A film on Black Widow, the famous fictional Russian spy-turned-Avenger, is not something that can be taken lightly. After all, Black Widow, aka Natasha Romanoff, deftly played by Scarlett Johansson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has slowly but surely cultivated a legion of fans over the course of the movies.
Whether that's because she’s the only woman among the original Avengers, her widely underrated style of fighting, or the fact that she (spoiler alert) selflessly gave up her life in Endgame, she’s earned a special place in fans' hearts.
But timing is everything, and when Marvel announced it was making a stand-alone film, called Black Widow, on Romanoff, it felt a bit like token symbolism. Or worse, a cash-grab.
Nevertheless, for hardcore fans, something is better than nothing, and so the film picks up right where one would expect it to: exploring the life of a young Romanoff, in blissful suburban Ohio with her parents and sister. It isn’t long before it’s all revealed to be a front; her perfect family is actually made up of Russian spies, and Romanoff and her little "sister" are to be trained as elite assassins by the KGB’s Red Room programme, all of which is covered in the prologue.
Most of the film is set two decades later, after the events of Captain America: Civil War. The Avengers are disbanded, and Romanoff is on the run from the law, when a visit from “sister” Yelena Belova, excellently played by Florence Pugh, makes her a target once more. The only solution is to reunite with her highly dysfunctional “family”.
The casting is very much on point, and it is a delight to see David Harbour (Stranger Things) take on the role of father Alexei Shostakov, aka the Red Guardian, while Rachel Weisz plays the part of scientist mother Melina Vostokoff to perfection. Add in Belova’s loud-mouthed, snarky and hilarious personality, and you have a hit family reunion with plenty of humour and vulnerability.
There are other aspects of the film to appreciate. Under the direction of Cate Shortland – the first solo female director of an MCU flick – Romanoff is not sexualised (nor are any of the other female assassins). In fact, she’s fitted in far more practical attire than seen in many previous films. Black Widow also introduces a formidable villain – the Taskmaster (but we won't reveal too much, as we don't want to spoil it).
The storyline also touches upon real topics, from the meaning of family to child trafficking, while still managing to keep the overall vibe light.
It’s best not to linger on the plot, however, as it comes across as a little too convenient overall. There have been rumours that the film is actually paving the way for the next character to pick up the Black Widow mantle, with some speculating it's more of an origin story for Pugh's Belova.
While Black Widow makes for a great stand-alone spy thriller that packs in plenty of entertainment value, fans who have been waiting for a film that explores the character in great depth will simply have to keep waiting.
Black Widow is in cinemas across the UAE now
The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on animal trafficking
HWJN
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Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
ARGENTINA SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Franco Armani, Agustin Marchesin, Esteban Andrada
Defenders: Juan Foyth, Nicolas Otamendi, German Pezzella, Nicolas Tagliafico, Ramiro Funes Mori, Renzo Saravia, Marcos Acuna, Milton Casco
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Guido Rodriguez, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Roberto Pereyra, Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Di Maria
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, Matias Suarez
Tour de France
When: July 7-29
UAE Team Emirates:
Dan Martin, Alexander Kristoff, Darwin Atapuma, Marco Marcato, Kristijan Durasek, Oliviero Troia, Roberto Ferrari and Rory Sutherland
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
SRI LANKA SQUAD
Upul Tharanga (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella
Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana
Chamara Kapugedara, Thisara Perera, Seekuge Prasanna
Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera
Vishwa Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay
