Madame Web is the latest Spider-Man spin-off in the Sony/Marvel Universe and even though it does weave a messy web of mediocrity, it’s still a fun movie to watch.
Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) is a New York City paramedic who shows signs of clairvoyance. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she must protect three young women from a mysterious adversary who wants them dead.
Some lines in the film were startling at how funny they were, a fantastic combination of teenage emotions with a less-than-thrilled babysitter. Madame Web’s origin story is almost like the anti-hero version of Charles Xavier, and even though it doesn’t get fully fleshed out there is still plenty of emotion, fun, and what felt like natural angst and vulnerability to it.
I appreciated the representation of paramedics as it’s a rare thing to see E.M.T’s in their work and what they give to serve the public. Even though it was a bit forced, and a tad overdone and cheesy, Madame Web gets an A+ for accomplishing some detailed shots of them doing their thing and giving a little character development in the process.
I love a good shot and artistic visuals popping out and staying in my mind well after the film ends. This film has these moments – the creepy and yet serene world of the Web World holding a sense of majesty and mystery, but also the very emotions of the person to wields it. Other shots of the costume crusaders striking that superhero pose or the nostalgic early 2000s look helped establish some of the themes of the movie or a good set visual to cascade into.
Celeste O’Connor was one of my favorites in the film. She was a tad quirky but kept the attitude going with a lot of sass that was very fun and usually well-placed. Isabel Merced’s performance grew on me once she got into the meat of the character and pushed past the stubborn and cheeky attitude. She’s got a charming charisma, a fun brainy side to exploit, and this sadness that she uses to bring out those emotions. Sydney Sweeney is always so much fun to watch. Sweeney’s character is a lot more toned down than in her previous roles, but she knows how to adapt her style to give audiences something to engage with. And, I just adore Dakota Johnson and expertly wields a snarky and condescending nature but is a tad dry at times. Johnson has great chemistry with the girls which helps in smoothing out the faults.
Madame Web may have missed a few things, but some surprising moments worked very well to show the potential of the film if given the right focus. One of these moments was the opening that would eventually lead to plot points later on that paid off in a very touching moment.
Overall, Madame Web is certainly not the greatest movie I’ve seen, but it’s not the worst either. There are elements of this vision that show the potential for a good future but needs a lot of work to make up for this rushed installment. With a talented cast, music and some fun writing can be the building blocks but they can’t erase what felt like lots of production limitations, rewrites, and editing that greatly shows in the film. A couple of boring battles, annoying gimmicks, and underdeveloped characters despite a strong cast were just some of the limitations this movie has to work through if it wants to continue in future installments.
Madame Web is now playing in theaters.
What did you think of the film? Let us know in the comments below
