Madame Web held so much promise. Instead, it felt… uneven.

It dreamed of being something more, and it did so much that was novel in small but important ways. There were several segments through the middle of the movie that were an absolute delight, and which I would happily watch again.

An example with minor spoilers: I giggled over a truly magical combination of *SPOILERS* foresight and creative use of motor vehicles. *END SPOILERS* There were other good parts too, with greater emotional weight and resonance. That wasn’t the only one. I just don’t want to spoil them.

But I was disappointed. I felt like the movie’s promise was let down by other plot beats, and writing choices, and directing choices, and performances. That sounds like a lot… and it was. Those problems transformed what should have been an awesome modern superhero movie about several women coming into their own as superheroes into a movie that felt like a merely mediocre early ‘00s superhero movie.

To be clear, I don’t think any of the lead actresses or their characters were the issue here. There’s a certain chunk of the crusty mouth-breathing misogynist internet that would love to say that the women involved were the problem—and they’re wrong. I think the movie simply pulled in many directions at once without the planning and vision to support that, and it felt uneven as a result.

Could they have done all of those things at once and made it work? Yes. I have no doubt. But that wasn’t the version of the movie that was released. Instead we got a wild mix of trite and delightfully original ideas, with performances that varied from “just right” to “bizarre” depending on the scene. It was frustrating. I could see the moments when everything came together, and they were marvelous. But those marvelous moments were weighed down by all the times when things just felt off, or lacking something.

I would watch this movie again with my superhero-enjoying friends, preferably with a bit of booze on hand. It feels like that kind of movie. I’m just sad to say I can’t recommend it unreservedly. Your mileage may vary.