Film Critique: 'Madame Web' Movie (Revision)
In the world of superhero films, the release of Madame Web (2024) has been met with a wave of disappointment, both critically and commercially. The movie, which hit theatres on Valentine's Day, has been labelled as one of the biggest flops in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Manohla Dargis, the chief film critic for The New York Times, went as far as to call the movie an achiever of "memorably terrible status." Mark Kermode, a Tomatometer-approved critic, described the storytelling as "somewhere between pathetic and perfunctory."
The film, running for 1 hour and 54 minutes, has been criticised for its mechanical and airless screenplay, choppy editing, wonky dialogue, and overall lack of engaging creative direction. Dakota Johnson, the lead actress, openly criticised the film's creative direction, stating that many decisions were made by people "who don't have a creative bone in their body."
The movie's poor performance is also attributed to its lack of seriousness and tone inconsistency. Fans and critics alike did not take it seriously as a superhero film, noticing its inconsistent tone and lack of a compelling narrative arc.
Madame Web's disappointing showing at the box office is evident in its opening weekend, where it managed to gross only about $25.8 million against an $80 million budget, marking the lowest box office opening in Sony's Spider-Man franchise history. The movie has gone on to gross $40 million at the domestic box office and $90 million globally, significantly less than the lowest grossing Spiderman film.
Despite the critical backlash, Madame Web has been seen as a necessary step for Marvel to take, with some viewing it as a standalone movie. Critics and students have agreed that it may end up being a reflection of the criticisms of The Marvels, another Phase 4 movie.
Dakota Johnson, who received minuscule screen time while in the Madame Web suit, has expressed dissatisfaction with her experience in the film and doubts about her future in Marvel. She has stated that she "probably will never do anything like it again."
The CGI in Madame Web has also been criticised, being compared to Nickelodeon projects and deemed poor. Sony executives are reportedly angry with Johnson for publicly criticising the movie.
The movie features an impressive cast, including Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Emma Roberts. Despite their talents, the movie's flaws overshadowed their performances, leaving Madame Web as a disappointing addition to the Marvel cinematic universe.
[1] Dargis, M. (2024). Madame Web: An Achiever of Memorably Terrible Status. The New York Times. [2] Kermode, M. (2024). Madame Web: Somewhere Between Pathetic and Perfunctory. The Guardian. [3] Johnson, D. (2024). Madame Web: A Disappointing Experience. Entertainment Weekly. [4] Razzie Awards (2025). Madame Web Sweeps the Razzies. Razzie Awards. [5] Rotten Tomatoes. (2024). Madame Web (2024) [Movie Review]. Rotten Tomatoes.
- Social issues surrounding the creative direction and box office performance of Madame Web (2024) have raisedtalk of potential analysis in entertainment journalism, with critics, such as Manohla Dargis from The New York Times, expressing strong opinions about the movie's memorably terrible status.
- The disappointing showing of Madame Web at the box office, with less than satisfactory gross earnings, has put the film under the spotlight for news coverage, sparking discussions about the future of Marvel's Phase 4 movies and the state of social issues in movies-and-tv production.
- As entertainment media continues to dissect and discuss the eventful launch of Madame Web, the film's lead actress, Dakota Johnson, shares her negative opinion on the movie's overall experience, possibly igniting debate surrounding the features and quality of future Marvel films.
){kind=link}