The new Spider-Man spin-off is in theaters, but the hoped-for success is clearly not there. It’s an absolute disaster and the film gets burned everywhere.
Normally, everything succeeds for the Spider-Man. The latest Spider-Man film No Way Home was a tidal wave that appeared in the top 10 of the biggest box office hits worldwide. Ratings are high on specialized sites with 93% (press), 98% (spectators) on Rotten Tomatoes, and an average of 8.2/10 on IMDb. Sony Pictures is therefore trying to ride the wave by creating its own universe, but for now, the ship is seriously taking on water. The new feature film is already dark after just a few hours of operation.
Spider-Man spin-off reviews are in, it’s a monumental fiasco
It’s the big day for Sony Pictures which has just released Madame Web in French cinemas. If you’re not aware, it’s a Spider-Man spin-off that focuses on the character of Cassandra Webb. A superhero with telepathic abilities who can predict the future thanks to her gift of clairvoyance. Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) and villain Ezekiler Sims are also in the cast. A winning move? From a critical point of view, it is a sinister failure as evidenced by the various opinions. We are far from Spider-Man.
“Artificial intelligence would have done better” according to the Canadian site Lapresse. “Madame Web is mostly a Pepsi commercial, oddly populated with bad performances. Dakota Johnson, although so likable in 50 Shades of Gray or Suspiria, is a minimalist actress here. His casting is a regrettable mistake” (via Variety).
For Deadline, this Spider-Man spin-off stacks up the clichés of the superhero film. A feature film designed by managers and not creatives. “Madame Web represents the pitfalls of mainstream superhero cinema. Namely films that are not driven by story and their characters, but rather by studio orders and franchise considerations”. IndieWire joins this review and explains “Madame Web is a superhero film that seems to have been made by and for people who have never seen superhero films”.
Madame Web is barely better than Morbius
“With a horrible storyline and not the slightest ounce of charm despite the 5-star cast, Madame Web is a simple imitation of Spider-Man. It’s boring, unimaginative and dated, despite being one of the few superhero films about female superheroes. In conclusion, Madame Web is a superhero feature film to absolutely avoid” according to ScreenRant. Ecran Large, which has not yet published its opinion, gave a preview with feedback that sells dreams (no). “It’s so lunar what we’ve just seen. The movie ate my brain. In fact, it’s worse than Morbius.”.
Worse than Morbius? Well yes, and American journalists share this impression. On Rotten Tomatoes, it is also one of the worst projects in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, ahead of Morbius. But it’s really a small matter. Madame Web is 18/100 and the film with Jared Leto is 15/100. Then come Venom at 50/100 and Venom 2 at 57/100. In short, it’s a wreck.