We saw Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and here is our thoughts! Spoiler Free!
Hey All!
Mr. Bubbly Here, Jesse sharing our spoiler free review of Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is many things. It is an MCU film in the tradition of MCU films in that it brings high stakes, emotional drama, spectacle and heart. It is also a sequel to the first Doctor Strange released in 2016. It is also a sequel to the Disney Plus MCU series WandaVision. It is also another entry which fits well into the magical long story told through the Marvel films. But above all Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a Sam Raimi film.
Returning cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Stephen Strange, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong as Wong, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo. The only true new lead in the film is Xochitl Gomez (The Babysitter’s Club) as America Chavez. That being said, anyone who has seen the trailers for this film knows it is packed with cameos. Because this is a spoiler free review, we will not be discussing who these cameos are, but I assure you each cameo will elicit a proper audience shock if not applause. The portrayal of these special character cameos range from versions seen in comics, prior films, and even cartoons. The level of fan service in some of these cameos is madness in the best possible way.
Though the film has Doctor Strange in the title, the film really follows the journey of two characters: Stephen Strange and Wanda Maximoff. Much like how Thor Ragnarok teamed up Thor and Hulk on an adventure, Multiverse of Madness teams up Doctor Strange and Wanda, but with a different dynamic. Rather than them playing together as colleagues, they are opposed to each other. Though the words “hero” and “villain” are thrown around, I would prefer to think of them as Strange being the protagonist and Wanda being the antagonist. Wanda’s actions in the film are extreme to the say the least, but her motivation is sympathetic. Both Cumberbatch and Olsen do a wonderful job of digging into their performances and giving some of the greatest range we have seen from either of the two characters. Olsen in particular does a wonderful job of being sinister, heartbreaking, and in many moments even frightening.
I have two very important notes/recommendations before going into this film. This is without a doubt a chapter in the MCU and a chapter in both of the journeys of these characters. The first note is that I highly recommend watching the first Doctor Strange and WandaVision if you have not already done so. The second and even more critical note is that you cannot come even one second late and you cannot leave the theater and expect to know what is happening. This movie moves fast and wastes zero time in getting to the action and story. Running just over two hours, there is little breathing room and thus no lull time in which to have someone explain anything to you during the film. In addition to the story being nonstop, the visuals are just as relentless. There is a sequence in which two characters travel through various realities in the span of a few minutes and the cuts are so fast that if you blink you will miss something.
Finally, when considering what this film is, there is one way to describe it above all others; it is a Sam Raimi film. Stepping in to direct this sequel is the accomplished filmmaker Sam Raimi whose body of work includes the academy award nominated film A Simple Plan, the original Tobey Maguire Spiderman films from 2002-2007, and the original Evil Dead Trilogy (The Evil Dead, The Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness). Through all those films you can see Sam Raimi’s style and feel his very specific tone. In the case of The Multiverse of Madness, no film is more akin in terms of style and tone than his Army of Darkness.
The camera angles, edits, zooms, makeup style, humor, action, and horror from that film are very prevalent in The Multiverse of Madness clearly have origins from his Army of Darkness era. Raimi’s ability to balance this emotional, fantastic, and at times horror-filled tone of the film I believe is the reason why he was able to take on the sequel. I cannot think of another director capable of channeling all of those elements into one film while not only keeping a PG-13 rating, but also keeping in line with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Multiverse of Madness has one mid credit scene which teases what will likely occur in a future Doctor Strange adventure while the post credit scene is a fun way of closing out something which happens earlier in the film. I highly recommend sticking around for both.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is rated PG-13 for good reason. I do believe some children under 13 will be able to watch and enjoy the film, but it should be stated that there are scenes of legit horror which could frighten younger audience members. Corpses, monsters, demons, and other horror like elements are all done for pure entertainment value but definitely should be considered before taking young children. Other than that, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is just a fun and wild ride that takes the MCU into some very creative and fun new territory.
Jesse
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