Doctor Strange takes a journey through alternate universes in order to protect a young woman from having her unique power stolen in Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

As with every Marvel release there are potential surprises and developments that are carefully hidden so that they have the maximum impact when experienced upon viewing the film for the first time. While every care has been taken to avoid spoiling major details this review may contain mild spoilers of things hinted at in the trailer but not explicitly confirmed by it.

A lot of expectations were attached to this film with the promise of cameos from legacy characters from prior non Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, a mind bending reality hopping adventure and Sam Raimi’s signature grasp on horror. Many viewers will have a clear idea in their mind of what they want it to be and almost none of them will get what they desire or expect from it.

The plot involves America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez); a young woman with the ability to travel the Multiverse being chased by an entity that wants to usurp her power for its own ends. She ends up in the base MCU reality and runs into Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) who tasks himself with protecting her. Complicating matters is Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) who sees America’s power as the way to reunite her with her lost children which puts her on the path to claiming it for herself.

Wanda acts as the main antagonist for the film with much of it taking the form of a chase as Stephen and America try to stay ahead of her long enough to get their hands on an item that can grant them enough firepower to deal with the threat that she represents. Fully committing to Wanda as the villain is one of the film’s strongest virtues. In many ways her dogged pursuit of Stephen and America propels the plot forward and Elizabeth Olsen’s intense performance maintains the threat level. She has a great deal of depth though much of it doesn’t exist in this film. Those unfamiliar with her arc depicted in WandaVision may struggle to entirely follow her actions here. Dialogue provides enough information as to the highlights but the texture is missing. As someone who indulges in every corner of the MCU her role makes complete sense but there may be a disconnect for those who don’t.

To the film’s credit it doesn’t get bogged down in reams of exposition in order to justify Wanda’s actions and sticks to the emotional turmoil that drives her. Elizabeth Olsen expertly performs the pain and emptiness associated with her desire to undo a significant loss for. Her arc plays out logically and completes in a way that fits with what the film has established.

Stephen Strange doesn’t fare quite as well in the characterisation. Early on his arc is established through a simple question “are you happy?” and the film works to answer that but struggles to remain on task and overcomplicates what could have otherwise been a simple and satisfying opportunity for character development. Feeding into it is his unresolved feelings for Christine (Rachel McAdams) and an underdeveloped subplot around questioning the moral standing of Stephen Strange across the Multiverse. A question is asked around whether Stephen is an exception or doomed to descend into darkness brought on by his own arrogance like his counterparts. The question is answered to a degree but it’s far from conclusive and gets in the way of what looked to be an engagingly simple opportunity for self reflection on Stephen’s part. Rachel MacAdams has a far less thankless role than she had in the first movie though her character still exists largely as a vehicle to inspire Stephen to reflect on his choices rather than being a fully realised character in her own right.

America Chavez is a strong new addition to the franchise despite her fairly standard tragic backstory and patented lack of confidence in her own abilities. It won’t surprise anyone to learn that mastering her powers is tied to confidence in herself. Xochitl Gomez does really well in the role and has a great dynamic with Benedict Cumberbatch. America and Stephen’s relationship is very endearing and the character generally rises above her very specific narrative function.

The film excels in the execution of the various set pieces. Sam Raimi fully embraces the horror potential throughout in ways that heighten Wanda’s threat level by showing her to be a terrifying pursuer. It is still an MCU film with many of the expected visual traits but Sam Raimi definitely puts his stamp on this with some appropriately creepy camera work and intense sequences that build tension wonderfully. This allows for many creative sequences that make great use of the potential afforded by magic users casting visually dynamic spells. It numbers among the most violent and disturbing entries in the canon with some unexpectedly visceral moments that heighten the terror.

One criticism that can be lobbied against this is that it doesn’t fully embrace the Madness of the Multiverse. One excellent sequence showcases a journey through an array of visually stunning and inventive alternate realities but the bulk of the film is spent in a single alternate reality that is distinctive but far from everything the concept could possibly deliver. Those expecting cameos will get them but they are contained within a single sequence which prevents them from overpowering the film.

Despite not utilising the potential the title suggests the overall experience doesn’t suffer as what is actually delivered more than makes up for it. The narrative is simple and easy to follow, the pacing is excellent and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stands out as being one of the most visually creative outings the MCU has to offer. Allowing Sam Raimi some leeway to do what he does best counts in its favour and the utilisation of horror as a style compliments the narrative nicely. It’s dark but not inaccessibly so and pushes the MCU to the limits of its comfort zone without ever exceeding them. Some may find that notion disappointing but it compliments the universe while pushing it in an interesting direction.

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Verdict

A visually stunning and intense entry into the MCU with creatively creepy action that compliments the universe while pushing it in an interesting direction. The plot takes the form of a simple chase with Wanda doggedly pursuing Stephen Strange and America Chavez through the Multiverse. Elizabeth Olsen delivers an impressively intense antagonistic performance complimented wonderfully by Sam Raimi’s horror expertise. Wanda’s character arc is simple and flows logically though those unfamiliar with WandaVision may struggle with the reduced context. Stephen’s arc starts off simple but is overcomplicated as the film progresses but fortunately Christine’s role is less thankless even if she does exist as a development catalyst for Stephen. The film excels in the execution of the set pieces thanks to Sam Raimi being given leeway to do what he does best. It doesn’t fully embrace the Madness in the Multiverse but what is delivered is strong with some visually creative action sequences. It numbers among the most violent and disturbing entries in the canon with some unexpectedly visceral moments that heighten the terror. It’s dark but not inaccessibly so and pushes the MCU to the limits of its comfort zone without ever exceeding them. Some may find that notion disappointing but it compliments the universe while pushing it in an interesting direction.

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