Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Review: Stylistic & Spooky!
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the 28th MCU film in a franchise that has spanned fourteen years since the release of Iron Man in 2008. I was ecstatic to be able to go to the World Premiere of this highly anticipated sequel at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood yesterday, May 2nd. It was a night filled with stars and Marvel love from fans, cosplayers, plus family and friends of the hardworking people who worked on this film. However, the real question was always going to be, how does this film compare to predecessors of the franchise?
THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE!
Related: All MCU Films Ranked from Worst to Best
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was one of my favorite Marvel films so far, primarily because of the amazing work by director Sam Raimi and his stylistic choices. Raimi, director of Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Drag Me to Hell (all fantastic horror films), knows how to bring his own flair to a seemingly already established franchise, that aside from cameos, has had difficulty recently to provide any real surprises. If you love horror, like myself, you will love the direction Raimi went with for the film.
The film is filled with spooky set design, spirits of the dead, dark magic, and so many candelabras that I will be basing my 2022 Halloween decorations on. But, what is a good horror film without a villain? Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness gives us the best one so far in MCU history.
The scariest part of the film is the character arc of Wanda Maximoff, also known as The Scarlett Witch. Elizabeth Olsen’s portrayal of Wanda is the highlight of the film, coming right off of WandaVision, Disney Plus’ first MCU television series. We know the struggles Wanda has dealt with from the show and it becomes obvious as the film begins Wanda’s stake in wanting to explore the Multiverse.
However, the only way to do so is by harnessing the power to do so, thus making the film a cat and mouse sequence to find this power at the expense of one of Marvel’s newcomers. Doctor Strange must prevent Wanda from becoming the ultimate villain, even though Olsen’s villainous portrayal is mesmerizing to watch.
Lastly, the film handles the Multiverse in a more surprising way, rather than exploring universe after universe just to see the differences. Wanda’s determination to find what she is looking for throws the rest of the characters in a collision of universes in a way that threatens their existence in a number of them. The film feels like more standalone with regards to the other films, although viewing WandaVision first is strongly encouraged.
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a perfect example of how established directors of other films outside of the franchise should begin to takeover the MCU in order to keep it fresh. Sam Raimi should be given a round of applause and hopefully his success will open up more opportunities for others with amazing visions to dabble in the MCU.
‘Doctor Stange 2’ Rating – 4/5
Follow Steph (the Author) on IG – @cinemasteph_7
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