Let’s cut to the chase. “Madame Web” is not the total catastrophe that it is made out to be by its cumbersome trailer, nor is it dreadful because of its scheduled February release.
This is a standalone, easy to follow superhero origin story anchored by a very entertaining Dakota Johnson. But, as the name suggests, such a feature is more of a grotesque depiction of disarray and chaos rather than ‘visionary’ to say the least. Yes, it is bolstered by idiotic and monotonous exposition. But Johnson’s Cassie Webb often has to explain to people who are mostly clueless about what actually happened intermittently, which can be amusing. Johnson’s work is often showcased in works by Clarkson and Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless, such as a script for “Morbius” or this film, appearing dull at best.
Still, I wonder, when introducing a character to the whole universe, is there anything that can be done to make it appear novel? That said, at least in this era saturated with comic book films, “Madame Web” can maintain a steady pace, which is a welcoming change because it is better than the end of the world type of films that have become the norm.
While a flashback scene in 1973 confirms several critical points regarding the film’s overall background, preambles are seldom associated with them, making watching this film an appealing experience once in a while.
Now flash forward to 2003, and Cassie, the child she was carrying, works as a paramedic in New York City (Queens, more exactly, which is also the place Peter Parker lives in). But when doing a bridge rescue with her partner EMT Ben, played by Adam Scott, she accidentally falls into the river, which sets off her version of the Spidey-senses. Cassie, on the other hand, is experiencing a barrage of disturbing images in her mind and simultaneously hears the voice in her head that claims she can see the future, but all of which are extremely hard to comprehend. (Of course her name is Cassandra.) At one point, she literally feels her hands are stained red with blood after she sees a vision of someone dying and has no idea how to stop it. This exploring sequence where various events in history are witnessed again and again while hoping for a better outcome appears quite common in modern day cinema, this could range from the likes of ‘Groundhog Day’ and ‘Final Destination’ or the more recent ‘Happy Death Day.’ “Madame Web” may not be presenting novel themes, yet some interesting substrates help drive it forward.
It’s impressive how the scene shifts quickly to the moment when Cassie’s like a light bulb suddenly switches on and she powers through it in order to save three teenage girls from being tortured on a train that’s about to leave Grand Central Terminal. It’s legitimately tense and suspenseful.
Architect turned serial killer who kills his victims in an elaborate game, the wealthy Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim, the star of “A Prophet” and “The Past”) possesses the ability to kill three young kids which he was destined to be killed by in the future. (The way he tries to justify this nightmare vision to a woman he’s just slept with is cringeworthy to say the least and brought about some unintentional laughs from the audience at a recent press screening.)
The fast-paced life of Cassie now obliges her to become the unwitting guardian of these stray young teens: timid early bloomer Julia (Sydney Sweeney), nerdy Anya (Isabela Merced) and headstrong Mattie (Celeste O’Connor). Johnson’s trademark attitude is a refreshing change with so many superheroes being dull with a strong accent, and it shows here as well. Sweeney, Merced and O’Connor are mostly devoid of any variation in their roles and action (and they’re all unreasonably aged for that of a high school setting) but equally, together with Johnson, the four of them have really fantastic on-screen chemistry.
Now, this Clarkson, whose CV includes the all-too-familiar Marvel series Jessica Jones, knows more than enough how to keep the viewer engaged with the scenes where the camera just moved violently and jumping cuts from one angle to another. It will have them slam a car door shut then cut to other doors somewhere that are slamming too.
Throughout the film, the interactions in which Cassie’s powers seem to breakthrough and engulf her in an interesting and captivating way.
As a matter of fact, it is the ‘big battles’ that truly bog down ‘Madame Webb’ as a film. Yes, such sequences are fundamentals of the genre, but these are quite the uninteresting details. And you really do not have to be a psychic to guess that there are more movies in this series to follow.
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