The expanding Spider-Man Universe is marked by growth, but its trajectory leans more toward complexity than clarity. This complexity extends to its spinoffs, which often veer into unrelated and convoluted territories, departing from the central narrative of Peter Parker. A case in point is the recently announced Madame Web film, directed by S.J. Clarkson and featuring Dakota Johnson. Despite the rich comic book history surrounding this obscure character dating back to 1980, the film appears to struggle in conveying a meaningful and urgent storyline, leaving viewers questioning its relevance and impact.

Even lifelong Spider-Man fans may need to be made aware of Madame Web, a superhero who has appeared in several alternative universes in the Spider-Man comics. This movie takes place in that universe, where a woman named Cassandra Webb gains powerful psychic abilities after being bitten in the womb by a poisonous spider. She subsequently becomes Madame Web, and she uses her clairvoyance to help the Spider-people of this world.

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As the movie progresses, it becomes clear that it is a parody of the other Spidey movies. Its characters emote and speak in an exaggeratedly silly manner. Its soundtrack is dominated by songs from the 1990s, including Britney Spears’ Toxic, 4 Non Blondes’ What’s Up, and Meredith Brooks’ Bitch. And the characters themselves are socially awkward, stereotyped versions of other, more famous Spider-Man characters.

However, the movie also has moments of genuine charm and humor. Mostly, that’s due to the performance of lead actress Dakota Johnson, who is just in on the joke of this film and has a gleeful sense of camp about her. It’s a performance that is often hilarious, especially regarding her ability to apply quotation marks and smirks to every line reading.

Despite its cast’s best efforts, the movie isn’t perfect. It’s one of the worst entries into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but some fun Easter eggs are scattered throughout. And at least it avoids a significant problem that most other superhero movies have had to deal with: It doesn’t end with a mid- or post-credit scene hinting at future crossovers. But that doesn’t make the film any less frustrating to watch.