It may be lacking in certain aspects, but overall, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is an undeniably solid film that takes risks, tries something new, and truly embraces the “madness.”
Overall Score: 8/10
Image: Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
After having set the multiverse loose in Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel’s back with another massive universe-hopping adventure with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Without delving into too much detail and spoiling anything, the gist of the plot is that Doctor Strange and co. must travel through the multiverse to prevent an unknown threat from unleashing havoc and destruction upon it. If you haven’t seen the film and have managed to avoid spoilers thus far, this is basically all you’ll probably know going in, and you’ll be glad because this largely works in the film’s favor.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s start with the things that the movie does well. First off, the story is fun and engaging, and I found it refreshing to be immediately thrust into the action. Additionally, it’s original and extremely bold, and it’s a satisfying continuation of multiple ongoing and previous character arcs.
Also, the film boasts a lot of strong acting all throughout. Notable performances include those of Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular Doctor Strange, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, and Elizabeth Olsen as the scene-stealing and show-stopping Scarlet Witch — fans of WandaVision will not be disappointed.
Moreover, this movie features a really compelling and terrifying villain. Prior to its release, there was a lot of discussion and speculation as to who it would be, and while I won’t tell you who it is (you’ll just have to see for yourself), I can guarantee that your favorite MCU baddie will be given a run for their money.
Furthermore, the film’s excellent choice of director Sam Raimi incorporates plenty of clever filming tricks and techniques, all of which, when coupled with his experience and expertise in the use of horror, makes for several scare-inducing, hair-raising, and legitimately horrifying sequences.
Additionally, the movie excels when it comes to its amazing and spell-binding visuals. There are, for example, multiple instances that are filled with cool and mind-bending effects (both in terms of the characters’ surroundings and their respective powers), greatly contributing to the already awesome and well-executed action scenes.
And, of course, who can forget about the film’s impressive score? The terrific and admittedly awesome music comes from none other than the legendary Danny Elfman. A frequent collaborator of Raimi’s, Elfman is no stranger to superhero blockbusters, having previously scored the likes of the former’s Spider-Man trilogy, Tim Burton’s Batman duology, and the MCU’s own Avengers: Age of Ultron. Therefore, as expected, Elfman fully delivers by pulling from themes from the first Doctor Strange and WandaVision, all while adding new elements and throwing his own distinct style into the mix to create something special and truly original.
Positives aside, however, I did leave the theater with a few mixed feelings regarding some aspects of the film. The first thing that comes to mind is the pacing. Basically, the movie moves and progresses so quickly that it’d be easy and, to a certain extent, justifiable for some people to want to pause and take a minute or two to just breathe. Furthermore, there are certain sequences that, had they been a tad bit longer, would’ve been better and added to the movie as a whole.
Which brings me to another point: there are moments when the script seems to be lacking in certain areas, meaning that specific characters aren’t as developed as others and that even the simplest of things like the dialogue can sound a little iffy or unnatural at times. Both are results of when the movie decides to cut corners and choose plot conveniences over actual meaningful explanations, making it feel as if there were something missing from particular scenes (for which you can thank writer Michael Waldron who also served as the creator and head writer of Loki… you’d understand what I mean here if you were disappointed by that series as I was).
The last thing I’d like to point out is that while the movie itself isn’t a full-blown horror film, the fact that it does contain a significant amount of horror elements means that it won’t be for everyone (and especially not for younger kids). This is, without a doubt, the scariest, goriest, and perhaps most violent MCU film to date, and while some may embrace this new dark tone, others will be completely turned off by it.
That being said, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a movie whose flaws can be largely forgiven and overlooked considering how much it does right — again, keep in mind that it was written by Waldron who, against all odds, somehow managed to conceive a cohesive and compelling story. It may be lacking in certain aspects, but overall, it’s an undeniably solid film that takes risks and tries something new. And while it may divide fans and average audiences, I would argue that the film certainly earns its title and is truly worthy of the word “madness.”
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