“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” Review
(From Left) America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) , Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong) and Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) try to escape the clutches of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
With there being 28 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as several television shows set in this franchise, it’s almost expected that filmgoers would feel drained and become uninterested. However, many films and shows in this ongoing series have continued to push the envelope of what can be done with comic book films and have created imaginative stories. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is one of those films that captured the insanity of comic books while also being compelling and creative.
After the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has been using his abilities as a sorcerer to better understand the multiverse: the idea that there are alternate universes with different versions of people we know. His perception of the multiverse is further complicated when a teenage girl named America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who can jump between universes, arrives and is being hunted by Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) who wants Chavez’s powers. Along with his allies, Doctor Strange must protect Chavez which involves the two of them exploring multiple realms in the multiverse.
While I enjoyed the first Doctor Strange film in 2016, I felt that it was a more grounded story compared to the comic. It was a pretty solid origin story that did a good job of introducing audiences to the magical side of the MCU while also hinting at more exciting things to come. However, that’s what the MCU likes to do: show the more outlandish heroes in a more realistic environment and then go all the way in the sequels.
Thor’s first film was mainly set on Earth but, by the time we reached “Thor: Ragnarok,” he was fighting the Hulk in a gladiator’s arena on another planet. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” was the Doctor Strange film I’ve always wanted to see and I’m so glad that I got it.
Wanda Maximoff’s (Elizabeth Olsen) transition into the villainous Scarlett Witch made for a both compelling and terrifying villain.
Much of the film’s success is due to the direction of Sam Raimi. His past work has been fantastic with him making one of the best horror series of all time in “The Evil Dead,” making cult classics like “Darkman” and “Drag Me to Hell” as well as revitalizing the comic book genre by directing the “Spider-Man” trilogy. When I walked into the theater, I was curious as to how Sam Raimi would approach the film and he didn’t disappoint. There’s weird camera angles, cool transitions between scenes and a marvelous score by Danny Elfman: pretty much everything you could want from Sam Raimi
Raimi’s direction is the perfect blend of horror and fun as he makes a film that does have sequences of fright and suspense. There’s demons, zombies and a pretty impressive body count while still appealing to a wide audience. This film does push the PG-13 rating but I saw it in a crowded theater with a lot of families. After the film was over, I heard some of the children talk about how they were scared at times but they were incredibly excited.
Benedict Cumberbatch was already great as Doctor Strange and has appeared in five MCU films before this one. However, only one was focused on him. Seeing Doctor Strange in his own film again is a lot of fun because I really enjoy this character. Benedict Cumberbatch has this approach for the character where he’s incredibly skilled but he still is learning which is always relatable.
Sam Raimi lets his love of comic books shine through as the director of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” The film is Raimi’s fifth superhero film after “Darkman” and his “Spider-Man” trilogy.
America Chavez was also a compelling character and I like that we’re seeing younger heroes in the MCU. At first, it was just Spider-Man but now there’s Kate Bishop in “Hawkeye,” Kamala Khan in the upcoming “Ms. Marvel” series and Scott Lang’s daughter Cassie is getting a heroic role in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania.” Chavez was very interesting and brought a great deal of humor to this film as a young person with uncontrollable powers.
As for Wanda Maximoff, she is a very compelling villain because of how much you understand why she’s doing what she’s doing. If you’ve followed her journey as a hero from “Avengers: Age of Ultron” to her own series “WandaVision,” you know that there’s a brewing darkness in her that is just waiting to come out. However, she was never the Scarlet Witch. In the comics, Scarlet Witch has a range of personas from hero to anti-hero to villain that we hadn’t seen in the films. She was always Wanda the hero. Now, she’s the Scarlet Witch and it’s absolutely fantastic.
However, the film’s pacing is probably its biggest problem because there’s not quite a feeling of smooth transition. There are times where the characters are in locations for too long and then there are times where random characters are added for just a minute. I’m sure these characters will be more important in the future but, for now, it feels off-putting. However, moments like that are very few.
In terms of imagination, this is a fantastic looking film which goes from universe to universe and it’s all so visually stunning. While the multiverse has been handled before in the MCU, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” actually shows us the different realities in live-action. In “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” people from other realities came to the MCU and the series “What If?” explored other realities in animation. Here, we can see these actors interact with other versions of characters we like in a live-action setting which is amazing. Also, seeing Bruce Campbell in an alternate universe was marvelous.
It’s difficult to say if “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is one of the best MCU films because it's the 28th one, but it’s certainly one of the most imaginative.
