Black Widow Parent Review /Is Black Widow Appropriate written by the Elf on 7/10/2021
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Is Black Widow Appropriate for kids/ Black Widow Parent Review
Know Before You Watch the Black Widow Movie
Movie: Black Widow
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Superhero, Spy, Action
Length: 2 hrs. and 15 mins
Age suggested: 12 and up
Release Date: July 9th, 2021
Where to watch: In Theaters and on Disney+ Premiere Access (until October when it will stream on Disney Plus without the extra cost)
Themes: Redemption, Family, Purpose, Trafficking
Warnings: Human trafficking, child abuse, brainwashing, mild swearing, violence
*There IS a post-credits scene and it will make more sense if you are caught up on the mini-series- although it is not necessary to have seen them*
Quick Summary of Black Widow
After over a decade, the MCU finally dives into the childhood and backstory of Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow). What happens to Natasha after the events of Captain America: Civil War when the Avengers are on the run? A mission becomes personal when she learns a threat that she thought was eliminated comes back with a diabolical plot. While diving into Natasha’s past, we are introduced to several new characters who will play roles in the new MCU phase.
Is the new Black Widow movie appropriate for your kids? Yes and no. We’ve got a few things for you to consider below.
Black Widow Review (Contains Light Spoilers)
-Is the movie Black Widow Appropriate for kids?-
Yes and no. A few things to consider when figuring out if it’s for you’re kids.
*no spoilers*
1) The violence. It’s pretty typical for a Marvel superhero movie. More than Thor and less than Endgame. Same for the level of language.
2) The story. The storyline brings up some pretty deep life questions and includes physical and mental abuse. It also raises questions about family- something to consider if that might be triggering for your kiddo.
3) The length (if you’re watching it in the theater). This is a big action movie, so there’s something to be said about seeing it on the big screen. But if it’s been a while since your kids have been in the theater- a movie that’s almost 2 1/2 hours (not counting previews and credits, which you want to stay for because of the post credit scene) might be too much for younger viewers.
For kids who have seen (and enjoyed) other 2 + hour Marvel movies. This one should be enjoyable too.
-Black Widow Movie Plot/Story-
There are two main goals for this movie. One is to build a new character (more on that in the Character section below) and to provide Natasha’s personal redemption story. As has been alluded to in the prior MCU movies, Natasha has had a past that she was ashamed of. Black Widow briefly dives into that past, but mostly focuses on Natasha attempting to prevent this from happening to future generations of girls.
The timline of this movie takes place after Captain America: Civil War. Even though it does tell a great story of redemption, it simply seems a bit out of place in the MCU timeline. The movie feels like an afterthought to appease the need for a female superhero movie and introduce a new female superhero. It definitely seems this movie would have been better coming out after CA: Civil War rather than after her storyline has ended in Avengers: Endgame. With that said, this movie in it’s own vacuum does provide a powerful story of redemption while introducing some new characters that will be seen in future shows and movies.
On the one hand, they didn’t oversexualize the female warriors in this movie, which they easily could have done. And the story was compelling with some really thought-provoking elements. But on the other hand, it really did feel like an afterthought to introduce a new character and not the fantastic solo movie that Natasha’s Black Widow deserved. I enjoyed it, but while Black Widow is one of my favorite Avengers, this is not my favorite Avengers movie. What about you? Tell us what you thought below!
-Characters in the movie Black Widow-
Our main character, Natasha, finally gets her own movie to provide her backstory and redemption. She has stayed a pretty consistent character throughout all of her movies, but Black Widow does allow you to see her a bit more vulnerable as she interacts with her family. We are introduced to her parents (the man and woman who raised her after her entrance into the Widow program). The parents, played by Rachel Weisz and David Harbour, are eccentric, flawed characters, while also being intense and serious when needed.
Natasha’s sister, Yelena, is the secondary focus of the movie and is being built up to be her own character in future franchises. She has a similar demeanor to Natasha due to the fact that they both grew up in the Red Room. Yelena, being the younger child, had more favorable memories of their broken family. This leads her to mildly break down when she is confronted with their true history. Make sure to stay until after all the credits in order to see which future shows she will be involved in.
Black Widow Discussion Questions
- Besides Natasha, who was your favorite character and why?
- How were all these girls being taken and abused?
- Yelena makes a comment about not being a murderer that little girls look up to. Should super heros like the Avengers be people that are looked up to? Why do you think so?
- What lessons about family can you pull from Black Widow?
- How does Natasha find some redemption from her past by the end of the movie?
- How do you think this movie will play into the larger MCU going forward? Which characters do you expect to see in future MCU projects?
Thanks for checking out this Black Widow Parent Review (Is Black Widow Appropriate). Before you go, check out these other posts!
And tell us what you thought of the movie by commenting below!
-Other Family Friendly Disney Plus Streaming Suggestions
-Black Widow The Novel and Red Vengeance
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