The Sony Universe took no notes from their previous comic book entry, Morbius, when it came to their latest superhero release, Madame Web, a film centered around a Marvel character from the Spider-Man comics. Ever since Disney’s success with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony and DC have tried many times to catch up with their competitor. Madame Web is the most recent victim of comic book characters to fall under despite the level of publicity and star power behind it.
Coming to theaters on Valentine’s Day is another superhero film featuring a Marvel character. The titular role is carried by Dakota Johnson, who plays Cassie Webb, a paramedic who finds herself able to see glimpses into the future after she dies and then is revived on the job. As her visions increase in intensity, she sees a mysterious villain trying to kill three young girls he has visions of killing him in the future. There is also the mention of Las Arañas, the tribe of spider-like people from the Peruvian Amazon who protect the spider giving Cassie and the villain powers. The story is a bit all over the place but will unravel itself a bit more as it goes on.
Directed by SJ Clarkson, Madame Web is a movie without much tension, heart, or action. The dialogue can be awkward at times and heavy on exposition. Without even trying, the film is hilarious, even when it is clear that is not the scene’s intention. Regarding the dialogue, villain Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim) gets the worst of it as nearly every line he speaks is ADR–audio recorded in post-production that is then looped into the film’s audio in place of production sound. The ADR is quite inadequate and can be a bit distracting from the purpose of the villain character. Sims’ lines tend to be vague and sum up to him just saying he is a bad guy who does bad things.
Cassie (Madam Web) is socially awkward and has incredible difficulty bonding with anyone due to her growing up as an orphan. She is supported by three young girls: Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney), Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced), and Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor). Cassie, the woman who hates children and motherhood, will become a guardian to these girls as they all will become superheroes in the future. The relationships between the three young girls seem forced and stereotypical. Sweeney and Johnson, who are expected to do the heavy lifting, give performances that sound like they are a bit uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, the technical aspects fall short of the requirements of the typical action film. Some moments are flawed with poorly done CGI, an oddly done color palette, and amateur-looking cinematography. The good part of this movie is that it will let mainstream audiences understand the importance of good production sound and carefully done ADR. After Morbius, audiences all figured they would have learned their lesson or tried to make something dedicated comic book fans would love. Madame Web is a disappointment of a film and surely to get a massive internet roasting from comic book fans.
Score: 1 out of 5
There is no after-credit scene. It was a bit disappointing to see a female-led superhero movie not live up to the expectations or standards of the comic books. If the film filled in the gaps more, and focused less on so much of the origin story, there could have been potential for a more successful outing for the film.
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