2.5 out of 5 stars
*Spoilers*
Marvel is opening a new window for female superheroes by introducing “Madame Web.” The film begins the story of how a superhero team of young women was formed but did not include the full transition of the characters getting their powers, leaving the story open for sequels.
The movie starts off slowly, establishing Cassandra “Cassie” Webb (Dakota Johnson) as a paramedic working alongside her partner, Ben Parker (Adam Scott). After Cassie suffers an injury while on a call, she starts having visions of the future.
The visions introduce Cassie to a group of girls: Julia Carpenter (Sydney Sweeney), Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor) and Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced). The three teenage girls are unaware they are being targeted and ironically all end up in one place where Cassie can protect them.
The action picks up more during the second half of the film, as the team comes together to defeat Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), another clairvoyant who saw visions of the teenagers coming to kill him and sought to kill them first. This is the beginning of the new team forming, giving the audience hints that we can expect more films to follow.
There were a few scenes where the acting felt dull, but the characters had many humorous moments which made up for the less action-packed scenes. I was hoping for more action as the team of superheroes was slowly being built. If a second film is approved, I think it will be more action-packed and fulfill audience expectations for this new generation of Marvel.
Marvel used this film to set the scene of how Madame Web and the team formed before entering the spider-verse. Being able to watch the trailers and interviews with the cast prior to opening day, I was expecting a quicker introduction of the new team. This first movie was more about beginning a franchise than standing on its own.
I loved how Marvel dropped hints for the fans to piece together on what we may get to see next. “Madame Web” features a great cast and I believe the next films will satisfy and meet expectations. While I left the theater disappointed by the lack of action, I am excited to see what is next for Madame Web and the hinted introduction of Peter Parker as Spider-Man.
Photo via GeekTyrant.