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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Black Widow (2021) in Movies

Jul 16, 2021

It should have happened way sooner, but finally, Black Widow is here, and in short, it's pretty damn good.
There are many questions that hang over the future of the MCU and the direction that they are going. With so many cogs in motion via the various limited series on Disney+ and the impending multiverse, this first theatrical realease of phase four is a welcome and grounded change of pace, focusing on a story set in a time period we've already seen before, more specifically, set between the events of Civil War and Infinity War.
Natasha Romanoff is a rich character. Her backstory has been teased a handful of times throughout the series, but her big moment in the spotlight really gets into it. The narrative is nicely paced, fairly dialogue heavy in places, but allows the story arc space to breathe. The set pieces peppered throughout are decent, including a stupidly entertaining finale, but they never detract from the many character moments between Natasha and her "family".
The cast are absolutely solid. Scarlett Johansson is Natasha Romanoff through and through. Her presence in the MCU all this time has been a welcome one. She is bolstered by a stacked supporting cast also. Florence Pugh is great as usual, and a fine addition to the ever growing MCU roster, as is David Harbour. It's always a pleasure to see Rachel Weisz in anything. Same for Ray Winstone, even when he's playing an awful shitpiece.

A couple of minore gripes - The Taskmaster we get here is certainly not the Taskmaster comic fans may be familiar with. The way they are slipped into the narrative makes sense, but I hope the "real" Taskmaster is out there somewhere. The version we have here is parallel to the version of Deadpool we saw in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, essentially a mute henchman which is a shame.
I also wasn't a huge fan of some of the editing, especially in the more action heavy segments, but it's not enough to de-rail what is a triumphant and overdue solo effort for a truly beloved character.

If this is indeed the last time we see Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow (which I'm sceptical about, what with the multiverse incoming and all that), then it's a fitting send off.

Kudos

Fair Food Maker Game

Games and Entertainment

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Play the BIGGEST and BEST Fair Food Maker chef game! Make 18 delicious fair foods and 8 fair games...

X-VPN No Log Proxy

Productivity and Utilities

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Fast servers with No Annoying Ads! You’ll never miss any sports lives or the TV series with X-VPN!...

Hulu: Watch TV Shows & Movies

Entertainment and Lifestyle

8.0 (34 Ratings) Rate It

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Enjoy all your TV in one place with a new Hulu experience – more personalized and intuitive than...

Hazel (1853 KP) rated Zeroes (Zeroes, #1) in Books

Dec 7, 2018

Zeroes (Zeroes, #1)

Scott Westerfeld | 2015 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

The author of the Uglies series, Scott Westerfeld, has teamed up with co-writers Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti to create this exciting, whirlwind of a young adult novel. Many people wish they had a superpower, but what if there actually were people with them? Zeroes is a story about a group of teenagers with special gifts, however these unique abilities may be more dangerous than you would imagine.

The superpowers in this novel are not as conventional as the famous comic heroes. Some can control crowds with their minds or destroy electricity, and one blind character can even see through the eyes of others. Collectively these teenagers are called the Zeroes, but only amongst themselves.

Despite how cool it may seem to have these powers, their gifts can easily get themselves in to trouble. One of the teens, Ethan, accidently finds himself involved with drug dealers and a bank robbery, resulting in the police taking an interest. Whilst trying to get him out of this mess, the rest of the team cause even more trouble, sequentially making things worse and eventually leaving Ethan in a life threatening situation.

Told through six different characters, the reader gets the opportunity to learn about the individual powers and how each person deals with them. The novel is fast past with an explosive ending – literally – it is almost impossible to put it down. With an equal mix of male and female characters, it is suitable for all readers who enjoy YA, and by no means is it limited to teenagers only. You will find yourself wanting more.