"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" - Film Review
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is Sam Raimi’s long-awaited return to the world of superhero films. Raimi directed the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy from the early-2000s, but this is his first foray into the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given Raimi’s background as a horror film director, it should be no surprise that this is the MCU’s creepiest movie.
Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is still trying to cope with the consequences of his actions in Avengers: Endgame. He attends his ex-girlfriend, Christine’s (Rachel McAdams), wedding, but the reception is disturbed when an alien attacks the city. Strange leaps into action when he sees the creature go after a teenage girl. He joins forces with Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong) and they are able to defeat the alien. When they talk with the teen, they learn that her name is America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), and that the alien was sent to kidnap her because of her special powers.
America has the ability to open portals between multiverses, but she doesn’t have any control when she uses it. An unknown entity has sent the alien monster to kidnap America because it wants to steal America’s multiverse-jumping powers for its own use. Strange recognizes ancient runes on the alien and decides to seek the help of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen). He had hoped the two could work together as a team, but Strange comes to the realization that it is Wanda who is after America’s powers.
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It’s impossible not to mention Everything Everywhere All At Once while critiquing Multiverse of Madness. Both films sprawl across time, space, and multiverses, and both are grounded by a love story. The only problem is that Multiverse of Madness is completely uninterested in providing anything more than surface emotions. Supposedly, Strange is devastated by the loss of his girlfriend, Christine, in Doctor Strange (2016). Her existence hasn’t been mentioned since that movie, yet that’s supposed to be the emotional crux of his storyline.
The main villain of the film is Wanda, but it’s difficult to call her a villain or critique her actions, given the total character assassination that was committed in the script. This movie relies heavily on the events of the Disney+ series WandaVision, yet it seeks at every turn to undermine the growth Wanda has gained from the series. Her descent into villainy boils down to her need to be a mother to the kids she manifested in WandaVision. The interesting, complex character of Wanda is destroyed in the name of the children, based on the assumption that all women want to be a mother.
This change in Wanda will most likely get a pass from a lot of fans, but not because there’s ambiguity in the writing, or even anything resembling nuance. Instead, it’s a testament to Olsen’s acting talents. Even as she is reduced to a hollow version of Wanda, Olsen commits to the pain she’s supposed to be feeling. This makes the audience forget for just a moment how thin Wanda’s characterization is in the film. Olsen elevates every scene she touches, and if not for her, the Multiverse of Madness would’ve been an utter slog.
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Each new Marvel movie feels like a bridge to the next one…in a bad way. Instead of being created to exist on their own, each film is created to fund the next one. It’s robbing Peter to pay Paul. The audience buys a ticket to see a new movie, but it’s the same beats every time. Faux-quippy one-liners break up the extensive monologues that exist only to justify the fight scenes. Then comes the reason everyone paid the entry fee: the mid- and post-credits scenes. Two minutes or less of actual plot, which is more important than the two-hour film they just sat through. The MCU is cinematic fast food and that’s fine. Sometimes, a McDonald’s burger sounds like the best thing in the world, but it cannot sustain you.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is supposed to be about love, but it lacks even the most basic feeling of humanity. It’s a soulless film that’s more interested in cameos and what comes next than what is happening right now.
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