Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is in UK cinemas from May 5, 2022.
Synopsis
In Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
Review
Despite having one solo film since 2016, Doctor Strange has played a major role in some of Marvel’s most historical events and once again he finds himself front and centre of the universe just as it’s about to become the playing ground for countless other universes. So put on your flying cape, slip on the sling ring and get ready for Marvel to thrust you into the multiverse.
Without a doubt Multiverse of Madness is the closest the MCU has gotten to dabbling in the horror genre, using Sam Raimi’s expertise to elegantly give us horror without notching up the film’s certificate to prevent the younger audience from enjoying this slice of the MCU pie! There are some truly creepy moments littered throughout!
Benedict Cumberbatch once again shines as the titular hero and while Xochitl Gomez nails America Chavez perfectly, it’s Elizabeth Olsen that knocks it out of the park as the tortured hero Wanda Maximoff. We have seen her suffer time and time again throughout her appearances (literally not once appearance has she not lost something important to her!) and since she has developed this character since her first full appearance in 2015, Elizabeth knows her character inside and out. She steals the film and every scene she is in, her mere presence in the film almost yanking Doctor Strange out of his own movie. Some may not like the direction her character has gone, however understanding the events of WandaVision (which needs to be seen to fully grasp the context of this film) has led her down this path where her mind has become corrupted. I found myself feeling really sad with her far her character has gone but also understanding as to why it has happened.
Now onto the juicy parts of this movie, the multiverse! Without dropping ANY spoilers in this review, the number one thing to say is to contain your expectations for cameos. While the trailers have dropped one or two of them in subtle ways it did successfully prevent a few surprises for when you are in the cinema. That being said, the film is not a who’s who of multiversal heroes being thrown from wall to wall. What they do have is incredible though and cinemas throughout the world will be cheering with what they will see.
One of the few critiques of the film is its lack of multiverse, it dabbles with a few worlds but it never really delves into them. For better or worse we only really get a few seconds of some of the most fantastical worlds such as an animated universe, a sci-fi future world and even one of sentient paint! But we’re really only dabbling within three universes. Again, this could be down to managing expectations and we Marvel fans know how to let our imaginations go wild.
Verdict
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness more than delivers on its ‘Madness’ title as it thrusts the characters and the Universe we’ve been watching for nearly 14 years into unimaginable possibilities. With its incredibly strong cast, bombastic effects and Sam Raimi’s signature flare of horror scattered throughout every single frame, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a bold new direction for the MCU.
Don’t forget to stay seated until the end of the credits also as this film does contain two post credit scenes.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
