Black Widow

 Hello all. Welcome back to the blog. Well this review has become a mixed bag, with the impeding lawsuit for the House of the Mouse, plenty of fellow reviews have been rude and awful or felt like fluff pieces. So I will delve into today's movie with objective eyes. Catching up with her after the Civil War among the supers, Romanoff is done. Done with the games, the fights and the secrets. This is Black Widow. 

 

Yer gun is digging in my hip...

 

 

 

 

 

Natasha (Scarlett Johansson of Ghost World, Lost in Translation, In Good Company, The Nanny Diaries, Robot Chicken, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Captain Marvel) is tired, hurt and running out of friends. Thor's in Space, Hulk disappeared and several of Captain America's allies are jailed in a super-max prison. Secretary of State, former General Thunderbolt Ross (Altered States, Broadcast News, Until the End of the World, The Plague, Michael, Dark City, Dune, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Changing Lanes, Mr. Brooks, The Incredible Hulk, The Host, Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War) is hunting down all those that may break or bend the Sokovia Accords. With no port of harbor, family or friends to rely on, Nat goes back to her old school skill-set and goes off grid (no permanent address, phone number or billing address under her actual name). People somehow forget that Nat was former Spetnaz(Soviet Special Forces) and a former widow of the Red Room. Honey pot traps, espionage and assassination along with her math, science, Russian and English lessons, ballet and gymnastics. My schools never taught me how to garotte someone. Typical.

 

Putting fun back into dysfunctional family!

 

 

 

 

 

A flashback establishes Natasha having a family in Ohio. Her "father" Alexi (David Harbour of Parkland, Rake, The Equalizer, The Newsroom, State of Affairs, Suicide Squad, Human Affairs, Hellboy, Stranger Things and Black Widow), her "mother" Melina (Rachel Weisz of Inspector Morse, Death Machine, The Mummy, Sunshine, The Mummy Returns, About a Boy, The Shape of Things, Runaway Jury, The Fountain, Eragon, Agora, The Deep Blue Sea, Youth, Complete Unknown, and The Light Between Oceans) are undercover agents operating long-term on U.S. Soil. Natasha and her "sister" Yelena operate as concealing the agents and then after escaping to Cuba, the girls are placed in the Red Room. Man, 1995 could get kooky.

 

Attack of Project: Runway!

 

 

 

 

 

Nat's low-key trailer has been outfitted for her needs. Getting weapons for anyone a seasoned spy isn't really difficult. She goes into town to be attacked by an armored clad person that moved like Cap or Hawkeye and even Spider-Man. After a substantial beating, she escapes with a container that was brought to her by her friend/fixer Mason (O-T Fagbenle of As If, Marple, Grownups, Breaking and Entering, Little Miss Jocelyn, Radio Cape Cod, Doctor Who, FM, The Reeds, Material Girl, Double Wedding, Thorne: Scaredycat and Quick Cuts)which was at a safehouse in Budapest and heads out there.

 

Sir, wouldn't it be safer to go after the Hulk?

 

 

 

 

 

With a quick encounter with "sister" Yelena (Florence Pugh of The Falling, Studio City, Marcella, Lady MacBeth, The Commuter, King Lear, Outlaw King, Malevolent, The Little Drummer Girl, Fighting with My Family, Midsommar, Little Women and Black Widow) and by that I mean a severe beating on each. Yelena tells Nat that the Red Room is back in operation, their old handler Dreykov (Ray Winstone of Mr. Right, Fairly Secret Army, Robin Hood, Minder, The Bill, Thief Takers, The Very Thought of You, Woundings, Ripley's Game, The Proposition, All in the Game, Beowulf, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Devil's Tomb and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll), a man that Nat thought she already killed as her way into S.H.I.E.L.D.

The girls need some back-up. So off to find dear old "pop" Alexi a.k.a. The Red Guardian, a Soviet super-soldier whose sole goal was to challenge Captain America to a death bout. I mean it's good to have goals but still, yikes. With a gulag prison break, the girls acquired dear old dad. He and Dreykov were thick as thieves but he too was betrayed by him as well. The only one with close enough ties is still Melina. As a behaviorist scientist, electronic engineer and cybernetics understanding, is essential to the Red Room's existence. Between pheromone suggestion and implants, the widows are fluid, effective and ruthless. Giving them no conscience whatsoever makes them the most effective assassins. In order to stop Dreykov, this dysfunctional family has to unite, work side-by-side and maintain their objectives. Can Natasha and crew handle this mission? Can Dreykov be stopped?

 

Outfit...bunching up...

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few comments to make on the film now. The sister dynamic between Scarlett and Florence seems so spot-on as bickering siblings but at the end of the day they truly do care for one another. A bear of a muscle bound man and a clinical scientist for a mother, these people are the closest thing to a real family that either girl every had. The stunt work between fight scenes, gun fights, car chases siege battles, this feels like The Bourne Identity. You got conspiracy, spy-craft and camaraderie. Proper use of tactics, distribution of skill-sets and compartmentalization. You have the harsh cruelty of their training, to how it had strengthen both young women into weapons of their own choosing. For this one time, they truly have their own objective and they will see it to the end.

The story is there but ultimately it feels like Yelena is taking on her sister's responsibilities, obligations and commitments. As much as this tale is for Natasha showing her past, it does seem to be a lot about of Yelena's origin story as well. With the typical dragging the retired gunfighter back into one more adventure, rejoining a crew that has ill feelings and past hurts, yes it does collectively give a past, present and hints to the future. This is technically not a prequel as it is more of an untold tale for Natasha before the Infinity War. Does it deserve a fraction of the negative reviews? Not really. I can understand how it does feel like the movie got wedged into the continuity of the last ten years but honestly it does feel like it can be a stand alone story. We have elements of family, obligation, honor and duty.

Also can we stop trying to compare the comic book version to the cinematic version. If you want for that all to work story wise, Natasha is over 70 years old, former KGB, S.H.I.E.L.D. Spetnaz and frankly more retconning at ridiculous levels. By that same level of reasoning, comic book Natasha was married to a Red Guardian and had a romantic relationship with the Winter Soldier because Bucky was responsible for her training in the Red Room. Can you imagine how many films it would take to make all that work?!

All in all, I am satisfied with the film. 

 

Pew! Pew pew pew!

 

Comic Flicks of 2016: Captain America: Civil War

So back again, non-sports fans and here we are for Day 3 of Comic Films of 2016. With a substantial $250 million to cover practical effects, training, martial arts, FX explosions, CGI and the odds and ends, you figure this film better take off or that was a huge waste of funds. Coming in after the wake of Age of Ultron and the destruction of the country Sokovia, Earth's Mightiest Heroes soldier on and do their level best to be the men and women the planet need to put down any known or unknown threat to the world but does the world agree? With a brainwashed Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan of Red Doors, The Covenant, Hot Tub Time Machine, Black Swan, Captain America: The First Avenger, Gone, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Ant-Man) still on the loose, Cap's attention is divided from the gig of saving lives and re-patching old friendships. This is Captain America: Civil War.

Seriously?  This is Poster one!?! How many more!?!

While the initial concept hails from the Marvel multiple title crossover in 2006, this Civil War having less players on the field has left audiences divided for Team Cap or Team Stark. Guess Twilight was easier to pick sides. Oh yes, I just did that. A quick flashback to Bucky's forced Hydra days that in 1991, he was to off the subjects and acquire the prize of a galvanized briefcase full of the super-soldier serum. Whether it followed Dr. Erskine's original formula or if it was reverse engineered from Rogers' blood...hell I don't know. Watch the flick for details like that.

One year after the very brief Age of Ultron, a team of Avengers in plain clothes led by Cap (Chris Evans of Not Another Teen Movie, The Perfect Score, Fantastic Four, The Losers, Scott Pilgrim vs.the World, The Avengers, The Iceman, Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron) are in Lagos, Portugal tailing potential threats with a bio weapon of which of former SHIELD and Hydra agents. Assigned this is Falcon (Anthony Mackie of 8 Mile, The Manchurian Candidate, She Hate Me, Million Dollar Baby, Eagle Eye, The Hurt Locker, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson of North, The Horse Whisperer, Lost in Translation, The Island, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Lucy and Avengers: Age of Ultron) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olson of The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley: The Case of the U.S. Space Camp Mission, Silent House, Red Lights, Liberal Arts, Kill Your Darlings, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Drunk History).

Copywrit and all that jazz

So two talented normals, a super-soldier and a mutant (Yeah Marvel, I said Mutant so SUCK IT!) seems like a real lackluster support staff for what could end up a serious fire fight. Was Vision off learning how to make proper scones? War Machine or Iron Man off on a booty call? Hey howzabout Thor for cryin' out loud!?! So the crisis is more or less averted except Witch's hex power accidentally forced an explosive blast at a nearby building killed humanitarian aid workers hailing from Wakanda (A fictional nation in East Africa, North of Tanzania. Thank you goofy memory. Now remember your girlfriend's birthday EVERY YEAR!!!). With nations of the world seeing this on CNN coverage, this seems to be the breaking point for the world as they have endured mutants, gamma radiated green guys and the Asgardians and heck why not throw in the Chitaurai as well.

The U.N. Demands heroes to be held accountable for everything that comes down the pike creating the Sokovia Accords that will reveal the identities of powered beings, their power levels and basically tag them so they are overseen and controlled to the preference of the world...and all that entitles. This is where it gets sticky. Tony is all in favor of the accords given the horrible SNAFU that was Ultron while Cap feels remaining autonomous and not relying on red tape and second guessing means their response time to crises would mean they could get in there quicker and do the job easier. The team feels divided on this issue as they are not a military team to be regulated but they should be held accountable for all outcomes regardless of good intentions.

With the continuous search for Bucky who is still on the lam, Cap and Falcon track him down to bring him to anyone that could help him just try to get his life back together are operating AGAINST these precious accords that have NOT EVEN been ratified yet. Yeah Marvel, you know how slow the UN operates at. Curdled milk beats it every time! A bombing in Vienna occurs during the signing of the Sovokia Accords and Bucky has been conveniently named the bomber. Among the fallen is the King of Wakanda T'Chaka (John Kani of The Wild Geese, An African Dream, A Dry White Season, Othello, Endgame, White Lion and Jail Caesar) causing the crown prince, T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman of Lincoln Heights, Persons Unknown, The Kill Hole, 42, Get on Up, Gods of Egypt and Message from the King) to lead his nation and put aside his thoughts of revenge as best as he can but the Black Panther does not have to wait idly by.

Dark Bucky...

With Captain America flagrantly ignoring the rules, the saber rattlers are getting annoyed and may actually send people out to deal with Cap and Falcon so he assembles a team that is in the same mindset as he is. With that, Tony does the same giving the unrealized damaging effects hero vs hero could cause. Will this be all out war? Can Cap and Iron Man ever salvage their friendship?

A few comments to make here. As an avid comic book reader, no this did not have quite the same impact as the comic version did and that is understandable. More characters and more craziness attached to it. This is the first appearance of Tom Holland donning the red and blue webs as he is now the third person to play Spider-Man in film. Still not sure what Andrew Garfield did to lose the role or why Parker is NEVER allowed to age!?! Marvel, there is a slew of stories well past his high school years that would make awesome films. Hell, how about the Secret Wars!?! And can we get Fox's grubby mitts off the X-Men and maybe toss the Fantastic Four to a competent writer and director? Okay off topic there. Sorry about that.

 Comprehensively, the story has good moments, shows a lot of heart and loss typical of the latter Marvel story arc and gives mixed feelings for everyone watching. Most don't want to pick a side because they were friends and comrades dammit but yeah sorry Stark I am still Team Cap.

How cool is the Panther?  Ice!