Nerdly » ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Review #2 *SPOILER FREE*

09th May2022

‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Review #2 SPOILER FREE

by Alex Ginnelly

Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Xochitl Gomez, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Bruce Campbell | Written by Michael Waldron | Directed by Sam Raimi

With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Sam Raimi takes over from Scott Derrickson, who directed the first instalment of Doctor Strange in 2016, and since then we’ve seen Doctor Strange appear alongside, The Avengers, Thor and Spider-Man but now, finally, he’s back in his own film.

This time he’s trying to help America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) who’s the newest character into the MCU. His journey in helping her takes the two of them across the multiverse, chasing after one of a few macguffins the film has. America Chavez herself is essentially a human Macguffin that drives the plot forward. This does lead to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’s biggest problem, its plot is tied together with a rubber band that always feels like it could snap. The characters are constantly on the move and after items we care little about. America Chavez herself is a fun new addition and her chemistry with Doctor Strange is always fun, we’ve seen similar dynamics with Strange before, most recently in Spider-Man: No Way Home. It seems the safe bet now to pair Doctor Strange with a younger teenage character and the dynamic again works well for his character. America Chavez character, however, never feels fully formed and realised, even as she had fun moments she always felt like she was only there to help the plot move forward and never as a real character.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness really shines in its set pieces that the characters stumble into, there are a number of sequences in the film that are some of the best and most creative Marvel have done. This comes from Sam Raimi, his direction in this film always feels fresh and creative, new and exciting. There were so many unexpected shots, camera movements and choices he made that shine new light on this universe. Each set piece is fun and suspenseful, and he’s even brought some of his old tricks to make many of the sequences dipped in the blood of horror. It felt like Marvel had allowed him to have his signature on the action scenes in the film and this allowed them to stand above anything Marvel has done for a while. Over the last few years my biggest complaint about the Marvel movies is their action sequences, and how most feel the same from movie to movie, with no real style and no real voice behind those sequences. But now with Sam Raimi I could hear that voice and that voice is perfect for the next phase of the MCU. He offers a gut punch to the franchise and reminds us how weird, wonderful and truly mad comic book movies can be.

Another highlight is Elizabeth Olsen’s performance as Wanda. This is the best she’s ever been and given more to work with than she’s ever had in the previous films. It was great to see her get the chance to shine and throughout the film she finds herself stealing every scene she’s in. The rest of the returning cast does great and there isn’t a performance that felt off-beat, everyone is on the same timesheet with this one.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness isn’t perfect, it struggles with plot and does struggle to make us care for Xochitl Gomez’s character throughout, however that can’t stop you from having fun. The set pieces alone are enough for you to go back and watch again and again. This time I just hope we don’t have to wait another nine years for a new Sami Raimi film.