MOVIE REVIEW: "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"; An Inconsistent Introduction to Horror
7/12 ForReel Score | 3/5 Stars
Marvel’s phase four continues with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, their supposed first horror superhero movie. Spider-Man director Sam Raimi returns to the superhero genre after fifteen years. He is a master behind the camera and it is ever present that he walked on set ready to break the mold Marvel has put themselves in. At times Raimi’s directing style clashes with Marvel’s creating a bit of a disjointed mess in its wake.
Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock) and Wong (Benedict Wong, Annihilation) meet America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez, The Baby-Sitters Club), an interdimensional traveler who can punch portals through the multiverse as she is on the run from monsters trying to steal her power. Strange goes to Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen, Ingrid Goes West) for help, but she has her own agenda. As they take off on a quest to face great unknowns, wrestle with forces beyond their comprehension, and contend with the will of Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch identity, the fate of the multiverse hangs in the balance.
Being the 28th Marvel Cinematic Universe movie in 14 years, these Marvel films have amassed a strong base of fans and cynics alike. The gap between the two grows further and further apart with every new project. Before Infinity War and Endgame, it wasn’t entirely necessary to know all the previous source material to watch an MCU movie. Now, it feels mandatory to watch every project, including the Disney+ shows as well, due to each story being heavily interconnected with one another. This deepens Kevin Feige’s pockets but isolates viewers outside of the fandom. Feige confirmed that the multiverse was fractured in Loki, that's why Strange’s spell backfired in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and how Wanda is able to know her kids are still out there after the events of WandaVison - all information that must be understood before watching Multiverse of Madness.
With an extraordinary budget of $200 million, it is quite puzzling how shoddy some of the CGI is. It’s so bothersome at times that it pulls the audience out of the experience. Time and time again, obvious greenscreen backdrops overshadow exquisitely choreographed fight sequences. It seems the Marvel way is to just worry about it in post when directors like Sam Raimi know the beauty of practical effects, seen in his previous works, The Evil Dead and Drag Me To Hell.
Raimi’s style and creative camerawork is ever present. About half way through the 126 minute runtime, the fear rolls in like an ominous storm cloud. The Scarlet Witch is a terrifying villain with such powerful magic forging the hero's worst nightmares. Raimi breathes these nightmares to life. He leans more into the creepy than the scary, but as expected, Marvel is not going to alienate audiences and allow a PG-13 blockbuster to be outright horrifying.
There is an expectation now that Marvel movies have to be funny, full of zingy one liners and snarky remarks, which is ever present in Multiverse of Madness. Michael Waldron, the screenwriter of Loki returns, but a bulk of the dialogue is goofy and feels out of place in the supposed horror film. The moments before a big battle or in the middle of an intense emotional scene are not the place for snide “doing my best” jokes. Additionally in this vast multiverse, many of the characters' storylines feel trivial. Introducing the holy grail of endless possibilities then only focusing on a sliver of that feels like a cop out, as if this is just a stepping stone for what is to come in the next films. The brief time spent in one specific multiverse is the most intriguing and exciting part of the film, full of star studded cameos, brutal action sequences, and impressive world building. However, it is too short-lived to fully enjoy.
Cumberbatch does well in reprising his role as Doctor Strange, but the real shining star of the film is Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch. The pain and loss she feels is ever present and strikes a cord with the audience. The emotional journey she has to labor through is utterly heartbreaking. Her fight sequences are some of the best the MCU has ever seen, unequivocally proving she is the strongest and most interesting Avenger. Scenes without Olsen lack the same intrigue.
As a Scarlet Witch story, the movie soars to great heights, but as a Doctor Strange story, it fumbles the bag. There is great desire to see what Sam Raimi could do with less studio interference because beneath the heavy CGI, goofy dialogue, and straight forward story is a horrifying superhero movie. Multiverse of Madness may be the most divisive movie for Marvel fans to date.
Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 1 | Story and Message - 1 | Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 1 | Reviewer's Preference -1 | What does this mean?