Madame Web Reviews Are All Saying The Same Thing

The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Madame Web was an “airless and stilted endeavor,” and heavily criticized the film for being unimaginative. This outlet wasn’t alone in its overview of the superhero movie, as The Daily Beast gave an even more harsh criticism. Calling it a “torturous saga,” the publication railed on the film’s unnecessarily complicated directing, poor dialogue, and subpar acting.

Perhaps the most scathing review of Madame Web came from Rolling Stone, who likened the movie to a “Chernobyl level disaster.” The pop culture magazine wrote that it was in amazement that someone actually green lit the film and went on to state that it was the comic book film equivalent of the heavily panned Showgirls.

Madame Web is an origin story to multiple female Spider-Man spinoff characters, the first of which debuted in an ad for Hostess Twinkies in the late 1970s. The often-overlooked character was featured in 1980’s Amazing Spider-Man, helping the Marvel superhero locate a kidnapping victim. The character’s clairvoyance proves to be the boost that Spiderman needs to save the day.

The film Madame Web follows paramedic Cassie Web who, after an accident, discovers that she has psychic powers. This differs some from the comic book character, who was a paralyzed elderly woman that held great clairvoyant powers. The film version of Cassie Web is young, able-bodied, and only beginning to discover how to use her newly found abilities.

Cassie’s mother was a spider researcher who met an untimely end while giving birth to Cassie while on assignment in the Amazon rainforest. As an adult, Cassie discovers that the spiders researched by her mother gave the film’s protagonist, Eziekiel Sims, great powers. As the storyline of Madame Web unfolds, Cassie’s ability to see through to other dimensions leads to her meeting three young women who become targets of Sims.

Madame Web was created with an estimated budget of $80 million. Whether or not the advance criticism from media outlets ahead of its wide release on Wednesday will dampen its success at the box office remains to be seen, though the predictions don’t look good.

Madame Web features a solid cast with a bevy of familiar faces. Dakota Johnson stars in the title role, supported by The White Lotus actress Sydney Sweeney and singer/actress Isabela Merced. Emma Roberts, Mike Epps, and Adam Scott help to round out the cast of this seemingly doomed film. S.J. Clarkson makes her feature film directorial debut at the film’s helm, having previously scored award-winning success directing episodes of popular television shows that include Orange is the New Black, Succession, and Vinyl.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter