A horror-tinged Sam Raimi Marvel flick. Think a mixture of The Evil Dead, Spider-Man 2, and Everything Everywhere All At Once (but toned down from an 11 to an 8.5). This is a HARD PG-13. There is blood, there are lots of deaths (and I’m not talking about getting dusted), and Multiverse is not afraid to get strange. You might want to leave the young ones at home.
In Multiverse, when America Chavez ( Xochitl Gomez) lands in our reality, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumbetbatch) is compelled to help. America is in possession of multiverse hopping powers that Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) desperately wants to use, even if it means sucking the powers (and life) out of the young girl. So begins a mad chase through the multiverse.
Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness is Sam Raimi’s grand return to the big screen after a 9 year hiatus, as well as his welcome return to the superhero genre after an absence of 15 years! Much of Raimi’s sensibilities and his trademark style make it into this film. There is no mistaking it’s Raimi behind the lens. He consistently goes for broke. This definitely could annoy some, but Raimi fans should be thoroughly titillated. This is Raimi’s long-awaited return, and it’s worth it!
Michael Waldron gets the sole writing credit. Most well known for creating the Disney + series Loki, this is his first feature film. The writing is serviceable, but many of Waldron’s eccentricities that were evident in Loki pop up here as well. It works for Multiverse, and him and Raimi make for a surprisingly great pair.
John Mathieson (Gladiator, Logan) is in charge of cinematography. Bob Murawski (Sam Rami’s Spider-Man trilogy, Drag Me To Hell) and Tia Nolan ( Bewitched, Friends With Benefits) do editing. In their hands, the movie is consistently a marvel to look at. They all do incredible, dazzling work. Thanks to them, Multiverse is the best a Marvel film has looked in a while.
Danny Elfman composes the score for the movie. His efforts amount to what is undoubtedly his best modern day work (the fight scene with musical notes remains a highlight, although there are numerous other sonically satisfying scenes throughout). The album for Multiverse is the rare Marvel score that is worth a purchase or download.
The visual effects work is to be commended as well. There are plenty of zany designs, as well as a decent amount of the grotesque. One stand-out is Gargantos (the first alien that Strange has to save America Chavez from on Earth). The design of the creature is beautifully silly and cartoony. It looks like it was dropped right out of a comic book.
Benedict Cumberbatch returns to play the lovable narcissist Dr. Stephen Strange. He is given a lot more to work with this time. He gets to play multiple versions of himself, and seems to have a blast doing so. He also gets an emotional arc about his happiness, and he is faced with temptations that threaten to corrupt him. Strange is still not my favorite Marvel character, but he might be at his most interesting in this outing.
Elizabeth Olsen knocks it out of the park as The Scarlet Witch, a terrifying supreme being who wields the power to re-write reality, influence minds, possess people, and more. This is our Scarlet Witch villain movie and it’s great! There are scenes featuring her that feel ripped out of a horror film. Those unfamiliar with the Disney + series WandaVision might want to do some catching up before viewing this sequel, as that show establishes The Scarlet Witch’s backstory and motivation (Technically Multiverse is a sequel to *deep breath* Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, WandaVision, and Loki). Either way, Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch makes for an appropriately scary and powerful tragic villain that ranks in as one of the MCU’s best.
Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez is given almost no time to shine. She gets little development, and almost acts as a Macguffin. She has very little agency, as she has to rely on others to save her throughout almost the entire run time. Her role mostly consists of screaming and running. Hopefully she is treated better in future movies.
Benedict Wong returns as Wong, the current Sorcerer Supreme and best friend to Strange. He is in the film a good deal, as he is invested in saving America Chavez and stopping the Scarlet Witch. Wong is a fan favorite character, and he gets to be a bad-ass for most of his scenes. He gets plenty of fights, and remains a very memorable presence in the MCU.
Rachel McAdams makes a re-appearance as Dr. Christine Palmer. She gets more screen time (appearing for a decent amount of the latter acts) and is given more to do this go round. There are also two surprise cameos that should please fans, but I can’t talk about those here, so instead allow me to praise Bruce Campbell. He gets only a handful of minutes, but he makes them count. What can I say, man’s still got it.
A lot is thrown at the screen in Multiverse. The word of the day is: Madcap. There is much craziness to be sampled in this dark superhero flick. The film makes the most of it’s multiversal, anything-goes rules to craft one hell of a dizzying, insane spectacle ( There are definitely some things I would have never expected to see in a Marvel movie). Unfortunately, there isn’t much plot as the proceedings are essentially one big chase (think Mad Max: Fury Road). That said, it’s a very fun, crazy chase that holds your attention for most of the run time.
Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness is Marvel’s first solo Multiverse flick, and it’s a success. Sam Raimi makes his triumphant return to the big screen, proving that time has not rusted his unique talent. If you’re looking for a new take on the good old fashioned popcorn munching big budget summer blockbuster, Multiverse of Madness is the ticket. It’s certainly a strange marvel.
4.5 Stars
EDIT: I did see this in RealD 3D in the back row of my theater. The 3-D was very good, and shone in some scenes. It might have added a sense of scale to some parts (but seeing it on an IMAX screen would likely do the same, and from my understanding Multiverse was shot entirely with IMAX cameras), but it definitely added some depth. Very few things flew out of the screen. You won't be wasting your money on the 3-D ticket should you go this route as the 3D is quite good, but you'll be just as fine if you opt to save your hard earned dollar and go for 2D instead.
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