'Doctor Strange and The Multiverse of Madness' lives up to its title, for better or worse, as there are ample amounts of strange as well as multitudes of madness. Director Sam Raimi returns to the superhero genre after a fifteen year absence to deliver a weird, brutal, and exciting entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Raimi is best known for launching the comic book film genre into the stratosphere with 2002's beloved 'Spider-Man’. If you’re expecting that, you may be disappointed, or pleasantly surprised, because ‘The Multiverse of Madness’ is far more within his horror wheelhouse than it is to his Spider-Man trilogy. While that isn’t a bad thing, someone expecting a more "family friendly" superhero film might be in for a bit of a shell shock. However, there are a lot of signature Sam Raimi romanticism as well as visual elements, such as his unhinged camera movements, that feel like 'The Multiverse of Madness' also fits into his Spider-Man universe.
Marvel Studios has successfully maneuvered from genre to genre with their MCU films; from the political-thriller 'Captain America: Winter Soldier,' to the space opera 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' to high school comedy 'Spider-Man: Homecoming.' ‘The Multi-verse of Madness’ is the MCUs first true film foray into ‘horror’ and as a fan of horror I welcome it. The film also manages to be both one of the darkest as well as campiest chapters in the MCU.
The script for the film isn’t quite as streamline as peak Marvel and the narrative is constantly strained by the amount of content thrown at the audience. However, the content is more often than not delivered in creative ways and it can be quite thought provoking and poignant. Sometimes the sheer volume of content even undermines points the film is trying to get across. 'The Multiverse of Madness' is not without a few surprises for longtime Marvel fans. It may be daunting for newcomers to the MCU to realize how many prior live action Marvel series and films are needed to be watched to appreciate all facets of this film though.
Veteran film composer Danny Elfman, who has created iconic scores for films within the comic book genre such as Tim Burton’s Batman films and Rami’s aforementioned Spider-Man films, returns with uninhibited brilliance to score ‘Doctor Strange’ . The thrilling piece we hear in the trailer for the film was just the tip of the iceberg of all the exhilarating themes we hear in the film itself.
The performances in ‘The Multiverse of Madness’ are stellar with Elisabeth Olsen’s portrayal of Wanda/Scarlett Witch being the standout. Benedict Wong, who portrays his character Wong with such likability and charisma, proves he belongs amongst the pantheon of MCU A-listers, which includes Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular hero. Newcomer Xochitl Gomez, who plays America Chavez, is a welcome addition to the ever growing MCU cast.
'Doctor Strange and The Multiverse of Madness' is a messy film but is none-the-less a fun and thrilling piece of cinematic ingenuity. It may be divisive though because it embraces Sam Rami's auteurism as much as it fits into the ever expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.
MY RATING 3.5/5 STARS
Be sure to check out our extensive collection of Marvel films and comics available at The Brown Deer Public Library.
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