Skip to main content

A Review of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)”

 

image

I enjoyed the first Doctor Strange film even though it followed the same format of superhero origin stories. The exploration of the magic side was just an interesting aspect of the universe and I just love how they portrayed it visually. So I was gutted when the director of the original, Scott Derrickson, left the project. However, it was then revealed that legendary director Sam Raimi, director of the Evil Dead and Spider-Man trilogy, would direct it and I was super excited again. So does it deliver a multiverse of fun or is it a multiverse of dullness?

image

Firstly, this is definitely a Sam Raimi movie. All the usual flairs that you would expect from him are completely in here and I love it. The stylistic way he shoots a scene, the way he portrays New York feels like what he did in Spider-Man, the slight goofiness, the horror elements and jump scares are all here. There are some great visuals during the magic sequence and multiverse stuff. There are also some horrific scenes that genuinely surprised me as it felt too gruesome for a PG 13 movie. It’s a Sam Raimi film through and through and his direction elevates this movie to new heights.

image

There are also some great action set pieces that were very creative and a blast to watch. The music is composed by Danny Elfman and he does a great job. There is a fun action sequence with the use of music and Danny does a great job with the music score to illustrate that battle. The actors are also all doing a great job. Benedict Cumberbatch is still the perfect Doctor Strange and delivers on every scene. I also love how he portrays the other Doctor Strange variants from other universes. Benedict Wong is great and his chemistry with the other Benedict is still fun to watch. Rachel McAdams returns as Christine but unlike the first film she has more to do this time and I appreciate that since she is wonderful in the role. Xochitl Gomez is good as America Chavez and I like her interaction with Doctor Strange. The other supporting cast does a good job as well even with their small screen time. The biggest standout is Elisabeth Olsen as Wanda. She does a phenomenal job in her performance. I just love how she did in every scene from the emotional to the scary. She is the core of this film.

image

However, that is also part of the reason I didn’t enjoy the story as much. For a movie titled Doctor Strange, he isn’t even the complete focus of the plot as he shares equal screen time with Wanda as well as having to share it with America Chavez as well. All 3 of them have story arcs but none are done to a satisfying degree. Strange still loves Christine, Wanda still loves her children, and Chavez doesn’t trust Strange and this is their character for almost the whole of the movie. They all lack proper characterization and depth which makes them all feel one dimensional. Chavez ends up feeling like a MacGuffin for the plot and a person to spout exposition, rather than an interesting foil to Strange or Wanda. There is also a pacing drop around the second act where it is just a lot of walking and talking which went on for a bit too long. Ended up making the movie feel longer than it is. The ending is also great and very Sam Raimi but the mid-credit scene just undoes any impact of the ending and that is such a shame.

image

Overall, I am thrilled by the return of Sam Raimi to the superhero genre. While the screenplay lets the movie down a bit, Sam Raimi was still able to make this movie feel unique. It’s clear that the MCU didn’t restrain Sam’s wackiness and I am glad about that. Thanks to his amazing direction and the terrific performance from the cast, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ends up being extremely fun to watch. 


 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A “QUICK!” Review of “Kandahar (2023)”

  This is a 2023 action movie about a US operative having to fight his way out of Afghanistan with his interpreter while being hunted. Wait isn’t that the same plot as Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant? It’s a little weird that this movie came out just a month after The Covenant with almost the same plot. The 3rd act and the ending is also VERY similar. The difference comes in execution and unfortunately, Kandahar isn’t as good. The first hour is incredibly slow as it setups the whole plot but it takes ages. The relationship between the main lead and the interpreter isn’t that strong. The message isn’t delivered in a very meaningful way. There is also not a lot of action set pieces even though there is a stellar night sequence in this one. It’s just another passable movie starring Gerald Butler.
Post a Comment
Read more

A Review of “Wicked: Part I (2024)”

  I am not the biggest fan of musicals and it is the one genre in movies I rarely watch. I knew of the popularity of the Broadway show “Wicked” but I never brought myself to ever watch it. Now, there is finally a movie adaptation of the show. I did enjoy the legendary 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” and a prequel about the Witch is an interesting idea hence why I gave it a shot. Does this movie defy gravity or is it wickedly bad? Firstly, the production of this film is phenomenal. The song and dance numbers are all incredibly choreographed. It is impressively visually seeing close to 100 people all dancing in unison. The songs and dance feel very flamboyant and campy but it works in the film. In terms of the actual songs, I liked a fair amount of them, especially “Defying Gravity” at the end. I also appreciate how this movie uses lots of actual practical set design. It makes the world of Oz feel more real and believable. There are some genuinely huge-looking sets in this...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Review of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)”

  I once said after watching Black Panther, that it would be cool if there was an all Asian cast similar to it. There were some all Asian cast movies like Crazy Rich Asian (2018), but that is a romcom, and Mulan (2020), but that was bad. In comes Shang Chi which is the first Asian lead Superhero movie ever. The premise is “Martial-arts master Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) confronts the past he thought he left behind when he’s drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization”. So does Shang Chi succeed in giving us a good all Asian cast big blockbuster or is it just another failed attempt? Firstly, the action sequences and choreography are some of the best from Marvel since Captain America and the Winter Soldier (2014). Martial arts are the focus of the action scenes in Shang Chi and they are beautifully choreographed. We get the classic wire-fu/floating style of Crouching Tiger but we also get some Jackie Chan style with the utilization of the environment for the a...
Post a Comment
Read more