Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was released globally on 6th May 2022. It is the second part of the Doctor Strange series but is also dependent on WandaVision. The movie has a run time of 126 minutes and is part of the Disney Marvel Franchise.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Movie Cast
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange
- Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch and Wanda Maximoff
- Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez
- Benedict Wong as Wong
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Movie Plot
Waking up from one of the more exhilarating dreams, Strange heads down to Christine’s wedding. Within the span of the day, he realises that the dream that he saw maybe something more than that. Doctor Strange tackles a kind of problem that no one has ever dreamt of and along with him is the newest addition to the franchise, America Chavez.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Movie Review
For as long as I can remember Marvel has definitely been a part of the most popular franchises in the world. Its films are anticipated through the years and its series are poured over the analysed in great detail. In 2021, Marvel started their Phase 4 off with the series WandaVision starring Elizabeth Olsen. In May of 2022, they have released what was one of the most anticipated movies of Phase 4, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular character, the movie is one of the more complicated stories of the phase and franchise in general. Doctor Strange has encountered the subject of Multiverse a couple of times before this movie, the most recent being with Spiderman. It is one of those areas that Stephen probably does not include on top of his expertise because of how less is known by anyone.
The Introduction of America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
When he wakes up from an exhilarating dream, Stephen decides to not give it too much thought and moves on to attending his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. An event that I assume would have been taxing enough itself, Strange then has to save the people from a one-eyed monster. This event is where we are introduced to the latest superhero, America Chavez.
It won’t be the first time you see her but it will be the first time she has context. She introduces herself to Strange and Wong (who joined Strange in destroying the monster) and from this moment starts off the complicated turmoil of the movie.
There is a lot that happens in the movie. Yet there is something completely off about the 2 hours that one spends in the theatre. There are many times when the story will make you audibly gasp out loud and even a few that will make scream out profanity at the screen but overall the movie seemed to be a lot messier than it intended to be.
The Amazing Story of the Movie is Brought Down by Some Bad Choices
There were some great moments in the movie that I choose not to mention here simply because even with every complaint that I have for the movie, I will push every person to watch it. The story of the movie is out of the world (literally and metaphorically) and on top of that the cast has given such a great performance that it will be an injustice to fans to not revel in it.
Moving to the parts that truly irked me. The camera work felt so shoddy. Not through the entire duration of the movie but in some specific (and highly important) scenes, the camera felt like a cheap go pro had been attached to a free will stand that captured the acting in the most haphazard manner. If it was to communicate how random the entire moment for the characters was then unfortunately it wasn’t well communicated.
In addition to the highly questionable cinematography was the editing. There is no justification for how some of the scene changes were done. There was a scene change that involved the previous scene getting blurred out onto Wong’s face in order to start the next scene with Wong. It felt like the laziest transition ever. For an entire minute, I was processing that transition than on whatever Wong was fretting about.
One thing viewers need to keep in mind is that they cannot zone out of the movie at all. Every single second some or the other information is given that is super important to the build-up of the story. As the movie is context heavy, missing out on small details can leave the viewer grasping for straws towards the end. It is both a truly amazing experience as a fan and an annoying one for those who don’t really care for Marvel as much.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Introduces a Variety of New People
As mentioned before, a lot happens in the movie. There are many new faces and several new plotlines. It is the kind of experience that sucks the viewer in and does actually make them invest in each storyline. Yet somehow, there was something missing. It felt like Marvel wrote each shock point on a whim. While it would leave the fan at the edge of their seats, confused and shocked, it did keep some topics too on the nose. One could wonder if Marvel has a plan for how it is going to work out towards the end and even for the rest of the Marvel future.
Marvel fans know that a movie like this determines the rest of the course for the fandom and yet this movie gave no such direction. It didn’t answer or ask anything. It was more informative than building. I wouldn’t say the movie lacked thought because no part of Wanda’s battles in the film was like the “usual”. In fact, the movie itself was completely unique from anything Marvel has done. Maybe, it was the uniqueness that Marvel aimed for the movie that they lost where they were headed into.
Elizabeth Olsen Owns this Sequel
Having said that, Phase 4 was about Marvel heading into a new world so moving ahead there might be something equally whimsical to look forward to. With the technical aspects of the movie irking me to no end, the actors have raised all standards. They went above and beyond the expectations they had. Elizabeth Olsen gave a life-changing performance and Cumberbatch did such a shocking performance, all the while remaining charming. Shocker, once you see the film.
Wong should have had more screen time for the reason that he was way too cute and his character was hilarious. Special mention to the Marvel debut, Xochitl who has stolen my heart and interest by making America so lovable and perfect.
The Movie Culture Synopsis
A movie that I will drag one into the theatre to watch but after a truly informative speech. It requires an understanding of several previous productions and also the complete attention of the viewer. The speech that I would give for the movie will also include a warning about the technical aspects of the movie that should be overlooked because after ignoring that the movie is a truly great production.
