Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Now on VOD; Elizabeth Olsen shines as Scarlet Witch.
I didn't grow up with comic books, but in recent years I've seen pretty much all the Marvel superhero movies, so it makes sense that Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness was also required viewing.
Most Marvel movies provide good enough Three Star entertainment, and sometimes more than that. I love Guardians of the Galaxy by James Gunn and Thor: Ragnarok by Taika Waititi, where the directors manage to put their own stamp on the movie despite having to fit the Marvel straitjacket.
The fact that Sam Raimi would direct this second Doctor Strange film made me very curious beforehand. Raimi is a real auteur, but the director of the legendary Spider-man trilogy only came on board after the director of the first Strange film, Scott Derrickson, dropped out due to creative differences. An excellent opportunity for Raimi to deliver a billion dollar blockbuster after a few lean years, but also a kind of commissioned film, not a project in which he was involved from the start.
You can see that struggle in the finished film. In the first half I had the idea that Raimi was dutifully ticking off all boxes on the Marvel shopping list: spectacular street fight against one-eyed monster, some badly lit interior scènes, and as always go heavy on blue and orange colours. And don’t forget a few very stale plot twists (cup of tea, anyone?).
In the second half Raimi seizes the opportunity to release his horror sensibilities, including Benedict Cumberbatch as you have probably never seen him before. (*)
But if you compare this to his Spider-man trilogy, it's as if his heart isn't really in it. Even Cumberbatch feels surprisingly restrained most of the time and never really cuts loose as Doctor Strange, espically not when you compare it to his flashy supporting role in No Way Home.
This time around, the MVP of the film is without a doubt Elizabeth Olsen as his fiery antagonist Wanda Maximoff, who happens to be both mother and monster and pulls off those roles with great aplomb.
The spectacle scenes are decent enough and the idea of a Multiverse is interesting in itself, but thematically it all feels a little underdeveloped. The biggest idea seems to be: if you are not very succesfull in this Universe, can you accept that maybe you are a superstar in other parts of the multiverse and be happy for your other selves?
Overall, Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness offers enough thrills to count as solid entertainment, but it is also more one-dimensional than you might expect considering Raimi's resume.
Still, because it is already certain that the film will be a great success, I hope that Raimi will be able to make a real 'one-for-me' film after this, like A Simple Plan or The Gift. That way we all benefit.