MADAME WEB is Astoundingly Bad
Summary
TLDRThe video script offers a detailed review of the film 'Madam Web,' highlighting the numerous issues faced by the movie. The reviewer expresses skepticism about the demand for such a film and criticizes the character's portrayal, particularly the deviation from the comic book source material. They discuss the film's director, SJ Clarkson, and her limited feature film experience, suggesting it may contribute to the movie's shortcomings. The script also points out the writing credits and the writers' history of poorly received scripts. The reviewer further comments on the casting choice of Dakota Johnson and her apparent disinterest in the Marvel universe, questioning her motivations for participating in the film. Throughout the script, the reviewer uses humor to underscore the film's absurdities and implausibilities, including the plot, the special effects, and the character development. The summary concludes with the reviewer's final thoughts on the film's quality and the broader implications of committee-driven filmmaking.
Takeaways
- đŦ The video discusses the challenges of making movies and the mixed outcomes, using 'Madam Web' as an example of a film that did not meet expectations.
- đˇī¸ 'Madam Web' is criticized for its lack of appeal, with the reviewer expressing difficulty in finding any redeeming qualities in the film.
- đ The character Madam Web is described as an old, blind woman with powerful psychic abilities, which contrasts with the film's portrayal.
- đĨ SJ Clarkson, the director of 'Madam Web', is primarily known for her work in television, leading to a discussion on the differences between directing for TV and film.
- đŊī¸ The video points out the inexperience of the writing team and suggests that their collective track record may contribute to the film's poor reception.
- đ Dakota Johnson's performance and her real-life actions following the release of the film's trailer are discussed, hinting at a possible disconnect with the project.
- đ The review includes a sponsored segment for the mobile game 'Raid: Shadow Legends', highlighting the game's features and a special event.
- đšī¸ The game 'Raid: Shadow Legends' is promoted with an offer of a giveaway for a gaming console and in-game loot, urging viewers to participate.
- đ§ The script touches on the typical narrative structure of superhero origin stories and expresses a desire for more innovative storytelling in the genre.
- đ The video concludes with a reflection on the future and the potential it holds, despite the challenges faced by the characters in the film and the production of the movie itself.
- đ There is confusion about the film's timeline, with inconsistencies suggesting it may not be set in the year it claims to be.
Q & A
What is the general sentiment towards making movies as expressed in the video?
-The video expresses that making movies is a difficult process that takes a lot of time and effort, and there are many ways a movie can go wrong.
What is the reviewer's opinion on the movie 'Madam Web'?
-The reviewer has a very negative opinion of 'Madam Web,' describing it as a 'big pile of [expletive]' and stating that it's nearly impossible to discuss the movie without criticizing it.
What is the significance of the character Madame Web in the movie?
-Madame Web is depicted as an old, blind woman with clairvoyant powers. She is a central character in the movie, although the reviewer expresses skepticism about the need for a movie centered on this character.
What is the director's background according to the video?
-The director, SJ Clarkson, is known primarily for directing TV shows, with only one other movie, 'Toast,' to her name. The reviewer suggests that directing a TV show is quite different from directing a movie.
What is the reviewer's view on the writing credits for 'Madam Web'?
-The reviewer criticizes the writing credits, noting that the director and three other writers, some of whom have a history of working together, are responsible for the movie's script, and implies that their collective work has resulted in a poor quality film.
What is the context of the Dakota Johnson's agency switch mentioned in the video?
-Dakota Johnson switched her agency from WME to CAA shortly after the first trailer for 'Madam Web' was released, which raised speculation that she was not happy with the movie. However, the reviewer mentions that CAA also represents her production company and indie film, suggesting the switch might be business-related rather than a reaction to the movie.
What is the reviewer's critique of Dakota Johnson's performance and attitude towards the movie?
-The reviewer points out that Dakota Johnson appeared to not be fully invested in the movie, citing instances where she made light of it during a press tour and her apparent lack of familiarity with Marvel movies.
How does the reviewer describe the plot and character development in 'Madam Web'?
-The reviewer finds the plot and character development to be lacking, with a focus on origin stories that feel overdone. They also criticize the decision to not portray Madame Web as blind, which deviates from the comic book character.
What is the reviewer's opinion on the movie's villain, Ezekiel Sims?
-The reviewer finds the villain, Ezekiel Sims, to be poorly developed and acted. They describe his portrayal as forced and cheesy, and criticize the suit design as an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Spider-Man.
What are some of the specific scenes or elements criticized in the movie?
-The reviewer criticizes several scenes, including the use of the camera, the editing, the acting, the dialogue, and the use of a Pepsi Cola sign in the climax. They also mention the implausibility of certain plot points and the lack of logic in the story's progression.
What is the final message or theme suggested by the movie according to the reviewer?
-The movie concludes with a message about the future and the power of belief in oneself. However, the reviewer finds the delivery of this message to be insincere and poorly executed, particularly due to the amateurish writing.
Outlines
đŦ Introduction to Movie Making Challenges
The speaker begins by acknowledging the complexity and time-consuming nature of movie production, where many things can go wrong. They express skepticism about the existence of a market for 'Madam Web,' a movie they consider to be of poor quality. The speaker also mentions their intention to discuss the film critically, understanding the challenges it presents in finding positive aspects to highlight.
đˇī¸ Critique of Madam Web's Production and Writing
The speaker discusses the writing credits of 'Madam Web,' pointing out the lack of successful past works from the writers involved. They also touch on industry reactions to Dakota Johnson's agency switch and her seemingly disinterested behavior during the movie's press tour. The character of Madame Web is described, emphasizing her powers and the potential for an interesting narrative that doesn't rely on an origin story.
đŋ The Misguided Origin Story of Madame Web
The narrative focuses on the origin story of Madame Web, highlighting the implausibility of certain plot points and the questionable decisions made by characters. The speaker also criticizes the film's editing, acting, and the use of special effects. They express confusion over the character motivations and the disjointed nature of the storytelling.
đ¨ The Absurdity of the Villain's Actions
The speaker describes the actions of the film's antagonist, Ezekiel Sims, who gains powers from a rare spider and uses them to become wealthy. They ridicule the villain's portrayal, his accent, and the chaotic scenes that ensue. The speaker also comments on the ineffective use of the villain's powers and the cheese factor of his character.
đ¨ The Chaotic Visions and Inexplicable Trust
The summary covers Cassie's struggle with her newfound powers, which are unpredictable and chaotic. The speaker highlights the odd behavior of the girls who trust Cassie despite her kidnapping them and claiming to see the future. The narrative includes a scene where the girls are dancing on a table, and the speaker questions the logic behind their actions and the film's tonal inconsistencies.
đ The Visions, CPR, and a Journey to Peru
The speaker recounts how Cassie teaches the girls CPR and leaves them in the care of her friend Ben while she travels to Peru to find a spider tribe. The trip is based on her mother's research, and the speaker finds it unrealistic that Ben would agree to house the girls without question. The summary also describes the encounter with a man from the spider tribe who shares Cassie's powers.
đĨ The Hospital, the Firework Warehouse, and the Final Showdown
The summary details a series of events where Cassie has visions of the girls' deaths and repeatedly saves them. The final confrontation with Ezekiel takes place on a Pepsi Cola sign, leading to his downfall. The speaker questions the logic behind the use of fireworks and the illuminated 'S' from the sign, and they end with a critique of the film's writing and the final dialogue, which they find trite and unconvincing.
đ Conclusion and Final Thoughts
The speaker concludes the review by reiterating their negative opinion of 'Madam Web' and encourages viewers to share their thoughts. They also promote their merchandise available at alien.com, providing a light-hearted ending to the critique.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄMadam Web
đĄSpider-People
đĄTelepathy
đĄAstral Projection
đĄEzekiel Sims
đĄOrigin Story
đĄSuperhero Genre
đĄVisual Effects
đĄCharacter Development
đĄProduct Placement
đĄCinematic Tropes
Highlights
The speaker acknowledges the difficulty of making movies and the potential for mistakes, yet introduces 'Madam Web' as a particularly poor example.
Madam Web's character is criticized for being an old, blind woman with powers, who doesn't seem to warrant a standalone movie.
The director of Madam Web, SJ Clarkson, is known for TV work, leading to a discussion on the differences between directing for TV and film.
The movie is panned for its writing credits, with the writer's previous works also being criticized.
Dakota Johnson's performance and her comments about the movie and her Marvel knowledge are discussed, highlighting potential disingenuousness.
The plot of Madam Web is summarized, focusing on the character's psychic powers and the speaker's disinterest in yet another origin story.
The speaker mocks the film's use of a non-blind lead character, contrasting with the source material, and the unoriginal approach to the antagonist.
A detailed recount of specific scenes from the movie are criticized for poor editing, acting, and plot development.
The use of product placement, specifically for the game 'Raid: Shadow Legends', is highlighted and briefly described.
The climax and ending of Madam Web are described as bizarre, with a focus on a scene involving a Pepsi Cola sign.
The final scene is critiqued for its implausibility, including the survival of characters and the message about the future.
Dakota Johnson's post-film comments about the movie-making process and her doubts about the film's quality are mentioned.
The speaker concludes with a negative review of Madam Web, inviting viewers to share their thoughts in the comments.
A humorous note is added about the film's setting being ambiguous due to various anachronisms spotted throughout.
The absurdity of certain dialogues and the weak character development are highlighted as significant flaws in the movie.
The speaker emphasizes the lack of suspense or stakes in the film, comparing the repetitive rescue scenes to the movie 'Final Destination'.
The final confrontation's resolution is deemed unsatisfactory, with the Pepsi Cola sign taking an improbable role in the villain's defeat.
The inexplicable continuation of the fireworks after the characters leave the building is pointed out as a plot hole.
The film's final message about seeing the future and standing up for beliefs is criticized for being trite and unconvincing.
Transcripts
I would like to preface this video by
saying making movies is difficult it
takes a lot of time a lot goes into it
there are many ways someone can mess up
when making a movie that being said
though sometimes you get a movie like
Madam web all right I mean what can I
say that is one big pile of [Â __Â ] some
movies suck it is what it is you seen
Madam web no I haven't I've seen Madam
web it's good have you yeah is it good
yeah it's pretty good well these matches
say you're
lying I cannot talk about Madam web
without trashing it it's just not
possible so I kind of understand why
Chris Duckman made the video he made on
it I have other thoughts about his video
but we're here to talk about Madame Webb
it's kind of difficult to talk about
this movie and movies like this without
feeling like an [Â __Â ] the reason I say
that is because this movie has so few
good call ities I don't even think I
have one really which doesn't happen
often normally in the videos I make I
try my very best to say something nice
about a movie most of the time this is
one of those very rare instances where
I'm sorry okay is this real so let's
talk about Madame web first off I refuse
to believe that a single soul on this
planet asked for this movie that is
wrong Elvis I specifically requested
Madame Web come on let's just be real
Madam web this is what she looks like in
the comics she has some pretty cool
Powers but she's ultimately just an old
blind woman that sits in a web chair
thing it's been 84 years I can see how
she could possibly compliment someone
else's movie but a movie about her I
don't know I'm going to be honest I
don't know much about Madame web all
right I haven't read her comics the
small amount of info I know about this
character is from what I've seen on
online this movie baffles me because
it's a theater released Sony Marvel
movie and the director is SJ Clarkson
this person only has one other movie
under their belt it's called toast and
it was released in 2010 and I'm guessing
most of the people watching this video
haven't seen it maybe I'm wrong maybe
everybody loves toast I just I'm the one
person that hasn't seen it SJ Clarkson
is mostly known for directing TV shows
and honestly some pretty great TV shows
at that she's directed episodes of
Dexter succession and house and you
might be thinking well she's made some
great TV obviously she can make a great
movie well I don't think that's the case
with a show there's the showrunners who
decide the direction of the show and
then the directors Who deliver the
individual pieces of that story for
movies the director is in charge of
mostly everything instead of making this
tiny piece of this overarching narrative
you're in charge of the entire narrative
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now back to the review Madam web has
four writing credits one of which is the
director who has only one other writing
credit for a show called Mistresses two
of Madam web's other writers must know
each other pretty well because they've
only worked on the same movies together
and all of them
are bad and I'm not joking match Shaz
Zama and Burke sharpless have both
written the screenplays for Dracula
Untold the last witch hunter gods of
Egypt morbius and Madam web it's kind of
insane that these guys keep getting work
the fourth and final screenwriter for
Madame Webb has only one writing credit
and that's for Madam web they're also an
executive producer for this movie it
looks like they've produced a bunch of
movies before but yeah this is their
first time writing for one and it shows
I'm not saying that it's impossible to
write a good movie your first time
around there's the obvious example of
Robert Edgars who's on an incredible
film streak right now and there are
other examples of people making good
movies on their first go this is just
not one of those cases I'm just going to
say I don't always agree with Rotten
Tomatoes but the 12% for this movie it
makes a whole lot of sense according to
IMDb Dakota Johnson left her agency WME
in favor of CAA less than a week after
the first trailer for this movie dropped
and according to variety this raised
industry eyebrows and generated some
unfounded rumors that Johnson didn't
like the movie especially since she made
fun of it while hosting Saturday Night
Live so it's kind of like if AI
generated your boyfriend's Perfect
movie however The Hollywood Reporter
found that since CAA was also willing to
represent her production company Tea
Time pictures along with her indie film
Daddo it's likely the timing of her
agency switch was nothing more than film
business shuffling Dakota Johnson just
did not give a [Â __Â ] during her press
tour for this movie it's so funny do you
remember the first Marvel female
character that you fell in love with on
screen H let me think I
[Music]
don't at one point she says she loves
Marvel movies you know I have always
really loved Marvel movies kind of like
in that one video when she said she
loved limes because there were limes
sitting there and she didn't know what
else to say I love limes I love them
they're great and it was a complete lie
what what do you do with all of those
limes it was hard to just ignore them so
I just
lied I love them well guess what in a
different interview she said that she's
only seen 15 minutes of one Marvel movie
before what percent of Marvel movies
have you
seen uh 4% 4% which is like 15 minutes
of one I love Marvel I loved Marvel
movies during this same interview she
was asked if she could name the three
Tom Holland Spider-Man movies and she
completely failed can you name the three
Spider-Man uh Tom Holland
movies yeah Spider-Man and the Goblet of
man this girl doesn't give a [Â __Â ] about
superhero movies it's hard to blame her
if she just did this movie for the money
so who exactly is madam web anyway
basically she's an old blind Clairvoyant
woman with a ton of Mind Powers she was
born without eyesight and she kind of
reminds me of an OP female version of
Charles Xavier first things first I am a
lady so let's go over her powers she has
astral projection telepathy mind
alteration basically she can make you
think what she wants you to think she
has the ability to sense incidents
before they happen she can perform
surgeries with her mind and she can see
the future again I haven't read the
comics but it looks like she's probably
one of those characters that other
characters seek out for answers to
something you know like that old wise
woman that hangs out in a hut and the
main characters are like oh my god did
you hear about this person they can
probably lead us in the right direction
so they go and have a conversation with
them and then you never see them again
honestly if they didn't make this an
origin story and instead just focused on
an old blind woman I would probably be a
lot more interested in this movie it's
not every day that you see an old woman
as a super superhero and not just any
superhero a psychic Powerhouse give the
role to Merill stre or
something and you've got yourself a
superhero movie that is unlike anything
that's out there right now I would be
interested in seeing that and I'm not
lying as far as how the story would work
out you'd have to have some master
Storyteller to make this compelling I
think I'm just so bored of origin
stories at this point it feels like
every month we're being introduced to
another superhero from the comics that
were buried in there somewhere that they
haven't gotten around to yet oh yeah
Dakota Johnson's character in this movie
isn't blind remember how I said that she
was born blind she was born without
eyesight not anymore and it's not like
they would be copying Daredevil because
he wasn't born blind instead they decide
to copy Daredevil it's a lot more
interesting when someone becomes blind
because of something and what makes her
blind it's very very funny okay that
would also piss people off the movie
starts by by focusing on a scientist
named constants this is Madame web's
mother she's taking pictures and notes
on a spider web in the rainforest
they're searching for a very rare breed
of spider because it has this super
Venom that can do all sorts of crazy
things and they tell us that nobody has
ever captured One Alive before which
seems pretty improbable if you ask me
and it's not like the spider is super
tiny or something like nobody has ever
found it before you want to see what the
spider looks like this is the spider
it's huge and bright red her security
guard is named Ezekiel Sims and he's the
bad guy in this movie when I say I
[Â __Â ] your mom you best believe I
actually [Â __Â ] your mom he says this to
her I agreed to provide security for you
because I thought thought you were close
to finding the spider what why would he
say that to her why would he be so overt
about his intentions he might as well
have told her I want this spider for
some reason and I'm not going to tell
you why but hurry up because I'm not
going to steal it from you but I totally
will also it's raining in this scene and
they even point out the rain because
Constance takes his umbrella in the next
shot Ezekiel is in the same rainforest
but the rain has just stopped I suppose
so that's strange and then Constance
immediately finds the spider that nobody
has been able to find until just now and
it's this giant bright red spider how
has nobody found this thing Ezekiel
picks up a gun and shoots everybody and
then tries to steal the spider Constance
watches this happen and says I don't
understand over and over I don't
understand oh you don't do you the guy
who clearly wants the spider shot you
and the other people around as soon as
you found the spider and you don't
understand she also says you're making
the wrong decision when he had already
shot two people like [Â __Â ] he already
made the decision what are you talking
about you need to give him the spider
you're pregnant think of your child the
acting during this sequence is terrible
although we do find out later in the
movie that she went to the for is to
find the spider to cure her child like
that was the whole purpose of finding
the spider right because this spider's
venom could potentially cure her unborn
child's disease so it kind of makes
sense that she doesn't want him to take
it but if he's going to kill you is it
really worth it you found one I'm sure
there's another one right around the
corner this woman is not acting like she
just got shot and then suddenly
mysterious spider people of the forest
swing down and save constant as she's
lying there dying the eding and shot
composition here is so confusing there's
this one guy who climbs down a tree and
another who's carrying two giant what
are those things they look like huge
nails or something they cut back and
forth between these spider people so
awkwardly it's so clumsily edited it's
insane and then they show this guy who's
carrying Clarence away and he's bouncing
off of trees like he's straight out of
Twilight it's pretty obvious when you
watch it that they just sped up the
footage and it looks so bad the camera
spins around constantly in this movie
and it's super disorienting the spider
people give Clarence a sort of
ritualistic spider bath where they help
deliver her baby after one of these
super spiders bites her it's followed up
with some terrible ADR she is strong she
will come back when she needs answers
these people are in a cave but there's
barely any Echo to his voice he sounds
awkwardly clear when he's barely opening
his mouth to speak it sounds like they
just plopped the raw audio on top of
this scene and then called it a
day I will be here for her we fast
forward in time and were introduced to
paramedics Cassie web and her friend Ben
played by Dakota Johnson and Adam Scott
respectively they really love to spin
the camera around in this movie and
sometimes they do it for no reason and
it's kind of distracting normally when
the camera does stunts like this it's to
emphasize the scene if someone's doing a
stunt the camera follows them and it's
like oh God that's so cool but in this
movie it feels very out of nowhere most
of the time so Cassie helps someone out
of a car but then gets trapped in it
herself as it plummets into the ocean we
then get a scene of Cassie experiencing
her powers for the first time I guess
she's a late bloomer she's in this web
very clever and then she touches a
balloon that explodes full of blood and
then she sees this huge illuminated s
sign is that an S for spider she's then
saved by Ben we see Ezekiel Sims again
but this time he's is a rich man oh jeez
he has a lot of money and he gets the
women he must have gotten Rich by
selling that very rare spider just
kidding he kept it in a cage apparently
he let it bite him so he got superpowers
and he used those powers to become rich
I always forget how hot it gets in here
with the light and everything so I have
to take my hoodie
off and then Ezekiel has a nightmare and
this scene is so bad I don't know if it
was just bad direction or what but tahar
raheem's acting in this movie is pretty
terrible he has this forced accent and