The Darkest MCU Film Yet
Like a lot of other directors that I have obsessions with (*cough* Snyder *cough* Edger Wright *cough cough* James Wan), I have been eagerly waiting for Sam Raimi’s new film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of madness. It’s not a surprise that he has returned to Marvel after so long (especially with his imprint on Tobey Maguire’s world-famous Spiderman) but what seals the deal with this flick is that it’s horror inspired. And me, being a big horror nerd, was even more excited to watch this new addition to the MCU.
First of all, I gotta say that this is probably the most different and unique movie of the MCU, at least in the aesthetic department – or should I say the most different-looking. And you already know it’s exactly because of Sam Raimi and the horror and creepy aspect he introduces in this movie. And I loved it!
The story is not what you think it is – and there’s a reason I’m not adding the synopsis here. Whatever your expectations are about how the plot will go and who/what will appear, drop it – now. Go in with no knowledge and be shocked – it’s the best way to experience this film. And speaking of experience, of course, I went to see this in 4DX (one of my favourite cinema formats).
When I say this is a messed up Marvel film, I genuinely mean it’s a messed up Marvel film. Sure, we’ve seen many upon many dismemberments in the MCU, on top of literal torture, executions, eye-gauging (surprisingly darker than the Hamadaverse DC films, ironically), but man, some of the things included in this particular flick, it pushes the 12PG rating to the max.
The overall tone of this film itself doesn’t feel like a happy-appy, bright and colourful situation, it feels serious, unsettling, and very gothic in particular places, accentuated more by the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack and the few moments of no sound. Its fight scenes are very much fleshed out with some cleverly done CGI that homages horror films (there’s one moment where everything goes quiet and Wanda just straight up whispers in someone’s ear quietly “Run” – legitimate chills. Its environments and buildings, whilst not as LSD-type trippy as the first film, certainly add a lot of texture and a sense of size.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
The Sam Raimi Feel
Whilst watching, I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching something akin to Evil Dead or Drag Me to Hell, and well, that’s because there’s so many little references, nods, and even an appearance from Bruce Campbell aka Ash himself (groovy). It seems like Marvel is getting a little more open to having visionary directors take the helm and give them freedom. It’s obvious that this movie was not given to Sam with 100 percent freedom, but I think they’re getting a little bit better and I hope this freedom becomes bigger in the next projects.
Sam Raimi does a great job with all the creepy / horror scenes, and the jumpscares and this movie that’s more about witchcraft than it is about wizardry and spells. I really hope they keep doing these different genres and don’t just stick to action-comedy as they’ve been for a long time. It’s a breath of fresh air seeing this being a different kind of superhero movie.
Character Development
I really thought when America Chavez was announced for this film that I would severely hate her guts (probably because whiny kid characters aren’t always the best). But after a very splendid and well-done performance, I immediately changed my mind. America is the humour, the humanity, the hope in the dark multiverse of madness in this film. For a dark film she makes things feel a little lighter, and her growth and understanding of her multiversal powers feel really organic and fresh, and it’s a nice change of pace. She’s not just some Captain America wannabe or a Captain Marvel fan girl, she’s an extremely powerful superhuman whose existence in the MCU has definitely shifted the tone for the better.
Wanda, by far, is one of the most developed characters in the MCU so far, and Olsen absolutely kills (see what I did there) with her acting. She’s terrifying yet majestic, yet horrifyingly badass (and in certain scenes she becomes nightmare fuel). Scarlet Witch really isn’t a force to be messed with. She balances out the witch side with her mother side. If any of us remembered the events of WandaVison, you’ll know she manifested her own children. But her motivation in this film is, simply, wanting to be with her them again. She’s not doing any of this to rule, she just wants a family. This down-to-Earth, reasonable side paints the complicated picture of how much Wanda has been through, and by the end her redemption is simply blissful.
Wong, I feel like, has developed a lot more from just being a side character – Hell, he’s the sorcerer supreme now! Whenever it was on screen my face immediately lit up because I just knew the scenes and material we were gonna get were pure gold. And of course, to the main character: Doctor Strange. Our hero (obviously) of the film finds himself in the deep end again (no thanks to the events of Spiderman: No Way Home, Loki, WandaVison, etc., etc.) and so we follow him through this journey of development and evolution. Cumberbatch is just the perfect casting for him, his humour, his tone, his mannerisms – he really puts his soul into the sorcerer.
More Madness, Less Multiverse, but Infinite Possibilities!
Now, after a little thinking over some of the events of the film, I think I do share one thought that is running through everyone’s mind: where are the other multiverses? Aside from the odd few multiverse hops with America and Strange, really the film only takes place in 2 separate universes and a type of purgatory in between. That being said, I’m more than happy with what we got. However, with the naming of this film, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword: other names that could’ve been chosen were ‘Book of Madness’ (as part of the plot revolves around the Darkhold and the other, the book of… something). Hell, call it ‘Book of Darkness’ or something and link it back to Evil Dead (might as well).
Alright, I think every article that has done a review on this particular film has probably already covered this little nugget of a section, but still, I wanted to add it here anyways. With the *ahem* appearances we get and the glimpses of different universes, one asks, how big and how long can Marvel milk this for? Now we have projects like Secret Invasion, The Marvels, Thor: Love and Thunder coming out, and Loki season 2 on top of the inevitable return of Strange in his third film. Could the MCU be going towards a much, much bigger crisis level event? Bigger than Endgame? Let’s think about it – characters who are getting introduced or yet to be, we will probably see projects such as Secret Wars, Civil War 2 – Hell, maybe even Galactus might show up! Who knows!
My Overall Thoughts on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
I seriously cannot stop praising this movie enough – it’s everything I’ve been waiting for with Marvel: disturbing, daring, experimental, explorative and expansive on the multiverse-size projects yet to come (they should definitely consider renaming it to the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse now). Micheal Waldron’s script, Sami Rami’s’ magically sinister and eerie direction, and our actors’ fantabulous display of dedication and love for these characters – what more can you ask for? Who knows what else we will find in the ever-expanding multiverse!
Fancy more comic book movie recommendations? Why not read my review on The Batman: a brutal, dark reimagining of the caped crusader! Or perhaps have a read for my article on The Suicide Squad! Got a film you want me to review? Leave a comment and I shall oblige!
