‘Madame Web’ Initial Reactions Label Film an "Embarrassing Mess" 

‘Madame Web’ is poised to hit theatres on 14th February and the initial reactions to the film have surfaced, shedding light on what audiences can expect.

Dakota Johnson takes on the lead role as Cassandra Webb in this Spider-Man spin-off, portraying a woman endowed with psychic abilities. The film introduces multiple Spider-Women, including Julia (Sydney Sweeney), Mattie (Celeste O'Connor) and Anya (Isabela Merced), who join forces to combat the villainous Ezekiel 'Zeke' Sims, as teased in the initial trailer.

Also Read: ‘Madame Web’ Review: Has Marvel Fared Well This Time?

As the fourth installment in Sony’s shared Spider-Man Universe, following ‘Venom,' ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ and ‘Morbius,' ‘Madame Web’ aims to steer the franchise in a fresh direction with its multiverse focus. However, early reviews and reactions paint a less-than-rosy picture.

Hoai-Tran Bus of Inverse criticized the film, labelling it "just about the worst movie you'd find at the bottom of that Walmart dollar bin." Variety's Peter Debruge commented that 'Madame Web' falls short of the high-concept 'Avengers' movies, questioning the value of tickets compared to more canonical Marvel productions.

Collider's Lisa Laman lamented the film's failure to capitalize on its talented cast, describing it as a "superhero movie shockingly devoid of tangible humanity." IGN's Francesca Rivera highlighted the confusing and ultimately bland result of 'Madame Web''s attempt to weave together numerous plots and characters.

David Fear from Rolling Stone did not hold back in his criticism, likening 'Madame Web' to ‘Cats: The Movie’ of superhero movies, where every decision appears questionable and performances seem out of sync with the material.

On social media, reactions were no more forgiving. Matt Ramos on Twitter, now known as X, remarked that "Morbius was better," while Cris Parker declared Madame Web to be an "embarrassing mess," labelling it as possibly the worst comic book movie ever seen.

Parker detailed the film's pitfalls, including atrocious dialogue, awkward editing and an overall laughable structure, expressing disbelief that someone approved the movie scene by scene.

With such overwhelmingly negative early feedback, ‘Madame Web’ seems to face a challenging journey in winning over audiences and critics alike.

– Farheen Ali