Worth the wait: Black Widow first reviews are here.
While we wait patiently for Black Widow to hit cinemas this Thursday, we’ve been flicking through reviews from the industry’s top critics and pining for any information we can get our hands on!
Described as ‘gritty’ and ‘filled with heart’, Black Widow’s early reviews point to a win under Scarlett Johansson’s belt.
The character’s first solo film comes eleven years on from Johansson’s Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Iron Man 2.
Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow
Johansson delivers a powerful performance that unveils the humanity behind Natasha Romanoff’s villainous exterior:
“In Scarlett Johansson’s appearances in the MCU thus far, going back to Iron Man 2, she’s been a kick-ass fighter in sleek leather with a few signature jackknife moves. I wondered, or maybe feared, that Black Widow would be two hours of that. It’s not; it’s much more interesting and absorbing… It’s Scarlett Johansson who holds the film together and gives it its touch of soul… [She] makes the most vulnerable emotions part of the humanity of her strength.”
Owen Gleiberman, Variety
It’s a female-powered enforcement of twenty-first century feminism:
“Director Cate Shortland’s standalone adventure finds Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), kicking ass and trading banter with her combustible sort-of sister Yelena alongside gonzo adopted dad Red Guardian and his wife Melina… Black Widow not only passes the Bechdel Test; it forces men to squeam as it puts them in their place.”
Eric Kohn, Indiewire
Black Widow is more than an MCU instalment, but impresses viewers as an action film in its own right:
“As an action movie, it’s solid, with lots of fun set pieces to gawk at and a particularly menacing villain. While there are a handful of references to other movies, and fans will likely enjoy delving deeper into Romanoff’s backstory, you can mostly ignore all that if you want, and you’re still left with an entertaining spy thriller.”
Andrew Webster, The Verge
And in perhaps the most seductive review to date…
"The sensuous cough-syrup purr of Scarlett Johansson’s voice is something I’ve missed in lockdown; now it’s back with a throaty vengeance in the highly enjoyable standalone episode for which her character Black Widow was well overdue.”
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
Black Widow is in cinemas Thursday July 8.