As a fan of CBM, I really hoped my answer was affirmative, but Madame Web getting bad reviews because of misogyny is far from reality.
Spider never gets trapped in its own web, but Madame Web successfully makes an exception out of it. Sony’s recent Spiderman world fantasy is simply backfiring on them, from Venom to Morbius; their recipes aren’t working.
It’s said that there is always a bigger fish in the water, and for this instance, it is Madame Web, not only the bigger fish but the rotten one.
Let’s clue you in with one particular review:
“[Sony’s Spider-Man Universe] got off to a goofy start with Venom and its sequel before running aground with 2022’s Morbius, and it now fully crashes and burns with Madame Web.”
So, you can practically imagine the failure it can cause, reflected in the ratings as well. Currently, 17% on Rotten Tomatoes, 3.6 on IMDb (once it was as low as 1), and on IGN, it is standing at 5/10.
Now, in some cases, sometimes the ratings don’t really ponder upon the quality, but Madame Web makes an exception in that case; the reviews simply outcast it, labeling it as exceptionally bad.
Even the positive reviews, those do look very artificial, just check the Google reviews. Even one four-star review reads: ‘I don’t know why so many negative reviews. But it could’ve been better with more budget, fewer plot holes, and better-suited actors. I think Dakota and the villain gave average performances and just wasn’t right for the characters. Not that believable.’
And some five-star reviews are just sarcastic, making the entire situation even worse.
Now, talking about the bad ones, the reviews make it comparable to Morbius, and clearly, that was quite abominable.
Comicbook’s review does look a bit different, might shift the image of the film to a slightly positive side:
“Madame Web further illustrates that Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has potential when not trying to be a modern cinematic universe at all, and instead being a springboard for the most niche genre stories imaginable.”
Some of the expert opinions even suggest that it’s better than Morbius and Venom, but that shouldn’t be taken in a positive manner. “Saying Madame Web is better than Morbius and the two Venom movies is akin to a back-handed compliment”, such comments flooded the critical space throughout the day.
One RT critic says, “#MadameWeb is an embarrassing mess. Talented stars wasted on probably the worst comic book movie I have ever seen. Filled with atrocious dialogue, awkward editing, & all-around laughable structure. I sat there baffled scene by scene someone approved this. The memes will redeem it.”
And the critics, while showing the negatives, though are fast to point out, usually tone down the way they talk about it, so imagine the reaction of the masses; the movie is one step away from being crucified.
Calling the reviews misogynist is undermining the reviews by far. Every aspect of the film underperforms, from the scripts to the acting, the film fails. And like most superhero films, there is either scope for strong build-up or a vicious villain; the movie fails to deliver none of the two premises.
Even the technical aspects of the film do fail, making it a disaster.
So, the upcoming run for Madame Web looks a tough one. Sydney Sweeney though managed to save one ‘good’ Sony film, but this one, the oath looks really hard as somethings just can’t be saved.
And yes, here are some tweets by the fans-
Everyone rewatching The Marvels after #MadameWeb pic.twitter.com/xX6O3joYYG
— BLURAYANGEL 🦇 (@blurayangel) February 14, 2024
Crazy how the same studio gave us these Spider-Man movies #MadameWeb pic.twitter.com/EdUWE5qrQR
— BLURAYANGEL 🦇 (@blurayangel) February 14, 2024
I went to the theater to see #MadameWeb and https://t.co/HhpXzTSjxq
— CANCELLED! (@0sboreed) February 14, 2024
#MadameWeb is the best comic book movie since The Dark Knight. Such incredible acting, writing and editing. There will be a before and an after Madame Web. pic.twitter.com/GEDEFkkFy5
— Tom (@ChaseStein_) February 13, 2024
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