Black Widow

Actors: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, Olga Kurylenko, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, Rachel Weisz

Rating: 9 out of 10, More than up to Marvel’s usual very high standard. Johansson in what I assume is her swan song for this character easily carries the movie. The plot offers great details in her early, heretofore, mysterious background. The best addition though was Florence Pugh as her “sister”. I’d heard about Pugh but never saw what all the accolades were for, until now. She has real screen presence and more than held her own with the veteran actors she was surrounded by. The stunts were otherworldly and there were some sly comic threads as well. It’s a long movie but it carries you along at a relentless pace leaving you wanting more of the characters. Luckily it looks like this was a handoff from Johansson to Pugh and if that is the case then we are in good hands. A very good flick.

MVP: Pugh as the deadly pseudo-sister Yelena