Page 8 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021 ~ ADVOCATE MOVIE REVIEW ~ Black Widow’s first solo mission fails to meet objective; rating: D+ By Mitch Ringenberg A ~ FLASHBACK ~ 49th in a series of common criticism lobbed towards the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is that each of their movies all look, feel and move pretty much the same. When a promising indie director like Taika Waititi (the New Zealand filmmaker who helmed 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok”) or recent Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao (this year’s upcoming “Eternals”) is scooped up by Disney to direct their latest Avengers-adjacent blockbuster, it’s often diffi - cult to see their thumbprints in the fi nal product. It’s like when Quentin Tarantino directed a couple episodes of “CSI” back in 2005; these directors are there to fi lm one chapter of a larger story and collect a handsome paycheck while they’re at it. Thus, credit should be given to In 2010, at the Revere Little League Telethon, James Carmello (3rd from right) and members AUTOTECH 1989 SINCE Is your vehicle ready for the Summer Season?!! Recharge your vehicle's AC for the warm weather! Includes up to 1 LB. of Refrigerant* (*Most Vehicles/Some Restrictions May Apply) AC SPECIAL Only $69.95 DRIVE IT - PUSH IT - TOW IT! CASH FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV! 2012 HONDA PILOT EXL 2011 FORD FESTIVA Loaded, One Owner, Sunroof, Back-up Camera, Warranty, Only 101K Miles! TRADES WELCOME! $15,900 Financing Available! Only 105K Miles, Clean Title, Save Money on Gas! Great Commuter Car! TRADES WELCOME! $5,995 (781) 321-8841 • (617) 571-9869 Easy 1236 EasternAve • Malden EddiesAutotech.com Vehicle! We Pay Cash For Your director Cate Shortland for imbuing “Black Widow” with a noticeably darker tone than previous MCU outings. Set shortly after the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” this prequel focuses on the tortured backstory of Scarlett Johansson’s Russian-superspy-turned-Avenger Natasha Romanoff (codename Black Widow). The film is a spy thriller about survivor’s guilt and the trauma women carry after spending time with abusive, domineering men. At least that’s what “Black Widow” wants to be about. Unfortunately, all that thematic ambition is undermined by graceless, CGIheavy action and lackluster storytelling. This movie desperately wants to capture the grim espionage thrills of “The Bourne Identity,” but it ultimately feels like an inferior imitation. The fi lm begins with an opening credits montage of female child soldiers being brainwashed and trained in lethal combat as a breathy, femalesung cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” plays to let you know that this movie is gritty, by golly. Like the rest of “Black Widow,” the sequence is fi lled with desaturated colors and quick cuts that render the onscreen action almost incomprehensible. Young girls being trained to kill for their country is a pretty heavy concept for a superhero movie made for children, but sadly there aren’t enough ideas at play here to justify such loaded imagery. The story fi nds Natasha forced to reconcile with her estranged family after an attempt is made on her life by a mute assassin named Taskmaster. In an intriguing twist, her family was formed in America during an undercover mission by her parents Alexei (an amusing David Harbour) and Melina (a Rachel Weisz without much to do), yet once Alexei’s cover is blown, the unit is quickly disbanded, and Natasha and her sister Yelena (Florence Pugh, also wasted here) are turned over to a shady government program in Russia. The fi lm is at its strongest when exploring the strained dynamics between this highly dysfunctional family. A stretch in the middle shows both sisters confronting their parents about the falsehoods of their upbringing. To mom and dad, it was an assignment that got a little too personal; to Natasha and Yelena, it was their entire lives. Yet whenever “Black Widow” appears to be fi nding a groove with its characters, it abruptly shifts gears into a noisy action set piece. Character growth is substituted for bloated spectacle at every turn, and a third act that should be an emotional payoff for a family fi nally coming together to defeat the big baddie is instead a noisy mess with a bunch of people running in front of unconvincing greenscreen explosions while atop a crumbling spaceship. Even the smaller action beats fail to satisfy: A hand-to-hand fi ght between Johansson and Pugh in a kitchen is clearly an homage to similar, far superior fi ght scenes from “The Bourne Supremacy” and “Atomic Blonde.” However, any potential impact is sapped out by annoying editing techniques. A single kick or punch will contain so many quick cuts that it’s hard to discern who’s doing what. That’s a massive disappointment considering that when you have a superhero as iconic as Black Widow you best be sure to let her shine. “Black Widow” comes to theaters and Disney+ on July 9. Revere residents named to Dean’s List at UMass Amherst AMHERST - The following Revere residents were named to the Dean’s List at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for the spring 2021 semester: Melisa Avdic, Kevin Alfred Bardhi, Miranda Nell Cardona, Leila Cesic, David Oleg Conlon, Alondra Esparza, Zachary J. Gentile, Ava Jane Hawkes, Brendan Patrick Hayes, Sonia Yanira Hercules Mancia. Ergi Ismahili, Isabella Mendes Izidoro, Greis Kasofo, Eve Lyn Lescovitz, William Ly, Aladdin Hatim Mohammed, Oluwafemi Olatunbosun, David To Phan, Milton Xavier Rios, Jhonnatan Ismael Rivera, Luana Rodrigues Dos Santos, Michael Joseph Roncevich, Sari Saint-Hilaire, Anas Sbai, Andrew M. Simonton, Wellan Sok, Andrew Tran, Baron Tran, Jimmy Tran, Kevin Trinh, Amelia Rose Viscay and Giana Marie Wilson. Students must have a 3.5 grade point average to qualify for the Dean’s List. Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/Advocate.news.ma
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