Rewatching this film was something I needed-because now I appreciate it far more than before, despite all the flaws working against it.
The CGI, for example, hasn't aged well at all; it's still bad. Some scenes needed more polish, and it was even used for things that felt unnecessary.
As for the story, the villain should've had a stronger presence throughout. The transition from the second to third act was anticlimactic. Alexei's character honestly struck me as annoying, disruptive, and completely pointless. And the Red Room's metaphor for human and child trafficking of girls was something I wish it had been explored more deeply across the entire narrative.
Despite that, I've grown to appreciate the action and characters far more: Natasha and Yelena shine. The action truly excels in the hand-to-hand combat scenes, which were the highlights.
Florence Pugh as Yelena was the perfect casting choice. They gave her character so much charisma, personality, and layers that it was impossible not to love her-and to want more of her in future MCU films or shows. Her chemistry with Scarlett as sisters is heartfelt and portrayed flawlessly.
Natasha Romanoff feels like a completely different character compared to her past MCU appearances-and that's a good thing. Here, Natasha has far more depth: her vulnerability, regret, anger, determination, sadness, tastes, goals, and dreams are all explored. This version of Natasha was a joy to meet, and I'd have loved even more of her. With her rich backstory, she deserved a full trilogy. We'll miss you, Black Widow.
