Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

It's been a long time since Doctor Strange has had his own, solo outing. He feels like a staple in the MCU at this point, thanks largely to his participation in Avengers-level events as well as the recently (fantastic) No Way Home. 

Multiverse of Madness has had building momentum since its announcement several years ago. It was dubbed the first "horror" film of the MCU and most fans of this wonderful connected world were excited for the expanding universe(s). 

In No Way Home, many of those dreams became reality with the inclusion of the multiverse playing a significant role - much to the delight of many fans. 

In a lot of ways then, Multiverse of Madness lives in the shadow of its expectations, which is important to know going in. Many may be expecting an Avengers-esque shift in momentum from this. Many will be hoping it introduces hundreds of new characters. 

I'm not sure it's spoiling much to provide a friendly reminder of what I stated above: in a lot of ways this is also just Doctor Strange's second solo outing. For it to have the level of hype it has feels attached more to the "multiverse" than anything else, so just know that going in. 

Aside from leveling out hype and expectations, I found Multiverse of Madness is probably one of the more unique Marvel films thus far. The MCU has attracted a lot of haters over the years (BOO!) and the argument that these were cookie-cutter films was always preposterous to me, but sure. Entertaining that idea for a moment, MoM still hits the boxes it needs to because...well...this is still all connected, but there's a distinct tone - yes, horror - to it. For many mainstream audiences who don't know about director Sam Raimi's background, he specializes in horror. Many will know him from the original Spider-Man films which weren't exactly scary material, but he has long legs in the horror/goth/gore realm, specifically with the Evil Dead franchise. Multiverse of Madness, delightfully so, lets him play full out and the result is likely a somewhat divisive film in terms of re-watchability and initial enjoyment. Simply put, this may be too weird and/or "silly" (in Raimi's way) for sections of the MCU audience. 

Should have gotten a Mary Kate and Ashley multiverse variant as a joke

Take that into consideration with my review and scoring because I personally loved the uniqueness and tone (mostly) and in the half day since I've seen it, MoM has already grown on me. It has its issues, and it's not going to be as crowd pleasing as No Way Home (which is an unfair comparison), but the heavy lean into some delicious violence, surprising gore, and horror elements, coupled with all the zaniness of the multiverse, makes for a wild-trip combination that fits the Doctor Strange library. And make no mistake, this is definitely the most violent the MCU has been thus far and I imagine there may be some parents bringing children who will be shocked by what makes it on screen and, even more gruesomely, what's insinuated off-screen. 

I refrain from describing too much of the plot of Multiverse because almost right off the bat is perhaps one of the more shocking elements/reveals regarding a key character. If you're up-to-date on Marvel lore (including the television shows), then it's likely even more surprising. Not illogical, but there also doesn't seem to be any "coming back" from it. Throughout it all, I think I was perhaps most surprised that Multiverse of Madness didn't seem to have all that much consequence on the future of the MCU. The stakes are incredibly high, but by the time the credits rolled I was surprised how little "OMG what happens next?!?" sentiment I had. Again, I'll reiterate that I don't want to say much more but it's not necessarily a disappointment as much as it is an acknowledgement. 

Multiverse of Madness features some phenomenal performances though and, say what you will about the MCU, but their casting has proven to be so on-point that it's a bit mind blowing. Benedict Cumberbatch is Doctor Strange as much as many other actors are their respective heroes and it's a delight to see him still having fun in the role, but taking some of the more nuanced character arcs seriously. Elizabeth Olsen gives a potentially award-nomination-worthy performance too, similar to WandaVision, and it's very clear she's still not over the pain and the consequences stemming from the outcomes of Infinity War/Endgame. Xochitl Gomez does a solid job as America Chavez, but I couldn't help but feel her character's introduction into this universe was a little shoehorned and less nuanced/skillful than something like, say Spider-Man in Civil War. 

Beside those elements, Multiverse of Madness loves to play. Action sequences come fast and countless with most being "good" (Marvel needs to remember to avoid the *smash smash* *bang bang* boring ones!) and some being outstanding. A music battle - yes, a music battle - is downright incredible and the initial sequence of being "pushed" through the multiverses is face-meltingly awesome. There are a host of cameos that have unfortunately been mostly ruined by uncharacteristically spoilery trailers, but it'll be interesting to see how/if the MCU capitalizes on them beyond this film. 

Is that the Everything Bagel? 

As I mentioned earlier, by the time the credits roll, you'll likely be a little shellshocked by all the "stuff" Multiverse of Madness throws at you and just how different it feels overall. It's exciting to see the Marvel Universe give directors this type of leeway, and that's likely that aspect that will help Multiverse age well is how much it stands out against the crowd, MCU or otherwise. 

CONS

• Not all the silly/Raimi elements work. Some stylistic choices should have been left in the past (e.g. camera-close-ups)
• Feels like it has pacing issues where it feels a little too long in relation to the plot
• Not a huge Con, but I was surprised how little other connectivity and consequence it feels like this film has. Non-spoiler example: the ending of Loki (which seemed gargantuan) is not referenced or mentioned in the slightest
• Some action sequences are generic and Marvel has proven they can do better
• America Chavez introduction wasn't all that smooth
• Spoilery trailers - Marvel needs to nip this in the bud and get back to their barebone basics. You'll already put butts in seats

PROS

• Distinct style, thanks to direction of Raimi. Very violent and surprisingly gory with a dose of horror
• Memorable performances throughout, with Olsen being the MVP 
• Spectacular visuals
• Good, sometimes great original score
• Handful of downright bonkers, but instantly iconic scenes
• Unique and fresh-feeling
• Cameos that will excite, even if future of them is unknown

Rath's Review Score | 8/10