Scarlet Johansson’s movie Black Widow has somewhat rested well with the fans. Considering that it brings an end to Natasha Romanoff’s story, it somewhat seems like a subtle goodbye. But of course, no film passes by without some criticism. And the same case is with Black Widow. The movie is set between the time of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Hence, it’s not an origins story. Though we do get some insight into that. But there are some problems that the fans have after watching the movie. So let’s look at reasons why fans are unhappy with Black Widow.
5 Reasons Why Fans Are Unhappy With Black Widow
1. Why Include Taskmaster?
Taskmaster’s identity was the biggest reveal in the entire movie. It was revealed that the Taskmaster is actually General Dreykov’s daughter, Antonia. She’s the ‘red’ in Nat’s ledger. Back in the Budapest mission, Natasha gave the green light to Hawkeye to blow up the building that housed Dreykov. But he wasn’t alone as his daughter was there too. After surviving the blast, Dreykov programmed Antonia to be the greatest killing machine that can mimic anyone.
But it’s a character gone to waste. In the comics, Taskmaster can mimic anyone, but at the expense of his own memories. In Black Widow, Taskmaster wasn’t even given the spotlight as such. Moreover, such a character would have made for the perfect villain that could run throughout the movie. Rather, it was used as a pawn. And in the end, Antonia was freed of mind control, courtesy of the Red Vail. So fans have actually questioned as to why even use such a great character if not tap into its potential?
2. Weak Redemption Arcs
For Natasha, it seemed like she was able to wipe off her sins by saving Antonia. But that’s also a matter of debate. But the redemptive arcs of the supporting casts were actually weaker than expected. Here, I’m talking about Alexei Shostakovich Melina Vostokoff, the make-believe parents. Even though they weren’t real parents of Yelena and Natasha, the opening sequence seemed otherwise.
Moreover, when Alexei was saved from prison, he had no sort of sorrow in his heart. Rather, he was detached and self-absorbed. All he cared was about his super-soldier status and if Captain America ever talked about him or not. Thinking about how Black Widow is about women breaking free of a man’s control, then a man apologizing for his wretched behavior would have actually made for a great moment.
Next comes Melina, who has even less of an arc. Her scene where she tortured pigs to show off her mind-controlling technology was not taken well and definitely wasn’t humorous. When she learned that Yelena was a victim of her technology, there wasn’t an apology. It all just seemed to end in a battle at the Red Room where she easily used the Photostatic Veil to switch places with Natasha.
3. Black Widow is Actually an Ensemble, Not a Solo Film
Black Widow should have been Natasha’s solo film, and it isn’t. Rather, there were one too many elements that easily overshadowed Nat and her character. First up is Pugh’s Yelena Belova herself. The character was shown to be more charismatic and stronger in character. Then we had Russia’s first super-soldier. Next comes General Dreykov and the whole Red Room. And the biggest center of attraction was the Taskmaster. Where the movie should have explored more of Natasha’s human side, it failed to do so. And that’s all because of the added elements that wouldn’t have harmed the movie if they weren’t there.
4. Confusing Events of Budapest
The Budapest mission is something that has always kept the fans curious ever since 2012’s The Avengers. Natasha says, “just like Budapest all over again” to Hawkeye, who responds with, “You and I remember Budapest very differently.” The same was seen in Endgame, so it was obvious that this was the event that the movie would dive into. And of course, Nat sacrificed herself in Endgame so Black Widow was the last chance.
But then again, the movie did not explain it properly and only left the viewers with more questions. The Budapest mission was Dreykov’s assassination. The building blew up, but it was later revealed that Dryekov and his daughter Antonia both survived the blast. And it was never explained how. And it was never explained as to how Natasha and Hawkeye ever became a team and went for this mission? Some of this should have been explained.
5. The Complex Ending
A smaller problem with the ending of the movie was the falling Red Room. Natasha and Yelena do not possess superpowers whatsoever. Yes, they are highly skilled and made for combat. But fighting off villain mid-air as debris falls on you sounds too far-fetched even for a Marvel movie. Apart from this, it’s the actual ending that was a bit off. General Ross and Natasha never came face to face. After the dust settled, Natasha let everyone escape. But she decided to stay to buy some time as the others leave. But the aftermath was never shown. Instead, she was seen with Quin Jet, leaving to save her friends. Now, this is a loose thread that we cannot follow.
So these are the reasons why fans are unhappy with Black Widow.
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