If you are wondering why Marvel chose to kick off Phase Four of the MCU with this belated flashback solo outing for Johannson's Black Widow, you have to wait for a beautiful additional scene at the very end of the credits (which also ties the film in to the newly-minted TV series outings which this film's original 2020 release would have pre-dated), but for the movie itself it surpasses expectations by being very strong indeed. First, it is a very well-controlled movie to watch, with direction that is evidently confident and creative throughout, and as an action movie it certainly delivers very well in its sharply-delivered set pieces. Johannson and Florence Pugh make for a great 'sisters' double-act with their spiky love-hate verbal sparring, action-duo fighting and genuine connection on screen, with Pugh often scene-stealing effortlessly which bodes well for her involvement with future MCU stories, and the addition of David Harbour as the ageing Red Guardian is hugely entertaining. The overall story is disappointingly somewhat thin, and the villain of the piece is very cartoonish, but these blips are more than compensated for by the wonderful dysfunctional family created here and its well-delivered action.
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