In defiance of many other origin stories, writer/director S.J. Clarkson and fellow writers Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless and Claire Parker keep you off-kilter during the opening few reels of Madame Web. The snippets that show Cassandra Webb’s emerging powers are as much a mystery to her as to you the audience member. Dakota Johnson as Webb does the misunderstanding thing well.
As the story continues and adds players Sydney Sweeney as Julia Cornwall, Isabela Merced as Anya Corazon and Celeste O’Connor as Mattie Franklin, it becomes more conventual and far less edgy. Keeping the theatregoer off balance is a solid technique and should have been used longer.
As the conventions collect and become dominant, so too does the reliance on special effects. With this much girl power, it seems they should have given these ladies a bigger canvas to paint on. There were many directions and backstories that could have been included to enhance the proceedings.
By the film’s end, it becomes a bit too influenced by the Marvel ethos of having to end with a big bang. This level of bombast while interesting on the surface deprives one of a more engaging experience as these characters could have been expanded into something grand. The excitement is there, just not enough story to go with it.
Rob Hudson
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