Marvel’s “Madame Web” flung into theaters Feb. 14 across the country. Phase 5 of Marvel’s cinematic universe continues to expand, especially their Spider-verse, this time with the tale of how Madame Web came to be.
Within its first three days, “Madame Web” earned 15 million dollars in the box office, alongside a 13 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and a 56 percent audience score.
Paramedic Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) watches her world change drastically in this movie adaptation of her comic origin story. Faced with a near-death experience on the job, she develops the ability to gain insight on the future ahead, alongside it the power to change it.
As she’s settling into her powers, fate links her to three teenagers, Julia Carpenter (Sydney Sweeney), Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Conner), and Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced). Upon their first meeting on the subway, a masked antagonistic force surfaces, seeking revenge for the pain these three teenagers haven’t yet caused him.
Right off of the gate in the opening sequence, the acting was cheesy which made it difficult to feel fully invested in the plot or the characters.
There were moments in the film where as an audience member it was difficult to suspend disbelief when Webb, who was just learning how to wield her powers, would perform an action clearly beyond her skill level.
The pacing in general was pretty fast; the movie could’ve been a two-part movie duo, perhaps maybe a mini-series, but just shy of two hours didn’t feel long enough for certain plot points to marinate.
Despite the gripes, it was no doubt an action movie, an aspect the fast pacing actually enhanced. It was an almost constant on-the-run situation with the tension between hero and foe increasing as more is revealed.”
The ending face-off was an almost beautiful ramp up in action-packed tension. It showed just how far the protagonist had come and how much power she’d harnessed.
One delight of the movie is how it’s woven into the Spider-verse through the supporting cast. Recurring characters throughout both the Spider-man movies and comics were seen either younger than previous appearances or for the first time on the big screen. The connections felt natural and not like cameos used for the wow’s.
This addition of Phase 5 was rough around the edges, varied in quality and jarringly cheesy. Still, it’s a decent watch for Spider-verse enjoyers and definitely isn’t the least enjoyable Marvel movie out there.
