4.5/ 5 stars
Spoilers ahead
The long-awaited Dr Strange sequel is finally here, and it does not disappoint. Directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man 2002 and Evil Dead), Dr Strange in The Multiverse of Madness is ultimately chilling as Raimi draws on horror elements to produce a new breed of Marvel movie that is like no other and hopefully not the last of its kind.
Although it sounds cliché to say, we really are thrown straight into the action from the first minute, and from there the movie doesn’t slow down. With a run time of two hours and six minutes, some may think that there isn’t enough time to explore the vastness of the multiverse but with previous MCU projects such as No Way Home and Loki introducing the concept of a wider multiverse, there is no need for this project to waste time setting up ground rules.
Over the course of the film, various universes are explored thanks to America Chavez’s (Xochitl Gomez) ability to create interdimensional portals. However, she is being pursued by The Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) who wishes to steal America's powers for herself. It falls to Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Wong (Benedict Wong) to do what they can in order to protect America Chavez.
Perhaps the most gripping part of this movie was Wanda Maximoff stepping into her power as The Scarlet Witch and becoming the perfect villain for Raimi’s horror flick. What makes Wanda a great villain is that she has a clear motive, grief and desperation, which is amplified by the corruption of the ‘Darkhold’. Nothing can stop her from turning down a dark path and travelling the multiverse in search for her children to fill the empty void in her heart.
The presence of Marvel Comic’s ‘Illuminati’ has been teased in various trailers and TV spots which got fans excited to see who would make up the MCU’s iteration of the team. Although many thought they would play a much bigger role in the film, it was great to see Raimi pay tribute to previous Marvel material and add in some long-awaited cameos that will satisfy long time fans of the franchise.
One thing that Multiverse of Madness fails to do is acknowledge the post credit scene from Dr Strange. The ending of the first Dr Strange film saw Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) set on ridding the world of sorcerers who were using magic for selfish reasons. Fans believed that this was setting up Mordo to be the next antagonist, similar to his comic counterpart. The sequel did not touch on this, so it will be interesting to see if this will be explored in a possible Dr Strange 3.
Filled with fan service and jump scares, Multiverse of Madness is worth the watch for Marvel and horror film fans alike as the 12A certification doesn't stop Sam Raimi from creating an all out blood bath of a blockbuster.
Dr Strange in The Multiverse of Madness is now available to view in cinemas worldwide and stick around until the end to see the two end-credit scenes.
Comments