Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Xochitl Gomex, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Jett Klyne, Julian Hilliard, Michael Stuhlberg, Hayley Atwell, Anson Mount, Lashana Lynch, John Krasinski, Patrick Stewart, Charlize Theron, Sheila Atim, Bruce Campbell, Ross Marquand (voice)
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
2022

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) meets America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a woman who can travel the multiverse. He steps in to defender her and must stop a plot that could destroy his universe.

Review:

Tim: Like a lot of the MCU's Phase Four, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a bit polarizing. There's so much to like here and I strongly believe that Sam Raimi's film is another triumph for Marvel. It's a really good film and achieves what it set out to do. However, it also feels like it squanders some pretty big opportunities. When I think about the film, I absolutely enjoyed it. It's well made, drives our characters forward while also propelling the larger MCU narrative. It has surprises, exciting sequences, character development. Absolutely a good movie. But then, I think back to the first time the movie was announced. When I saw the title flash up on the screen all in red, I was nearly behind myself. Marvel was committing to the Multiverse in a big way! Expectations were so high. When I think about what I'd hoped for after that title reveal to what the movie actually is, it's definitely a bit of a disappointment.

As we all know at this point, the MCU is complicated. This is the 28th film in the series. When you try to look past all that and view this movie as Doctor Strange 2, it gives you a different perspective. This movie is every bit as good as the first film and arguably, better. That is undoubtedly a success- it improves on the first film. The disappointment comes in when you consider the broader MCU and what this movie could have done (verses what it did). I think this is an important distinction. I really enjoyed this movie as a Doctor Strange sequel, but felt a bit disheartened at what it promised verses what it delivered in terms of the multiverse.

As far as a Doctor Strange sequel, the movie is excellent. It picks up many of the threads of the original movie while never forgetting Strange's role in Infinity War, Endgame, and to a lesser extent, Spider-Man: No Way Home. It advances the character's story and gives him an even bigger canvas on which to paint. This is a success and it wasn't a guarantee. I was pretty frustrated when Scott Derrickson left the production. He did a really good job with the original and his absence didn't bode well for this film. But, Marvel being Marvel, they brought in the great Sam Raimi and all was right in the world. Raimi definitely puts his own stamp on this film- it's horror aspects are definitely played up- this is by far the most frightening MCU film, by a long shot. Bruce Campbell shows up in the most perfect way, alluding to his history with Raimi. It's a bit campy at times, again, a Raimi trademark. All in all, it works. This film at times feels very different to the rest of the MCU, which is refreshing.

The main story works really well, too. In addition to the films I mentioned, The Multiverse of Madness also flawlessly picks up the threads of Wandavision and folds that series' events into this story. Making Wanda (SPOILER, if you know nothing about this film) the villain was a bold move. She's been a big part of the Avengers. I thought it was handled well- the influence of the Darkhold made sense and it's always shocking to see a good character breaking bad. She makes a formidable antagonist here. I also liked how the story ushered in elements of Strange's past- we learn more about his character and tie up some loose ends from the original film. He definitely ends the movie in a very different place than he started, as it perfectly sets up the (hopefully) inevitable third film.

Where the movie really falls down is the Illuminati. The marketing revealed a lot of this already, but SPOILER ALERT, just in case. This was the most anticipated part of the film. Marvel was finally committing to the Multiverse for real. The Illuminati scene was the one everyone was waiting for. And, it just fell completely flat. Was it cool (SPOILER REMINDER) to see Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter? So cool. Was it amazing to see Anson Mount given a chance to play Black Bolt in a not-terrible television series? I loved it. Bringing Professor Xavier into the MCU for the first time? Legendary. Having John Krasinski play Reed Richards? I love it more than anything Marvel has ever done. And, none of it actually mattered. In the end, it felt totally pointless. Fan service that didn't amount to anything. It was a bitter disappointment, a rare misstep for Marvel. When you contrast how Multiversal characters were handled here, verses No Way Home and you see the issue. The other two Peters were integral to that story. Here, we got glorified cameos. Even worse (outside of the context of this film, I recognize), if Marvel casts someone else as Mr. Fantastic, it will be a major problem. Krasinski has long been the fan favorite choice and he was perfect in this movie. To think Marvel might botch this is really worrisome.

Okay, enough about that. It's just frustrating for Marvel not to capitalize on the potential there. As far as the main cast, Benedict Cumberbatch is once again good as Doctor Strange. I don't love him in this role, but he's effective. In some other MCU casting, you can't possibly imagine anyone else playing the role. I think there are others who could definitely have played Strange as good or better. Still, Cumberbatch is a bit more comfortable in the role. He continues to get the least funny lines and his delivery isn't good, but he's growing into this role. I always love seeing Benedict Wong and he continues to be one of the great unsung heroes of the MCU. He elevates his supporting role here. Elizabeth Olsen is fantastic as Wanda, showing us a very different side of her. I absolutely love what she has done with this character and it's been an incredible journey with her. Xochitl Gomez was fine as America Chavez, but I didn't love her performance. It must have been hard to step onto a speeding train and trying to catch up- that's what her performance felt like. She felt clearly less talented than everyone else around her. She's still good and I'm interested to see how she advances this character, but it's not the greatest performance. I loved seeing Rachel McAdams again. Prior to this film, her absence from the larger MCU felt weird. I thought they did a good job of concluding her story here. It was nice seeing Chiwetel Ejiofor again, but it still doesn't feel like he's been fully leveraged in this film. I hope we do get a true face-off between he and Cumberbatch (maybe in the 4th film?). Also, I know she only shows up for a few seconds at the end (SPOILER unless you read the cast list at the top), but I was ecstatic to see Charlize Theron as Clea. She's such a terrific character from the comics. I'm excited to see where the movie goes next.

While I have some complaints, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is definitely a success. It's a thoroughly enjoyable movie that advances the larger MCU plot. It has some nice character-driven moments. Sam Raimi brings his unique sensibilities to the film and embracing that, delivers the first "horror" movie in the MCU. We got to see more of the Multiverse, including Sinister Strange, zombies, and a hint at demons or evil spirits that I hope eventually pays off down the road. I'm definitely a huge Marvel fan and while I do love this movie, I acknowledge it has a few cracks. Phase Four is already worrying people and while No Way Home was more amazing than anyone expected, I'm still hopeful Marvel delivers a few more great films. This one is good, but clearly doesn't reach the level intended.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Doctor Strange, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Wandavision, The Evil Dead