IS DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS A BIG FANTASY-ACTIONED MESS?

Despite brilliant visuals, engaging characters and a Marvel basis, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a flat mess. It’s too long and the story is uninteresting.

A major threat towards humanity that may be too powerful for Dr. Stephen Strange, Wanda Maximoff and Wong to handle after he casts a forbidden spell that opens a portal to the multiverse.

Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, Rachel McAdams
Writer: Michael Waldron
Release Date (Australia): 5 May 2022
Runtime: 126 minutes/2h 6m
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Country: USA
Language: English

PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action, frightening images and some language)

Sometimes alike but also usually unalike most of the Avengers superhero movies in the MCU, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a giant mess. It’s especially disappointing since its 2016 predecessor was surprisingly a blast; it featured a talented neurosurgeon who lost the ability to use his hands properly after a car crash, following towards some solid drama and his entertaining journey to becoming a superhero. The Multiverse of Madness understandably isn’t that, and shouldn’t just be a sequel that watches the first film before its new story, but its just too chaotic.

You would probably find the film a lot more enjoyable if you properly read and understood what it was actually about, because the trailer was just convoluted and the film is actually about Doctor Strange opening a portal to the multiverse that includes alternate versions of himself, other people and lifestyle. Even for a 2 hour movie, this film feels very rushed, overly pacy and it just ends up convoluted in the way the multiverse works and what happens. It’s definitely entertaining and really engages you, but you probably need to go and break down the story to understand it.

The action battle between Doctor Strange and the octopus-alien monster really gets you engaged, but all of the action is very loud and too rushed. It’s alike Marvel movies for using the same predictable basis Marvel creates for superheroes, meaning big fans of Marvel will probably really enjoy it. This movie mostly deserves points for its new characters and the whole idea of Doctor Strange entering the multiverse (of madness). The characters are executed well and wisely use the talents of a brilliant cast, but the concept is just too rushed and could use some times to stop and take a breath. It’s also worth noting that Sam Raimi uses lots of horror scenes and jump-scares throughout this movie, so it’s much scarier than other Marvel blockbusters.

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