“Madame Web” had the potential to be the clairvoyant guide that Stan Lee imagined when he wrote “The Amazing Spider-Man” comics, but Sony set viewers up for a disappointingly different storyline.
From the opening scene to the rolling credits, “Madame Web” felt forced and unnatural. The initial dialogue sounded like it had been dubbed over despite the film being in English. There was no chemistry or flow between the actors, whether it was poor acting or stilted dialogue.
The protagonist, Cassie Web, played by Dakota Johnson, is an awkward, child-hating 30-year-old paramedic. Her character is instantly unlikable, despite the director’s attempts to humanize her through her backstory. While this seems strategic, it is unshakable. By the movie’s end, I wanted to be on her side. Still, I found her character off-putting, which may work in Sony’s favor if they want her to become the clairvoyant crone that was originally written into existence in the comic book series.
Tahar Rahim’s character as the supervillain, Ezekiel, also felt forced. His acting throughout was mediocre at best and his lines were that of any generic villain. He alludes to some sort of tragic past, but we do not get a single detail of it, making it difficult to connect with him. Part of what makes a good villain is some strand of relatability. If the audience can see even a shred of themselves in the antagonist, we care about what happens to them next. Unfortunately, Ezekiel was distant and abstract.
The most interesting parts of the movie come from the dialogue and actions of three teenage girls who become Madame Web’s gang of misfits. Sydney Sweeny, Isabela Merced and Celeste O’Connor, as Julie, Anya and Mattie, respectively, are arguably the best actors in the film, unless viewers consider Emma Roberts’s minor role to be of any significance in the movie.
Throughout the film, we see the three girls’ future as superhuman spider-women, but the moment never comes. This ploy is clearly used to get viewers invested in future sequels, and it worked. Despite my lack of emotional attachment toward Madame Web, I need to know what happens to Julia, Anya and Mattie and how they develop their powers.
The saving grace of this film is in the action and special effects. Where the dialogue and character development are lacking, the fight scenes and suspenseful high-speed chases kept me on the edge of my seat. There was no lack of excitement, despite Madame Web spoiling the outcome of every action moment with her visions.
“Madame Web” left a lot to be desired where the plot and characters are concerned, but if you follow the storyline of Stan Lee’s comics, you know that this is a setup for films to come. Predictable and cliché lines will leave you rolling your eyes, and unnecessary scenes that could have been used to give us more insight into the characters’ past will leave you cringing, but this movie is a means to an end.
