Freedom Day

July 19th aka Freedom Day in England, the day when all mandatory Covid restrictions were lifted. The UK has been in some kind of lockdown for 490 days and it's taken a toll that I don't think we will fully understand for years to come.  Despite some reservations I'm hopeful that this can be the start of the new normal and we can get back to being social beings again while still keeping as safe as realistically possible. 
So how did I decide to celebrate this new found freedom? With my first trip to the cinema since lockdown began. When restrictions were eased I was still somewhat nervous to be around groups of people even with masks and social distancing so I preferred to stay home instead. However with two vaccinations under my belt, a day off from work and an almost empty cinema I thought this was the smallest of baby steps out into the world. It must also be said that watching films on the big screen has an extra thrill and atmosphere that watching at home on the small screen can't replicate.
And the film I chose to make my return to the cinema? Marvels Black Widow.

I must admit, even though I've watched all of Marvels cinematic output, I didn't have the greatest anticipation or excitement for Black Widow. But with temperatures nearing 30 degrees and the opportunity for two and a half hours in a cold dark room I decided to check it out. What I got was a perfectly fine film  but one that was sadly devoid of almost any need to exist.  If this was meant to be an origin story it didn't really tell us anything beyond what we already knew and what we did find out seems inconsequential compared to what we know happens in the forthcoming timeline.  Most of the main performances met the standard you'd expect from such quality actors, although Ray Winston and his wandering Russian accent was somewhat off-putting. Especially good was David Harbour as the Red Guardian, a lovable oaf who reminisces about past glories as as kind of Russian Captain America but has totally gone to seed after years in prison. While it certainly ticks a lot of the boxes you'd expect from a Marvel film with some spectacular action set pieces and snappy one liners there just seems to be a lack of purpose or meaning to any of it. Even the parts that are new and intriguing like the network of Widows  or the underused Taskmaster aren't really given the time to shine. That being said I would be up for a Disney+ spin off seeing what some of the other Widows have been up to. In the end this felt very much like a placeholder, something to tide fans over between phase 3 and phase 4, without ever really moving the universe forward in any way. Even the post credits sting  was lackluster, setting up something I'm not sure I'm that interested in seeing. 
So after a year and a half away from the cinema was the return worth it? I would have to say yes, even though the film might not have blown me away the act of going out and sitting in that room with other people has given me the confidence boost needed to make me want to do it again. And not only the cinema, I'm excited to go and see friends, go to pubs or restaurants  and be out in the world. Maybe not right away and maybe not all at once but soon and that's more than I had in the previous 490 days.