Warning: Contains spoilers for Madame Web.

After hearing the rampant negative reviews for Madame Web, I entered my showing of the film with very low expectations. It is with great surprise that I now write this: Madame Web is not all that bad.

As far as Marvel movies go, this is clearly not a glowing review. However, considering just how bad 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is, it is a good thing. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has spoiled us over the past decade and a half. But not every movie has to be a spectacular, ground-breaking blockbuster. Some movies can be good or decent without being categorized as awful. It’s unfair to the actors, the creators, and even ourselves as an audience to dismiss Madame Web so easily.

There were a lot of things to like about Madame Web. Our hero, Cassie Webb (Dakota Johnson), is an interesting, generally likable character. She is a thirty-year-old medic living in New York City in 2003, and though she is excellent at her job, she is awkward with people. Her growth throughout the film is believable; though she starts as a loner with just a handful of friends, she evolves into a leader who is ready and willing to care for the three girls that fate sends her way. Her true superpower is her mind. At multiple points throughout the movie, she uses her intelligence to outwit and outmaneuver the nefarious Ezekiel (Tahar Rahim). In one memorable scene, she instructs the girls (Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor) to charge the AED in her ambulance and use it to shock the roof of the vehicle, literally throwing Ezekiel off of the ambulance when he lands there.

Dakota Johnson does a good job portraying Cassie’s intelligence and growth. When Cassie first discovers her visions, Johnson’s reaction to them—whether that reaction is disbelief, horror, or fear—is so believable that I found myself wincing in empathy. Seeing the future is not an easy gift, and Johnson shows us that. Then, when Cassie begins to understand her power, Johnson portrays her confidence and growing selflessness. Sure, some cheesy or predictable moments make up her journey, but they each propel the story forward to a satisfying conclusion.

The cinematography of Madame Web is notable as well. Many scenes were shot in a circling, dizzying way, but that enhances the mind-bending, surreal element of the story. There were many web-like images, too, particularly in the cracked glass of Cassie’s apartment window or the cars we see with a broken windshield.

Of course, despite these positive elements, there were several negative ones as well. A mysterious race of maroon-skinned spider-people descending from the trees in Peru? That’s a bit much, even for a Marvel movie. Ezekiel is not a compelling villain. He feels very flat and one-dimensional, both in terms of his motivation (why does he want the spider Cassie’s mom is looking for, anyway?) and his portrayal. The pacing of Madame Web also feels off at times. If the situation is so dire, does Cassie have time to go to Peru and learn about her powers? The urgency of protecting the girls Ezekiel is targeting—Julia, Anya, and Mattie—is significantly reduced if we have time to leave the country for an entire week. Lastly, Cassie’s relationship with her friend Ben (Adam Scott) is unclear. Did they meet because of Cassie’s time in the foster system? Are they coworkers-turned-friends? Do they have a romantic history? It’s never said, and I would like to know more, since Ben is an intriguing character.

Speaking of Ben…we have to talk about the Spider-Man connections. The reversal of Spider-Man’s famous line about power and responsibility in Madame Web is exciting and refreshing. Instead of being told, “With great power comes great responsibility,” Cassie is told, “When you take on the responsibility, great power will come.” It’s an important message that Cassie needs to hear, and it ultimately allows her to take Ezekiel down by the end of the film. But there are even more exciting Spider-Man connections than that. Ben is not just any old Ben—he is Ben Parker, the uncle of Peter Parker! His sister Mary (Emma Roberts) is pregnant throughout the film, and even though her husband Richard isn’t around to witness the birth of his son, baby Peter Parker is born by the end of the movie. Could this be Tom Holland’s iteration of Peter that we are discussing? That would be fun!

Regardless of the negativity Madame Web is receiving from the critics, it is still an enjoyable addition to the superhero genre. Will we be rewatching it for years to come? No. But is it worth two hours of a Marvel fan’s time? Absolutely.