Black Widow

Originally meant to be the first project in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Fourth Phase until the pandemic delay led it to be released after three Disney+ shows already aired, Black Widow had to go through a lot for it to finally be released. Set between Civil War and Infinity War, this sees Scarlett Johansson's final performance as the former KGB spy turned hero as she reunites with people from her past to take on a threat that she once was a part of. Initially just wanting to remain low from government officials due to violating the Sokovia Accords, an attack from Taskmaster leads to Natasha to reunite with her fake family, from when they were spying against the United States in the 90s, and learns that the same program that trained her when she was young has been restarted but with more sinister intentions. While yes, this movie should have been made a lot earlier and we know what happens to Natasha later on, that shouldn't take away from how well told and made it is. Despite having some of the typical aspects that the MCU is known for, much of Cate Shortland's direction does give us some unique takes on them and a few new things that let it be fresh, such as part of the opening taking place when Widow was young and using a cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit. Shortland also gives the movie a more gritty eye, a lot of that thanks to Gabriel Beristain's cinematography, than the other entries and often feels more like a spy film, a lot of that thanks to Lorne Balfe's scoring, than a superhero one. Some of that grit comes from how the fight scenes are done whether through their choreography and showing how the fights affect the characters. That's also helped by some great effects, though should be acknowledged that not all of the effects are perfect but only occur in small doses The story and its writing by Eric Pearson, Jac Schaeffer, Ned Benson are really good, especially in delving into Natasha's past without being too distracting from the main story. As usual, the comedy isn't always going to work but you know when it does and paired that with the drama you get an exceptional script. The strongest aspect, by far, is the relationship and chemistry between the spy family and how, despite pretending to be one, believable the cast make it. Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz all work amazing together all thanks to the dialogue between them and the events that they go through. While some are angry over the reveal of who Taskmaster was and how the character was handled, I don't really mind as who's to say there won't be more development and time to flesh the character out in the future. If there was ever a sign that the MCU is slowing down and losing team, I can assure you that Black Widow is not that sign as it lets us say goodbye to a beloved character we've seen since 2010 in a wonderful way while giving us some setup for the next chapter of this universe. Over all: 99%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. Nobody

3. Black Widow

4. A Quiet Place Part II

5. Raya and the Last Dragon

6. Cruella

7. Wrath of Man

8. F9