Black Widow Review Round-Up: What Do The Critics Think?

After long delays thanks to an unprecedented viral pandemic, Marvel Studios’ latest movie, Black Widow, is finally here–well, at least the reviews are. The movie will hit theaters on July 9, and it will also arrive to Disney+ that day under Premier Access for an additional $30. Now that critics are talking about the movie, here’s what they had to say.

Over at GameSpot’s sister-site, Metacritic, Black Widow has scored a 69 so far, out of 28 reviews, one of which was negative, 6 of which were mixed, and 21 of which were positive. Over at Rotten Tomatoes, Black Widow sits at 86% fresh currently. This is still over a week from theatrical release for the movie, so these scores will likely change.

Below, you will find a selection of some of the many reviews for Black Widow, and you can check out some early social reactions as well. For more from Marvel, you can check out Disney+’s Loki, which airs on Wednesdays. Recently, the series revealed that Loki is bisexual and where TVA agents really come from. Additionally, a new trailer for the upcoming Shang-Chi movie got a new trailer, which has a giant dragon in it.

Black Widow

• Directed by: Cate Shortland
• Written by: Jac Schaeffer, Ned Benson, and Eric Pearson
• Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, and David Harbour
• Release date: July 9 (US theatrical and Disney+ Premier Access)

GameSpot – 6/10

“Fans hungry for any MCU entry at all will find plenty to chew on in Black Widow, but ultimately the movie is unsatisfying. That may be partially down to real-world issues that are outside of anyone’s control, like the pandemic pushing release dates around. But despite strong performances from the leads and the addition of a couple of welcome new characters who may spice up the MCU’s future, this Natasha side story has plenty of inherent problems that drag it down regardless of any external factors.” -Michael Rougeau [Full review]

Deadline

“Johansson is again a great presence in the role, showing expert action and acting chops throughout, while Pugh is clearly ready to lead her own franchise after this MCU debut.” -Pete Hammond [Full review]

The Hollywood Reporter

“On the craftsmanship side, Black Widow is top-notch, with muscular camerawork from Gabriel Beristain and a wonderful score by Lorne Balfe that ranges from gentle piano to high-intensity suspense and almost into the operatic as it incorporates stormy choral elements. The editing of the fight scenes is perhaps a touch too unrelentingly fast, often blurring the choreography, but the physical side never feels overwhelmed by CG enhancement.” -David Rooney [Full review]

IGN

“Marvel’s long-awaited Black Widow film shakes up the classic superhero movie form. Styled like an espionage thriller, the film digs into Natasha Romanoff’s mysterious past as a trained assassin–opening up about her ‘family’ and introducing an inventive villain, Taskmaster. But while the film is plied with eye-catching action sequences, it struggles to strike a balance between action and family drama, and reinforces some of Marvel’s tired tropes of women superheroes. It ultimately captures Natasha as a formidable fighter with unshakeable morals, making her inadequate Endgame send-off all the more bittersweet.” -Nicole Clark [Full review]

ComicBook – 4.5/5

“Black Widow is well-paced and filled with exciting action sequences, led by director Cate Shortland. Making the movie a prequel to the last two Avengers films lowered the stakes by a large margin, but sometimes a fun little side quest is a preferable treat. The balance of action and comedy is an enjoyable return to Marvel’s simpler days and while the movie isn’t the franchise’s all-time best, it has some of Marvel’s best character dynamics to date. Black Widow never quite matches up to the perfection of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but the film still marks the franchise’s strongest action-packed spy thriller since the Cap sequel was released back in 2014.” -Jamie Jirak [Full review]

Roger Ebert – 3/4

“As with a lot of the MCU, the third act here gets a little cluttered and repetitive but then the film recovers with a remarkable final action sequence that sends characters and debris hurtling through the sky (an MCU staple but Shortland’s choreography makes it feel urgent again). It’s ultimately a film that works on its own terms, a long-delayed enriching of the story of a beloved character that will make her ultimate sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame feel even more powerful in hindsight.” -Brian Tallerico [Full review]

Consequence – B-

“Black Widow is actually aided by its status as a posthumous ode to a dead character in the Marvel franchise. The audience already knows Nat’s fate, which means Shortland’s action adventure can turn into a kind of tragedy: We get to see how, before she died, she got to reconcile with both of her respective families. It’s absolutely mid-tier Marvel, alternatively harmed and aided by its late position in the slate. But as a reintroduction to the cinematic universe after a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s definitely worth a look.” -Clint Worthington [Full review]