Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness might not be cinematically that enthralling compared to a no way home or endgame. Still, the deviation it takes from the usual pattern we see in MCU films makes this film an interesting one. The inclination toward the spookiness in the treatment makes it less of a character-centric movie. The experience is more towards giving us a better idea about the vastness of the MCU canvas. With stunning visual effects making sure that the 2 hours you spent inside the theater have enough spectacles, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is yet another satisfying product from Marvel.

In the film, Stephen sees this dream where, in a ponytail, Doctor Strange-avatar, he fails to rescue a girl from a demon. The next day he sees the same girl on the streets and realizes that she is America Chavez, someone who can travel through universes. With Chavez being chased by demons, Stephan decides to seek help from Wanda. And what we see in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is Strange’s efforts to protect Chavez.

Mild Spoiler Alert! If you have seen the promos before the release, it will be evident that there is a conflict between Strange and Wanda in using the multiverse possibilities. This mega conflict in ideology is perhaps the best thing about the movie on a writing level. Even though Wanda is pitched against Strange, you can’t really antagonize her as we have seen her lose everything at various points. The ability of the script to blend that with the multiverse concept makes the plot very compelling.

The first part demanded more of a charming performance from Benedict Cumberbatch as it established the character’s signature arrogance and grace. Even though Wong is warning him to be careful with his words in this one, Strange is a much more evolved person right now who is a lot more empathetic in his approach. The Multiverse of Madness offers Cumberbatch a broader canvas to showcase his versatility in terms of performance. Elizabeth Olsen gets her most significant share of screen time in a Marvel movie, and the actress was brilliant in portraying the fury of Wanda Maximoff. Benedict Wong was fun to watch. Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez makes an impressive debut in the franchise. Rachel McAdams and Chiwetel Ejiofor reprised their respective characters.

What is distinctive about this movie is its spooky attire due to the presence of the Scarlet Witch. Scott Derrickson created a visually immersive world in the first part, and Sam Raimi works on the scale on a different level. The representation of various universes was fun to watch, and Raimi isn’t trying to “soften” the visuals. Michael Waldron’s script is built around the conflict, and hence there is an element of curiosity throughout the movie. Even though I did whistle for the numerous cameos, I felt the film got a bit bloated due to those diversions. John Mathieson follows a very agile visual language to showcase the madness. The visual choreography is excellent, and I loved that musical fight sequence.

If you haven’t watched Wanda Vision on Dinsey+, it might well be difficult for you to understand the intensity of Wanda’s fury. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness works primarily because of its ability to do justice to the enormous canvas. And if you are that MCU follower who has watched pretty much every film and show in that cinematic universe, the overblown writing towards the last quarter will feel more like a fan service rather than a flaw.