Your Future Was Almost So Different.
1 / 5
Directed by S.J. Clarkson.
Cassandra Webb forges a relationship with three young women destined for powerful futures…if they can all survive a deadly present.
Sony's Spider-Man Universe has been on the back foot since the moment go and fortunately, Madame Web keeps up expectations with another messy and lacklustre superhero calamity.
A talented cast is dragged down by a nonsensical script with little to offer outside of nostalgia bait. Dakota Johnson looks like she would rather be anywhere else and the young trio of Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced and Celeste O'Connor are boiled down to embarrassing stereotypes with a teased superhero future that I will be genuinely surprised if it goes anywhere beyond this film. And don't get me started on wasting Adam Scott…
Add that to a contradicted plot, nauseous camera work and some of the worst ADR I have seen come out of Hollywood in quite some time - Madame Web isn't a flat-out "bad" film, but worse, it's lazy and patronising filmmaking that feels churned out of an algorithm rather than made for any attentive audience member.
Denis Villeneuve effortlessly delivers an epic treat for the eyes and ears that is a joy to lose yourself in. The direction and worldbuilding are monumental achievements delivering on the rich variety of environments and characters that make Dune so unique. The combination of industry-best practical and visual effects makes this a technical masterpiece, pushing the boundaries of filmmaking on almost every level.
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