There are two ways to rate “Madame Web.”
The first? It’s an abysmal part of the superhero craze, a brain-dead flop that insulted just about everyone.
Or … it’s a must-see comedy where every flat line reading and absurd plot point makes us howl. Choose one, but know the 2024 dud is destined to be a cult classic.
As Thanos says, it’s “inevitable.”
Can we say the same about the new “War of the Worlds,” mere weeks after its Prime Video debut?
Ice Cube stars as a cyber-security whiz watching a global takeover from his desktop computer. Yes, almost everything in the film is technically happening on that screen.
That and endless reaction shots, including Ice Cube spilling his coffee during one tense moment.
The film, which gathered dust before Amazon decided to release it on an unsuspecting planet on July 30, boasted a zero percent “rotten” rating before it shot all the way up to 3 percent.
“… I refuse to believe actual human beings were involved in most of this nonsense.” – RogerEbert.com
(General audiences have been more kind, courtesy of a 21 percent score – out of 100)
Ho-hum. Another straight-to-streaming dud filled with recognizable faces (including Eva Longoria and Clark Gregg).
That doesn’t explain the curious love being shown to the film from YouTube personalities.
Take Ben Shapiro. The Daily Wire co-founder reviewed the film, praising its laugh-out-loud moments. And they are legion.
It’s so bad it’s great! Even better?
The Critical Drinker posed a love letter, of sorts, to the film.
The saucy soul dubbed the film, with tongue firmly in cheek, as the “greatest thing ever made.”
“I do believe H.G. Wells (who wrote the original novel “War of the Worlds”) can finally rest easy in his grave knowing what’s been accomplished in his name,” Drinker says.
The Drinker even spliced in a shot from another cult classic, “Troll 2,” to hammer home the point. “War of the Worlds” is tomorrow’s “The Room,” “Troll 2” or even “Battlefield Earth.”
Culture is moving faster than ever. Traditionally, a dud like this would take years before audiences started to watch it through a fresh lens.
That’s no longer the case.
Now, an army of YouTube influencers and social media giants can deem a flop something of note, reframing expectations along the way. An intense thriller with recognizable stars becomes a must-see disaster film meant for maximum laughs.
Overnight.
Plus, the film is clinging to Amazon’s Top 10 list more than 20 days after its release.
The key, and it matters? The creative team behind the film tried to brand the IP in question as a paranoid thriller for our digital age. They didn’t set out to fail in such a spectacular fashion.
That’s the key to most so-bad-it’s-great movies. The intentions are there. The quality? Not so much.
Congratulations, Ice Cube and friends. You’re part of movie history, even if it didn’t turn out exactly as you expected.