Monday, February 19, 2024

Madam Web (2024)

 'Madam Web' is a movie where the more I heard about how bad it was the more I wanted to see it. Preparing myself for a complete disaster no doubt benefited my ultimate reception of the film, which is low to middling but watchable. A Sony picture the film serves as an origin story of the titular Madam Web and various other 2nd to 3rd teir Spiderman side characters. 

A period piece set principally in 2003, this plays like it was written as a TV pilot for Fox and then for inexplicable reasons shot as a feature 20 years later. I enjoyed its low stakes, superhero adjacent quality, clichéd writting and bad ADR are among this movies charms.

 Dakota Johnson's low energy, mildly snarky approach to the material might seem like she was trolling her own film, but I think that's just the way Dakota Johnson acts. Three attractive and ethically diverse young women play future spider heroines who Johnson's psychic paramedic must protect from Tahar Rahim's forgettable villian. Adam Scott and Emma Robert's are also in this for some reason.

The movie ends the way I might end a spoof of superhero movies. I think the descriptor "charmingly bad" best reflects my feelings towards this film. I've been enjoying reflecting on the movies plot holes and stange decisions the last few days. **

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