MADAME WEBB

US, 2024, 117 minutes, Colour.

Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabella Merced, Celeste O'Connor, Tahar Rahim, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, Mike Epps.

Directed by S.J.Clarkson.

This tale is almost the exact opposite of the Marvel Universe adventures. It is the villain who has the powers – and the lead, Dakota Johnson as Cassie Webb, has no superpowers except for some anticipatory glimpses of the future. As she says, she can see the future, “kind of…”.

This film was produced by Sony which seems to have the rights to Marvel stories connected with spiders, all the Spiderman films, the Venom films as well as Morbius. And, at one stage, someone does a riff on the well-known statement, this time the great responsibility has power!

This time Marvel has given us something of a Girls Night Out show – not too much to appeal to macho Marvel fans.

This is the Tale of the Threatened Three, three initially annoying and self-preoccupied 16 or so-year-olds (which does continue for a bit), targeted by a power-hungry maniac. His played by Tahar Rahim, a long way away from his excellent roles in French films. It is he who is the Spiderman variation, costume, mask, climbing walls, walking upside down on roofs, leaps from vehicle to vehicle – but no web.

Cassie Webb is an efficient New York fire department paramedic, working alongside the very nice Adam Scott whose sister-in-law, Emma Roberts, is pregnant and will provide an urgent setting for the climax. But Cassie has some strange hallucinatory moments, déjà vu as reality catches up with her glimpses. An accidental falling into the river in a locked ambulance leads to mysterious underwater lights and experiences. She doesn’t know why.

But, we do. We have seen the prologue to the film, in Peru, 30 years earlier, her pregnant mother searching for an exotic spider with mysterious healing powers. She is betrayed by her partner, Ezechiel (Rahim) who makes off with the spider, but has visions of three teenagers who will threaten his life. He has amassed a city-wide super surveillance system and goes in pursuit.

At one stage, Cassie trains the girls in CPR. Seems a bit tame – but, of course, it will be a key to saving Cassie after Ezechiel goes up in a spectacular explosion in a large fireworks factory – and crushed by a huge Pepsi Cola sign – Sony and Pepsi have an extensive promotion contract and business partnership.

Pregnant mothers and daughters, baby showers, teenagers flirting, female heroics…, As Marvel Universe tales go, a bit moderate.

1. The Marvel Universe, a different perspective, female perspective, different presentation of superpowers?
2. The film’s failure at the box office, the decline of the Marvel films?
3. The reworking of the plot from the comics, the focus on Cassie, age 30, not having superpowers, strong personality, working with the New York fire department, paramedic, Ben, collaboration, driving, tending the wounded, banter? Responsibilities? Establishing her character, strong, then the moments of clairvoyance, déjà vu as reality catches up? A different lead for the Marvel Universe?
4. The prologue, Peru, 1973, constant, pregnant, working with Ezekiel, the search for the spider, her finding one, the betrayal by Ezekiel, his violence, his escape with the spider? The local people, the spider people and their appearance, the shaman, her giving birth, her death? The baby in the water and the mysterious light and atmosphere?
5. Ezekiel, 30 years later, his power, the elaborate surveillance system and his assistant, his vision of the three teenagers who will destroy him? His quest to find them?
6. Cassie, the female atmosphere, the baby shower, the guessing game, her reluctance? The introduction to Mary, Ben’s care of her, Mary later appearing, about to give birth, the ambulance, the crisis?
7. The clairvoyance, seeing the future, a kind of…? Her bewilderment? Trapped in the ambulance, into the river, the water, the lights, the effect on her?
8. Cassie, the subway, finding the three girls, the threats, Ezekiel as the Spiderman variation, the pursuit? His vengeance?
9. Cassie, with the three girls, their age, self-preoccupation, irritating to Cassie and the audience? Taking the cab, the bewildered driver, out into the countryside, telling them to stay? Her going to research her mother’s notes?
10. The three girls, the different personalities, their backgrounds, neglected by their parents, selfish? The influence of each on the other? The decision to go to the diner, the food, flirting with the boys, dancing? Cassie, the research, returning, crashing the car into the diner, taking the girls, hiding them? Their becoming more compliant?
11. Cassie and the trip to Peru, the bus, the countryside, the encounter with the shaman, learning the truth about her mother, her potential illness, the mother looking for the spider, to help Cassie’s health? The promise of the shaman to continue to help her?
12. Ezekiel, on the trains, leaping from vehicle to vehicle, on the roof…? No web!
13. The hospital emergency, the ambulance, making all the light screen, the crashes, Mary and the birth of the baby?
14. The buildup to the climax, Cassie taking the girls to the previous site of the explosion, the fireworks factory? Setting up Ezekiel? And the request for the helicopter for the rescue?
15. The climax, the fights, the confrontations, the girls, Cassie, memories of her mother, the fights, the explosions, the Pepsi Cola sign, crashing Ezekiel?
16. All reconciled? Cassie and her future? Seeming indications of the three girls and superpowers, and the link with Madame Web?