Dr Strange into the Review of Madness

If there’s anything Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness accomplishes is that Dr Strange is on track to be the flagship franchise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe the way Ironman was.

The announcement that Dr Strange into the Multiverse of Madness would be the MCU’s first horror movie had a mixed reception and brought out questions like “Is there such a thing as a PG13 horror? Does Disney have t in them? Etc.” Well if you watched the movie “How do you feel now?”

No disrespect to former director Scott Derrickson, he did an amazing job with the first installment but the hiring of legendary OG Spiderman director Sam Raimi was a masterstroke as he brought a sense of realism and reinvigoration of the character.

Dr Strange in comic book lore is no “stranger” to darkness and what comes with it so cue Sam Raimi who is all about that dark life with classic movies such as the Evil dead, Drag me to Hell, The Grudge etc. Sam Raimi’s imprint is very clear from the start to finish of the movie with his classic horror tropes that blur the line between a classic horror and a “typical” MCU movie and it works perfectly.

The visuals are out of this world, unpredictable, the tension is well paced and it just goes to show what a superhero movie can look like with a reputable filmmaker and a studio that lets the creator create (Looking at you DC).

Dr Strange looks on track to fill the void left by Ironman. Benedict Cumberbatch makes ego and sociopathic tendencies enjoyable, wonder who that reminds us of (looking at you Robert Downey Junior). If that’s the direction the MCU is going then it is safe to say the future looks bright for MCU. A man who thinks the rules do not apply to him, what could go wrong. We’ll be there for the violence.

This could be controversial to some but Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) has really grown into her own in the MCU and could be the most developed character in the franchise. It’s not the easiest thing going from henchwoman to hero to sitcom star to antihero to villain and hero again, all with different accents.

Elizabeth Olsen’s presence is undeniable in every scene, she is a huge threat and if we’re being honest, she outshone all her fellow castmates in the movie so much that the studio could change the title to “Wanda’s Family Reunion” and people would still flock to the cinemas.

The supporting characters did an amicable job but it is very obvious they are “supporting” and to their defense they were up against Dr Strange and Wanda. America Chavez is used as a tool to drive the plot and had that whole “Damsel in distress” vibe but was enjoyable to watch when she came on.

Then we reach the cameos because what’s an MCU movie without cameos. Professor X (Sir Patrick Stuart) and Mr Fantastic (John Krasinski) most notably were incredible throughout their short screentime (typical marvel style). Their presence would make any hardcore Marvel fan squeal like they’re 10 years old and hope it’s not a one off considering it’s the “Multiverse”.

For Wong (Benedict Wong) what can we say, everyone loves him but it looked like the audience is feeling a bit of “Wong fatigue”, possibly due to his numerous cameos in other movies, you can call him the “Nick Fury” for everything magic.

The drawbacks from the movie are minimal but very noticeable. The most notable is the annoying trope where the villain turns good at the end and has to sacrifice themselves, we saw it Shang Chi, Avengers 2, Spiderman NWH it needs to rest.

 

Verdict

Very enjoyable movie. Best of Phase 4 so far. Looking forward to more Dr Strange in the future.

 

Score

Solid 9/10