Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) Movie Review

Synopsis:

Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) contends with a variety of unpredictable threats. This is a result of opening a gateway to the multiverse. He must also protect the young teenager, America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who wields cosmic abilities.

Review:

For context, Sam Raimi's last superhero movie was Spider-Man 3 (2007).

With that in mind, Marvel fans wondered how Sam Raimi would approach Doctor Strange in the MCU.

Whilst Raimi brings some of his horror roots from the Evil Dead series, Marvel Studios holds him back.

Due to them being a major company, their interference is ever present in this film.

As an example, audiences are witness to more tired humor. There are also some questionable character motivations and wasted cameo appearances.

Those who were expecting more from these cameo appearances will face disappointment.

For a movie titled Multiverse of Madness, there’s very little multiverse involved.

There is, though, a large amount of madness, which is where most of this film’s issues originate.

This film's priority should've built upon the multiverse or its endless concepts. Instead, it throws too many ideas at the screen.

As a whole, most of the multiverse sequences have some good visual effects. Despite this, their execution is weak.

If this movie had a lengthier runtime, these ideas could have made more of an impact. Multiverse of Madness is decent in its approach to characters.

As per usual, Benedict Cumberbatch has proven why he’s suited to the role of Doctor Strange. He's also given some decent moments throughout.

It’s a shame, though, that he becomes more of a background character as the film's story progresses.

As an example, most of the plot’s focus is on America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) and Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch.

Her character has been somewhat consistent in past MCU entries. In Multiverse of Madness, Elizabeth’s Scarlet Witch takes a complete 180.

It’s evident that Olsen enjoys her material and is more comfortable in the role. Despite Elizabeth's performance, this change is jarring.

Even if audiences have watched the TV series WandaVision, the motivation behind her actions is not justifiable.

To be clear, America Chavez’s character is a plot device… that is all.

As a whole, her powers are decent from a visual standpoint. Despite this, they're underexplored and are all too convenient.

They’re best summarised in a quick statement - She used her powers whenever the plot needed her to.

Conclusion:

Altogether, Multiverse of Madness could have been a memorable film. This is if not for its scattered storytelling approach.

This film's positives are its creative visuals and its use of horror elements. Despite this, Raimi isn’t given enough to flex his creativity.

Certain cameos are also underwhelming, making their inclusion even more questionable.

While it’s not an awful movie, it could've been so much more.

Sam’s Action Reaction score:

Characters - 5/10

Story - 5/10

Action - 6/10

CGI and visuals - 6.5/10

Soundtrack - 6/10

Overall score: 5.7 out of 10