Madame Web - Review
Madame Web - Budget of $80 million - 1 hour and 56 minutes
In 1973, a pregnant Constance Webb searched the Peruvian Amazon rainforest for a spider with her partner Ezekiel Sims. She believes the spider's venom could cure hundreds of diseases. As they march through the forest, Ezekiel questions Constance about the local legends. The indigenous people believe some spider-like men, called Las Arañas, troll the rainforest for wrongdoers. And they will kill them for their misgivings. Constance laughs because she is a woman of science, not legends. Constance finds the spider and celebrates with the locals. Then, Ezekiel starts shooting and takes the spider. Constance goes into labor, and Las Arañas come from the trees. They place the spider on her chest as she delivers, and it bites her. She dies, but her daughter, Cassie, lives.
Cassie grew up in foster care and became an NYFD paramedic. She drives the ambulance to save a woman's life and almost runs into a prep school girl on a skateboard. The girl flips Cassie off before rolling away. Cassie and her partner, Ben, get the woman to the hospital in time, and the doctors save her life. The woman's stepdaughter thanks Cassie. Cassie returns home and walks past the landlord, arguing with her neighbor about back rent. Cassie enters her apartment and pulls Constance's suitcase from under the bed. She looks through some of Constance's notes before relaxing.
Cassie and Ben get a call at the bridge. A man had an accident, and now his car is hanging off the structure. Cassie climbs in and saves the man, but the car falls with her inside. Cassie has a near-death experience before Ben saves her. Afterward, she keeps experiencing dèjá vu. Cassie believes this is a coincidence until Cassie has a vision about a co-worker, O'Neil, dying. She offers to drive, but O'Neil tells her to stay on the scene. Cassie turns and hears the dump truck hit O'Neil. She runs by his side, but it's too late. Her vision came true.
Cassie travels to attend O'Neil's funeral at the last minute and runs to the train station. She boards the train and has a vision of a man murdering three teenagers. She screams at the teens to leave the train when she spots the man walking toward them. The police mistake Cassie for a kidnapper and attempt to arrest her. However, a masked man crawling on the ceiling attacks the officers. Cassie tells the three teens to jump in the cab she steals. Cassie wants to return the teens home, but they have no one to protect them. Also, Cassie overhears an ABP calling her a kidnapper. She takes them into the woods and explains her vision. She realizes she recognizes the three teens. Julia is the stepdaughter of the woman Cassie saved. Anya lives in Cassie's building, and Mattie is the skateboarder. However, she doesn't know the man trying to kill them. It's Ezekiel. He allowed the spider to bite him in 1973. Now, he has superhuman strength and can see the future. He saw Julia, Anya, and Mattie with powers, killing him. He stole an NSA technology to age down the women and track them. He is determined to find and kill them before they get their powers. But he doesn't know they are with Cassie or that she is Constance's daughter. Can Cassie gain control of her powers and save Anya, Mattie, and Julia so they can fulfill their destiny?
This movie spends its time on character development and intrigue. For a moment, Cassie has a brief encounter with the teens. She tries to maintain a distance from the people she saves. Once Cassie has a second to talk to them, they find a common thread: abandonment. Although each has a different start to life, they are alone in the world. It takes trust for them to listen and work together as a team. The villain is ruthless and deserves more backstory. Viewers must assume he used his powers to play the stock market or build a business to amass his fortune. The director bravely chooses not to differentiate Cassie's visions from the real world at the start. You aren't sure what she's seeing is real. As her bond with the ladies grows, the audience can see the change between Cassie's visions and the present. Be sure to pay attention because you will witness the birth of someone amazing. This movie has a strong message about changing the past and accepting responsibility. But it's not a movie dominated by fight sequences. Still, these scenes are seamless, with necessary foreshadowing. There are 0 mid- or post-credit scenes. This film is for you if you like character-driven superhero films with less action. Otherwise, wait for streaming.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
When you accept responsibility, great power will come - Santiago
You are making the wrong decision - Constance
We are not going room temperature on my watch - Cassie
It's not a dream. I am going to be murdered - Ezekiel
It feels like a kidnapping - Mattie
Thank you for protecting us - Julia
When is it not about science - Anya
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Bob Marley: One Love - Review
Bob Marley: One Love - Budget of $70 million - 1 hour and 44 minutes
In 1976, Bob Marley and the Wailers met with reporters about their upcoming free concert in Jamaica. Jamaica fights for dependence from Great Britain and is on the brink of civil war. Some say that Bob's concert will strengthen the divide, but Bob maintains that he isn't picking a side. He wants to bring everyone peacefully together. That's the goal of reggae music.
Bob plays with his friends and family and travels to practice before the concert. Bob's wife, Rita, sings background vocals but leaves to take care of things before the show. Rita sees several men approaching the house with guns. Before she can warn Bob and the band, a man shoots her in the head. The men run inside and shoot anyone moving. Bob and Rita survive their wounds and perform the concert two days later. Bob can't believe his fellow citizens would try to assassinate him. He tells Rita to take the children and stay with Rita's mother in America while he records his next album in London. After hearing the film's soundtrack, Bob and the Wailers recorded Exodus (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). Soon, Bob wants to perform in Africa, but Rita worries his pursuits are pulling focus away from Jamaica. After financial disputes, domestic issues, and health problems, Bob will discover that delivering the message isn't enough. He has to become the message.
This film only covers a few years of Marley's life in detail. The editor covers his origin, career, and marriage in flashbacks. The documentary doesn't try to glamorize Bob or paint him as a hero. They allow the audience to see his motivation, artistic process, and determination. Also, it props up Rita's involvement in Bob's personal and professional life. She wasn't a woman only standing by his side. She was his driving force, guiding light, and muse. The director uses Bob's music to drive the story, and it will make you sing along. Viewers will learn more about the man, his music, and his relationships.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
Don't lie to me - Bob
I am a mother and a soldier - Rita
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