Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of the few Marvel films that feels distinct to the director behind it, rather than the Studio.  There are moments here that could only come from filmmaker Sam Raimi.  There's the required Bruce Campbell cameo, a music score by Danny Elfman (after Tim Burton, Raimi is the director most associated with Elfman), and a climax that hearkens back to his Evil Dead days.  This makes for a wild ride, and one much darker than the usual Marvel fare.

The film serves not only as a follow up to 2016's Doctor Strange film, but also continues the ideas that were first explored last year in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the streaming series WandaVision.  If you have not seen these, or if it's been a while, a crash course will be in order, as it's getting harder to follow the Marvel Cinematic Universe without some kind of encyclopedic knowledge, or fan support.  Benedict Cumberbatch is naturally in the role of Strange once more, and after dipping his toe into the Multiverse in No Way Home, he is thrust head first into it this time around.  His mission is to help protect a teenage girl named America Chavez (Xochiti Gomez), who not only hails from one of these parallel universes, but has the power to cross over to any that she chooses, though she does not understand why she has this power, or how to use it.

We learn that the Doctor exists in these various Multiverses as well, and because one of them betrayed America's trust in a previous encounter, she is not quick to join up with him.  Regardless, various demons and monsters are pursuing her for her power, and he may be her only hope for survival.  The antagonist after her power is none other than Strange's former ally, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), who has been driven even further into madness after the events in WandaVision.  If you have not seen the series, you likely will not fully understand her motivations, or what has led to her current circumstance.  Regardless, even as a stand alone entertainment, you may not fully get the plot if you've not been keeping up with events, but the movie is still a lot of fun as it mixes elements of fantasy, horror and adventure.

Though toned down for a more PG-13 family-friendly audience, the movie still contains many of the filmmaker's horror elements, such as bizarre monsters, morbid humor, and gruesome violence.  And though the film is less comical than a lot of Marvel films, it still finds the right tone for its moments of levity, with Cumberbatch bringing plenty of dry wit as the Universe (or Universes) literally explode all around him.  At its core, Doctor Strange is a balancing act, and a difficult one at that.  It's a superhero story told with a Gothic Horror bent, along with an adventure that explores alternate timelines and possibilities.  Through all of these worlds, the one thing that remains certain is that the Doctor is still longing for the lovely Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), and how the movie plays with that longing and their relationship in different ways and scenarios is a clever and sometimes heartfelt touch.  This is a movie with a lot on its plate, but its balanced in such a way that the film's over two hour run time goes by quickly.

Naturally, there are some possibilities for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe hinted at throughout.  Also naturally, they will not be revealed here.  Suffice to say, fans will have a lot to look forward to, including a certain nostalgic music cue when a particular character makes their appearance in one of the Multiverses.  Fortunately, you don't have to be a fan to enjoy this.  The movie is alive with its own imagination, and though I would have liked to see a few more worlds and alternate timelines explored than we got, I doubt many will leave unsatisfied.  Like usual with Marvel, the movie speaks to its core audience, but is smart enough not to completely shut out those who might find themselves dragged to the theater by their companion.  

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is not a genre redefining film, and never pretends to be.  It's a well-crafted entry that gives us what we expect, and maybe a bit more with Raimi at the helm.  It's quite amazing how well they have been able to handle this idea of multiple universes that they have recently started exploring.  This is a movie where with just one misstep, it would have exploded in their face.  It's kind of a small cinematic miracle that they did not make a crucial misstep here.

0 comments