Critics have seen the latest installment in the Sony/Marvel Universe, Madame Web, and the response is not good. Coming in at 23% on Rotten Tomatoes with 31 reviews might be a bit early to judge, but when you take to X (formerly Twitter) it becomes clear that this film is underwhelming to say the least.
Madame Web synopsis: In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing’s most enigmatic heroines. The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who develops the power to see the future… and realizes she can use that insight to change it. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women bound for powerful destinies… if they can all survive a deadly present.
These critic reactions all agree that the dialogue is a mess in Madame Web. Having a great villain is an important part of being a great super hero movie, and this one is weak and corny. The cast has mismatched chemistry and the editing is a disaster.
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, Kimberley Jones from the Austin Chronicleclaims “A car crash would be more interesting,” while David Fear of Rolling Stone says “It is the Cats: The Movie of superhero movies.”
If you think that is bad, Barry Kertz from Globe and Mail admits, “Today, I owe Morbius an apology, because it turned out that Sony Pictures just needed a little more time and a whole lot of misplaced confidence to make an even worse Spidey spinoff, the astoundingly abysmal Madame Web.”
There are a few bright spots through the criticisms however, Jamie Broadnax of Black Girl Nerds gives Madame Web a 4 out of 5 before saying “Madame Web is suspenseful and action-packed with a substantive origin story that really helps set the stage for this franchise to build on future narratives. It’s truly a fun ride.” While Rachel Leishman from The Mary Sue states, “Filled with the cheesy dialogue we’re used to in comics, Madame Web recognizes the origin that it is trying to tell.”
Sony has always struggled with its Marvel films, and it seems as if this one will be no different. With Madame Web hitting theaters on February 14th, 2024, it won’t take long for us to know it’s box office future.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She owns Mama’s Geeky, but also is a freelance writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for more than ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association. Her passion for film, television, video games, and comic books started when she was a little girl and has only continued to grow.