Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is the second Doctor Strange film and the 28th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this feature Doctor Strange must protect young multiversal traveller, America Chavez, who is being hunted by a corrupted Wanda Maximoff. Wanda hopes to acquire America's power so that she may reunite herself with her lost children, even if doing so will cost America her life. There are superhero characters in this film, but our leading performances from both the main protagonist and antagonist shows us how much a hero can lose by compromising their values for what they percieve to be the greater good. Wanda's arc in particular is really fascinating because this is a character who has famously lost and sacrificed everything over and over again for the greater good, she's at a point in her journey where she's broken and actually wants to take something for herself. So, with the catalyst of being corrupted by the greatest evil magical artifact in the Marvel universe, we get to see the heroes face an unhinged and villainous Scarlet Witch. It's truly impressive to see the unbridled power Wanda has accumulated, and the horror elements used throughout to heighten how terrifying this notion is is very well done. By contrast, we see Strange grappling with his notion of doing the best possible course of action to win, no matter the cost; which is a fascinating character direction given Strange's role in Infinity War, Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Throughout the feature Strange is tolded he is the one who has to make the final decision or wield the power in his relationships with others, even if his intentions are good; seeing him ultimately learn to let go and place his trust in others was a great character moment for Strange. Seeing the multiverse as a setting was really thrilling, this film opens up the possibile threats having access to such a thing could present while presenting some realy exciting cameos that are going to leave fans very happy. The visual effects throughout almost the whole feature look exceptionally good; I personally loved the siege of Kamar-Taj and the battle with the Illuminati for the best special effects presented. Danny Elfman's score really nails a range of emotions across the board from thrilling to terrifying, with a spectacular music-based fight scene toting Elfman's spectacular prowess.

 

Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Doctor Stephen Strange, is perfect as the dry-witted protagonist for this film; Cumberbatch plays strongly with Strange's fear of relinquishing control throughout this film and also doing what is right by any cost. Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played Baron Mordo, is a pleasant face to see in a Doctor Strange film again; seeing Ejiofor take a different approach to showcasing an opposition to Cumberbatch's Strange was quite fun. Benedict Wong, who played Wong, is one of the best characters to have come out of Doctor Strange and this sequel is no exception; Wong plays the Sorcerer Supreme with a sense of severity while also leaping into action sequences with a rallying intensity. Xochitl Gomez, who played America Chavez, is a really fresh new role in the MCU that I'm excited to see; Gomez has to play a young woman who feels like she has lost everything and is perpetually on the run which she brings to life brilliantly. Patrick Stewart, who played Professor Charles Xavier, was a delight to see back in this role; Stewart has such a gentle way of presenting Xavier that works brilliantly and his last scene in the film is a stand out. Hayley Atwell, Lashana Lynch, John Krasinski and Anson Mount, who played Captain Carter, Captain Marvel, Reed Richards and Black Bolt respectively, were exhilarating to watch as the latest superhero team to debut in the MCU; Krasinkski in particular really has my interest as the soft-spoken yet highly intelligent leader of the Fantastic Four.

However, the best performance came from Elizabeth Olsen, who played Wanda Maximoff. It is hilarious to me that I was unimpressed with Olsen's debut as Wanda in Age Of Ultron, because now she's probably one of the most spectacular performers in the MCU. Olsen flaunted her raw ability and strength as a leading protagonist showcasing her character's trauma in WandaVision. This film shows what happens when Wanda doesn't restrain herself anymore, when corruption sinks in and she uses her powers for ill intent. Olsen is terrifying in numerous scenes, often feeling entirely unstoppable and embodying elements of a horror film antagonist on more than one occasion. She is so doggedly determined to fulfil her goal at the expense of anything or anyone willing to stand in her way. This form of uncompromising will and power is an aspect of Wanda we saw in her Disney + show but minus that good aspect of herself keeping her in check. However, Olsen still manages to find her way to grounding Wanda and humanising her throughout it all; she is so desperately in need of her lost children that she tries anything to reunite with them. She carries this loss of family around like a wound, which is something that her character has experienced in almost every Marvel project she's been in. It felt right for Scarlet Witch to step into the role of an antagonist, and Olsen brought her absolute A game.

As it stands this is Sam Raimi's best directorial work in years, but the things that don't work in this film come from a very outdated visual style clearly stemming from him. The cinematography often looks good for the big action/chase set pieces but outside of that is some very questionable visual choices; one of my glaring pet peeves is how shots abruptly zoom in on characters as they speak for dramatic effect. We see filming like this often used as parody these days, the use here is very disruptive to the film. There is a lot of cutting back and forth in a rapidfire manner within scenes, particularly in the final act which wasn't great. I also felt like the editing team maybe was taking all their cues from the 90s/early 2000s because the fact I had to sit there and watch an honest to God circle wipe in a multi-million door film was awful, as was the numerous fade transitions that washed over one another. From a narrative position this film was placed as more of an adventure; the protagonists ran from the antagonist, had some fights on the way and concluded with one big final confrontation. But the issue with this formula was that it ran fast, it felt like we were always in motion throughout the narrative and the significance of our characters were often placed as a sort of secondary priority.

Rachel McAdams, who played Dr. Christine Palmer, has been radically underused throughout her appearances in the Marvel universe; McAdams feels out of place in this film and lingers as more of a tool for character motivation than an engaging character in herself. Sheila Atim, who played Sara, is a lieutenant role to Wong's role that gets a little more screen time than is really necessary; I thought the rapport and almost romantic hints they established between her and Wong were never earned at all. Julian Hilliard and Jett Klyne, who played Billy and Tommy Maximoff respectively, give the most generic sweet and innocent children performances you have ever seen; any direction that made them half interesting in WandaVision is very much gone in this film.

I loved the adventure this film was and the unique horror elements; yet ultimately, the film is held back by a director with an outdated visual style. I would give Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness a 7.5/10.