should be apologetic. As far as he's concerned, he's actually done nothing wrong, which is a VERY interesting facet to give a character who is not actually a sociopath or a bad guy. He just has a different point of view. What I like in this viewing is realizing Yelena is a similarly irascible type of character, snarkier than someone with her tragic backstory should be, and the first person to cast deserved shade over Natasha's various silly poses. They look great in slow-motion on a big movie screen. I imagine they look ridiculous to the person standing next to her when she's doing them.

The second viewing made me appreciate the beginning more. It was very sad this time out because I knew and understood WHY it was sad and messed up. And the main titles with the haunting song are somehow even more tragic this time out.

This movie explores human trafficking and the exploitation of young girls. Heavy subject matter for a summer blockbuster. Dreykoff is arguably the sickest Marvel Studio villain in history (he's even worse than Jessica Jones' Kilgrave) and when he says that the world's most overabundant resource is little girls, I was like, "This movie is exactly right for the times we live in." What kills me is that for awhile there I was all right with some of the Netflix Marvel Television stuff. Different tones and stories can make a continuity more well-rounded. But in the end, the Netflix stuff, and ALL the Marvel Television stuff, became nihilistic and dark and depressing, which isn't something that makes the MCU more well-rounded. It's tone is simply entirely outside of the MCU.

This movie explores those dark and realistic human themes, and still feels like the proper tone set up in the rest of the movies. Natasha is empowered to take down and kill Draykoff for the evil that he's done. Jessica Jones is forced to second-guess killing Kilgrave and having that be a controversy. I like the black and white morality of the Feige stuff. Maybe Natasha should feel legit guilt for what she did to Antonia and other innocent victims. But why make exploding a psychopath like Dreykov's helicopter a controversy to begin with? I cheered when he died because I should have. Natasha isn't torn up with guilt for it and I'm glad. Seriously. Grave marked "Unknown". Who DOESN'T want to see that monster blown up? Natasha was even gifted a very humiliating Crowning Moment Of Awesome against him beforehand too, so what's not to like?

The tag with Val is another thing I didn't like, but that and Natasha's death seemed like corporate mandates, and not something the film's writers and director had any control over. I won't penalize the movie too badly for that. It's not as damaging as the over-the-top climax.

I also kind of dug the secondary character of Mason this time out. He and Natasha have great chemistry, and I laughed when Yelena called him sensitive.

I'll tell you what moment was funny and not funny at all. Alexei is doing a very lame and unfunny time of the month joke, and both Natasha and Yelena are reminding him in graphic detail how they went under forced hysterectomies. It's horrific dialogue played for laughs simply because both women know and understand how awful it is, and are rubbing into Alexei's clueless face how awful it is. And his thoughtless comment deserves that level of shade and discomfort. I thought it was both funny and also something that made me feel kind of sick for finding it funny.

The scene with Alexei the pig still makes me cringe. Besides the climax, if I could change anything in the movie, I'd get rid of that. It's just TOO horrible.

I pretty much guessed that my opinion would be kinder the second time out, and I think I owed it to the people who liked the movie, and were a little perplexed at that review, to get this new one out there as soon as I could. I stand by my first review as an accurate assessment of how the first viewing of the film effected me. But my opinion about the movie changed on the second. That happens quite often, frankly. I probably need to rereview a lot more stuff. ****1/2.
 

reflection01

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
4,082
Good stuff, Fone. I look forward to your rewatch reviews of this season of The Flash. LOL.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Spotlight

Staff online

Who's on Discord?

Latest profile posts

Remember back when people were saying that "Streaming is the (bright) future"?
"I can't wait to eat this baby" - Paramount, presumably looking for tax write-offs
Happy Baseball Opening Day
"I'm probably going to watch Nymphomaniac Part II on Disney+ this weekend" isn't something I didn't think I'd ever say, but here we are.

Featured Posts

Top