Madame Web (2024)
Madame Web is a super-silly super-hero movie, that is almost saved by an ironic star turn by Dakota Johnson as the titular character.
It’s the latest installment in the Sony Marvel universe, which so far has delivered two highly enjoyable Venom-movies and one utterly ridiculous Morbius movie.
Directed by S.J. Clarkson, from a script by various writers who shall remain nameless, Madame Web falls somewhere in between. It takes place in 1993 and tells the story of a New York paramedic, named Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Webb, who accidentally discovers that she has the power to see a couple of seconds into the future.
And, surprise, surprise, by using that power she can actually change the future. But is this really necessary, you may ask?
Well, actually, it is. There is, of course, a villain, called Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), who once worked for Cassie’s dear departed science-mom in the Amazon where she was researching spiders (and their possible powers). Now he is about to do bad, villainous things which also involve changing the future.
Fortunately, Madame Web is on hand to save three teenage girls, played by Sydney Sweeney, Isabelle Merced and Celeste O’Connor from Ezekiel’s evil plans. From there on out they will have to bond together to fight their Nemesis.
Madame Web is part of the Spider-Man universe, and at one point Tom Holland was going to make an appearance, but Sony apparently figured out that because the timelines of this movie and the last couple of Spidey movies didn’t match, it wouldn’t make sense. But perhaps they also thought it could hurt their precious Spider-Man brand, since the this Madame Web movie doesn’t always make a lot of sense anyway.
At times, Madame Web feels more like a Young Adult thriller(ette) than a true Superhero movie and the teenage girls who this is clearly aimed at - even more so than the recent The Marvels-movie - can enjoy it to their heart’s content. In my own heart I did enjoy at least some parts of the movie, even though sometimes against my better critical judgement.
Dakota Johnson is actually fine, in a role that allows her to let the audience know that she absolutely understands that she is in a very silly movie. (Oh, what a tangled spider-web she weaves).
I guess that counts for something, even though it won’t stop the decline of superhero movies as we know it.
Note: Madame Web is out this week.