Review: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – A Mad Maniacal Movie Marvel

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Yes, that’s a madly long and strange name for a film, and I will repeat that in this review just for mad laughs) is the newest Marvel Cinematic Universe film (MCU) directed by legendary director Sam Raimi, who has delivered the Evil Dead trilogy and the iconic classic Spider-Man trilogy. It is Raimi’s first MCU film, and one of the most highly anticipated films of the year.

The film’s IMDB page reads: ‘Dr. Stephen Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens the doorway to the multiverse, including alternate versions of himself, whose threat to humanity is too great for the combined forces of Strange, Wong, and Wanda Maximoff.’ Well, after watching the film we can conclude, at this point, either IMDB is becoming increasingly unreliable these days, or it is actually a smart marketing trick to conceal the true plot of the film, which this review will not spoil.

This newest addition to the MCU is the proper introduction to the multiverse – a collection of infinite parallel universes that exist beyond the main universe of the MCU. While Spider-Man: No Way Home did feature this concept last year, and used Doctor Strange himself in that film, it was all but a mere glimpse at the true nature of the multiverse. In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we got to see the actual multiverse in truly gloriousous, insane details.

Raimi’s personal directorial touch is practically imprinted on the many colourful and comical frames of the film, showing a unique visual and style, unlike any normal MCU outing. The cinematography is excellent (like images from lucid dreams), especially in the multiverse scenes, with a vibrant colour palette, and gothic set designs and pieces. This, along with the dreamy camerawork, makes many parts of the film feel like scenes straight out of classic horror arthouse films. While Raimi has featured horror elements previously in his Spider-Man trilogy, he went all out with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If The Batman is a Se7en-esque crime thriller, this is A Nightmare on Elm Street-style horror fantasy. The film also features lots of Raimi’s trademark campy comedy and a uniquely absurdist, but iconic, sense of humour, with many bits of the film being perfect material for future memes.

The film introduces the character America Chavez, played by newcomer Xochitl Gomez. In the comics, the character is unique for having the ability to travel through the multiverse, and the film smartly uses this power as the gateway to the multiversal travel, and essentially, for the plot of the film. Gomez gave a likeable performance and is a welcome addition to the ever-expanding lore of the MCU.

The star of the film, Benedict Cumberbatch, continues to portray Doctor Strange, with this film taking a more personal dive into the character. If you have watched the Spider-Man trilogy, particularly Spider-Man 2, you can feel that Raimi is a highly emotional director who approaches his main heroes by taking an inner look, breaking down their vulnerabilities, and humanises them. This works the same here, even for a more cold and logical character like Doctor Strange, but in a more multiversal approach. The film features the multiverse where there are other variants of Doctor Strange – who are different versions of the same character in another universe. It explores the character’s questionable morality, and puts him in places where he is constantly questioning his conscience, and whether he should make difficult, if not morally questionable, choices. And as always, Cumberbatch brings his subtle, sarcastic swagger and grace to the character.

However, Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch (aka Wanda Maximoff) is the true emotional core of the film. It should be noted, however, that the Disney+ show WandaVision is a must-watch to understand where Wanda is at in this film. If you have unfortunately not watched that show, you will likely be even more confused by the film, if the multiverse hasn’t done that to you already. Olsen truly delivered her best film performance as Scarlett Witch, the film gives her a truly beautiful and melancholic story. You will see the film cementing Wanda Maximoff as one of, if not the most powerful and tragic character of the MCU.

Another thing worth mentioning is the film’s soundtrack. The sequel no longer has the original composer Michael Giacchino, and is instead scored by Danny Elfman, who has composed for many Tim Burton films and has previously worked with Raimi on the Spider-Man trilogy. Elfman is known for his gothic and fantastical musical style. In this film, Elfman has maintained Giacchino’s original Doctor Strange motif, which, while not featured prominently in the film, is nevertheless replayed and repeated, ranging from heroic, action-heavy, mystical, and melancholy, maintaining musical continuity – a rare occurrence in the MCU, hence truly encouraging. The true breakout is America Chavez’s theme, which is a beautiful and memorable new motif with emotional weight, hope, and a layer of tragedy. Danny Elfman has composed a collection of great themes and has spun a great variety of them throughout the film, ranging from tragic, triumphant, and emotional.

At the end of the day, it is still very much an MCU film, but it takes a mad multiversal spin on the familiar MCU mythology. If anything, this film is a great example of Hollywood studios executing a film while allowing the directors to fully unleash their personal style, showing the importance of creative freedom, and how it can bring new life to a long-running film franchise.

Much like Avengers: Infinity War, this film is all over the place – literally, it’s all over the multiverse – but it is the best kind of all over the place. In fact, the film really feels like a mad comic book journey. Watch it on the biggest screen possible, avoid all spoilers (if you still can), and indulge yourselves in this fusion of pure Raimi and MCU. It’s a truly mad experience.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is in cinemas now and will be screened at York Student Cinema on Friday, Week 10, 24/06/2022.