Black Widow Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs

4. The Generic Plotting & Dialogue

Easily the most frustrating thing about this movie is the strangely lackluster quality of Eric Pearson's script.

Narratively, it basically co-opts the over-familiar globe-trotting formula of a typical big-budget spy movie yet without much additional flair of its own, as Natasha seeks to rectify her tortured past while dealing with an antagonist who plans to upend the world order.

Yet even generically plotted MCU movies have been elevated by charming character work and fun dialogue, but again, Black Widow falls rather short here too.

Much of the serious-minded dialogue ladles out character backstory and plot information in purely expository terms, and even most of the quips feel relatively tepid and low-effort, more likely to produce mild smirks than uproarious laughs.

This feels like a first draft script that needed a few more passes before going in front of the camera: it just lacks the assurance of most MCU films and comes off a bit flat as a result.