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It would be a major understatement to say that the release of Madame Web was a disaster. This movie has received terrible reviews, comparable to those of Cats. The Guardian has described it as “dumb and schlocky”, “an unholy mess”, and “a janky rip-off made by people afraid of legal action”. Additionally, consumers have shown little interest in the film.
The disappointing box office results – significantly lower than any other Spider-Man-related film made in the 21st century – have effectively ended the possibility of a potential franchise. It has also negatively impacted the careers of anyone involved with the movie. Sadly, it will forever be known as a failure in Hollywood.
However, we should not dismiss the film entirely. Despite many critics expressing concerns that it is not just bad but unenjoyably bad, there is still a possibility that it could gain a devoted following as a cheesy, underground success in the future.
In the near future, Madame Web has provided us with Dakota Johnson’s promotional tour. For some time now, Johnson – who was likely aware of the quality of the film she was promoting, as she fired her representation after its completion – has been appearing for interviews with a daring and carefree attitude that could make publicists very anxious.
Prior to the premiere, Johnson discussed the difficulties of creating a high-budget film in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. She mentioned that she had never acted in front of a blue screen with nonexistent explosions before, and found the experience to be “completely insane”. She also expressed uncertainty about her performance, saying, “I wasn’t sure if it would turn out well at all! I just hoped I did an adequate job!” However, her comments about her own acting were taken out of context and misconstrued as her opinion of the entire movie. Soon, headlines such as “Dakota Johnson claims making Madame Web was completely insane” began to circulate online.
An interview with the Wrap revealed that Johnson implied the film she was in was not the one she had originally signed up for. According to her, there were significant alterations to the script that she cannot disclose. These statements suggest that the actor had a negative view of the film.
This claim seems absurd. There is no way that Johnson could dislike Madame Web since, as she has mentioned multiple times, she has never actually met or seen Madame Web. In one interview, she arrogantly stated, “I have no idea when I will watch it.” In another interview, she questioned the interviewer, “Have you seen the movie? I have not. You seem to know more about it than I do.”
She should not feel guilty about this, as she initially stated in a promotional video (while in costume) that she has always been a fan of Marvel movies. However, she later revealed that she has only seen about 4% of them. When asked if she could name the recent Spider-Man films, as her character Madame Web is connected to him, she struggled and came up with titles such as “Spider-Man: Here He Comes”, “Spider-Man: And He’s Back”, and “The Goblet of Spider-Man”.
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Madame Web received criticism for her role in the first trailer, particularly for her clumsy and exposition-heavy line about her mother’s death and spider research. When asked about the reaction, Johnson responded with indignation and dismissed the idea that the line could be funny out of context. She also mentioned that the line seemed like a basic plot point to her. This type of response is often encouraged by studios in the face of criticism. However, the line was ultimately removed from the final version of the movie.
However, Johnson has mainly shown her liveliness during interviews when the topic of Madame Web is not brought up. For example, she enthusiastically shared with Seth Meyers that her cameo in the final episode of The Office was the most unpleasant experience of her life. She also used her recent hosting gig on Saturday Night Live to suggest a “nepo baby truce” with two fellow cast members who have famous parents, citing it as a way to gain opportunities and success. Another time, an earthquake interrupted her interview and she declared there would be an aftershock. She was greatly relieved to have a brief break from promoting her poorly received film.
Unfortunately, the movie has been released and Johnson is no longer promoting it. However, if we all make the responsible choice to purchase enough tickets to make Madame Web profitable, we may have the chance to see her reprise her role in the sequel.
Source: theguardian.com
