Sony’s ‘Madame Web’ is a stain on the superhero genre

Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

“With great power comes great responsibility.”

This proverb has become synonymous with the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. No matter who portrays the iconic web-slinger or delivers the message, those six words remind the audience if you can do something, ensure you do it for the good of others.

Studios producing superhero movies are beginning to neglect their power to produce good movies, most recently seen with Sony’s “Madame Web.” With decades of storylines and characters to use, superhero movies have the power to become cultural touchstones, reaching both die-hard comics fans and casual moviegoers. In recent years, however, interest in superhero movies has declined, partly due to the quality of the films and the oversaturation of the genre.

The 2024 superhero movie slate is one of the most bare in recent memory, with major productions studios Marvel and DC only releasing one film each. The only studio with multiple releases on its calendar is Sony, which launched their line-up on Feb. 14 with the release of “Madame Web.” Unfortunately for Sony, and the superhero movie industry, this lead-off hitter struck out, lacking logic, clarity and quality.

“Madame Web” is the fourth film released under the Sony Spider-Man Universe, a set of live-action films that feature characters adjacent to Peter Parker, but cannot feature Spider-Man due to a contract with Marvel Studios. Although some of their films have been successful at the box office, they have lacked quality and coherent storytelling, mostly because they are based on smaller characters whom general audiences have little to no relationship with.

Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, “Madame Web” follows Cassandra Web, a psychic who uses precognitive abilities to help “Spider-People” who are in danger. Web (Dakota Johnson) spends the majority of the movie protecting three teenage girls who are on the run: Julia Carpenter (Sydney Sweeney), Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced) and Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor).

Although they seem to have nothing in common, the three girls are connected through their futures as Spider-Women. The villain of the movie, Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), also has precognitive abilities and has a vision in which Carpenter, Corazon and Franklin attack and kill him. To change the future, Sims sets out to find the girls and eliminate them before they get their powers.

On the surface, the plot of the film is similar to a slasher film, where a powerful, unexplained villain chases a group of people for a few days. But there are no stakes, suspense or real conflict between the characters that legitimize the action of the film. While Sims does get a few punches in, the best moment from a fight comes when Web drives an ambulance through a building and crashes into him.

“Madame Web” has no intriguing dialogue, fight scenes or hidden details for fans to discuss online. On top of the horrific, poorly-written dialogue, the computer-generated imagery is unrealistic and the plot is poorly paced. The entire movie feels pointless and empty. Even the least successful superhero movies with clear storytelling issues can have moments that can make the audience care for the characters.

All the performances feel unenthusiastic and unserious, specifically, Johnson, who seems to have spent the majority of her press tour for this film regretting being a part of the film. Johnson’s lackluster acting is just one reason that this film does not feel like it should be taken seriously.

There are times when “Madame Web” film feels more like a Mel Brooks-style parody of a classic Spider-Man film, making fun of the tropes and moments that have become synonymous with the franchise.

One of Web’s best friends in the film is Ben Parker (Adam Scott), who long-time comics fans recognize as one of the key figures in every Spider-Man story. It is Uncle Ben’s murder that gives every Peter Parker the motivation to become a hero. While this is typically one of the most emotional moments in every Spider-Man story, it is directly mocked in “Madame Web.”

“What, you don’t want to get shot in Queens?” Web says to Ben at the beginning of the film.

“Ben gets to be an uncle now… all of the fun and none of the responsibility,” Franklin says after Mary Parker (Emma Roberts), Ben’s sister, gives birth to the child who will eventually become Spider-Man.

The most egregious mockery of the classic Spider-Man story comes when Web discovers an important detail about her past. After a series of visions about her deceased mother, a man who knew her mother gives Web “life-changing” advice.

“When you take on the responsibility, great power will come.”

This terrible, disingenuous line is the perfect microcosm of the film and the entire Sony Spider-Man Universe project. If these films are unable to use Spider-Man, then they are better off not making any reference to the character and creating an original story. Films like “Madame Web” are a stain on the entire superhero genre with all of the worst elements of the films that have become fan favorites.

For those who have the power to go to the theater in the next few weeks, be responsible and do not see “Madame Web.”