Black Widow has taken its sweet time in getting here. After initially being scheduled for May 2020, the Scarlett Johansson vehicle – her first solo outing in the MCU – is finally about to arrive in a couple of weeks’ time. Having waited for a new Marvel movie for two years, fans are desperate for this one to be good. Well, with the embargo having dropped, the first reviews are now in and Rotten Tomatoes has unveiled the film’s opening critical score. And it’s pretty impressive.
At the time of writing, Black Widow is sitting at 89% on the review-aggregate site on a basis of 57 reviews. That’s definitely good news, and Marvel fans will no doubt breathe a sigh of relief at the confirmation that the prequel isn’t a total bust. Having said that, when you take a closer look at the reviews contributed so far, even the positive ones have a few caveats, with most describing it as a solid, if unremarkable, entry in the franchise.
Case in point, here’s how Kirsten Acuna of Insider summed up her thoughts:
“”Black Widow” is a decent action vehicle and spy thriller, even if it feels a bit paint-by-numbers and years late to the screen.”
Many critics feel it shouldn’t have taken Marvel a decade to give Natasha Romanoff her own vehicle, but they’re glad it’s here now. As USA Today’s Brian Truitt said:
“”Black Widow” is a strong solo superhero effort that feels both timely and also way too late.”
Johansson is receiving praise for her performance, but some believe that Florence Pugh – who’s making her debut as Yelena Belova, Natasha’s “sister” – is the real standout. Tessa Smith of Mama Geeky wrote:
“This action-packed film coupled with some serious emotional family plot points will give Natasha fans what they have been waiting for — but Florence Pugh steals the show.”
Reviews are also warning fans not to expect BW to be cut from the usual superhero mold as it’s instead said to be much more of a spy thriller, in line with the James Bond movies. That’s not all that surprising given what we’ve seen from the trailers. It’s likewise being compared to a TV bottle episode, presumably because of its nature as a prequel that takes place prior to Avengers: Infinity War, which means it’s not really part of the ongoing Phase 4 plotline.
We’ll be able to make our own minds up about it when Black Widow launches in both theaters and on Disney Plus on Friday, July 9th.
