Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is the latest movie from Marvel Studios that deals with the events after the Infinity War saga. In his latest adventure Doctor Strange must employ the help of Wanda Maximoff due to the arrival of a new character named America Chavez, who can open portals to multiple dimensions. Now while it seems like a good idea to join forces with Wanda, we soon learn that this team-up is one that can permanently affect the Marvel universe.
While the premise of the movie did give the audience a lot to look forward to it felt that the premise was also the downfall of this movie. I will not say that this movie was bad but there are parts of it that felt rushed or out of place. Sam Rami did deliver a great horror movie for the Marvel Universe and I hope this leads the way to experiment more with the darker side of Marvel (Blade, comes to mind).
One of the issues I had in this movie was the portrayal of Wanda as the villain. Now while she plays a good villain, it seems that lately a lot of these superhero movies and shows want you to feel for the villain. They want you to emphasize with them and see that they really are not that bad. We understand why Wanda is doing what she is doing, but whereas most television shows want you to emphasize with the villain, it felt like this movie wanted you to hate her no matter what. I loved how Wanda gets to showcase her strength in this movie but wish we didn’t have to see her be one-dimensional in this movie.
Strange shows us again why he is the master of mystic arts and we also get to see a little more of what is going on inside his head. We see that Strange is not really as happy as he portrays himself to be and the story touches upon that. One of the characters that I was excited to see on the big screen was used as a plot device and we really did not get to see her character shine. I am talking about America Chavez played by Xochiti Gomez. This is such a great character in the comics but we really did not get to see that on the screen. If her character was not running away from something she was running away from someone. Hopefully, we will get to see more of America in future titles and get to dive more into her character.
Final Thoughts: From the title alone, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness promised a lot. The rumors and speculations were running rampant and due to this, it felt like it did not live up to the hype that it was given. While it was not filled with hundreds of cameos it did give us a better insight into the mind of Stephen Strange. The movie might have worked better as a series but it is still a decent piece in the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Kid-Friendly: This one really depends on your children. This movie is a Sam Rami movie and he keeps to his horror background. There are some jumpscares and some violent imagery during a particular fight scene. If your children have seen some of his early work they should be ok. Again, this is entirely on you and what you feel your children are comfortable with. My children are 9 and 12 and they had no issues with the scares.
Violence: The violence in Doctor Strange is a few notches higher than the normal Marvel Studios movies. We do see Strange and Wong fighting a one-eyed octopus-like thing, in the beginning, but it gets stranger from there. Once Wanda goes into full Scarlet Witch mode we are shown her full power in a key fight scene. Let’s just say that she does not play around and this scene might be too much for some viewers.
Film Synopsis
Journey into the unknown in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. When the MCU unlocks the Multiverse, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) must enlist help from old and new allies as he traverses mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities in order to confront a surprising adversary.
Bonus Features*
Featurettes
- Method to the Madness – Join various crew members and Marvel employees in interviews as they discuss their love of Sam Raimi and all the details of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that make it quintessentially Raimi.
- Introducing America Chavez – In this short and fun profile piece, we’ll learn about America’s humble beginnings in the comics. We’ll meet Xochitl Gomez and discuss the complications her character’s unique power presents for the future of the MCU.
- Constructing the Multiverse – Writing a feature film for Marvel is no easy task. In this playful yet informative featurette, we’ll dive into the challenges that writer Michael Waldron faced in creating the twisting and turning story of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Bloopers
- Gag Reel – Take a look at some of the fun outtakes on set with the cast and crew of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Deleted Scenes
- A Great Team – A journalist questions Doctor Strange’s integrity.
- Pizza Poppa – Bruce is relieved when Doctor Strange’s spell ends.
- It’s Not Permanent – Bruce tries to accuse Doctor Strange of being an imposter.
Audio Commentary
- View the film with audio commentary by Sam Raimi, Richie Palmer, and Michael Waldron.
*bonus features vary by product and retailer
Cast
Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Stephen Strange
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / The Scarlet Witch
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo
Benedict Wong as Wong
Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez
Rachel McAdams as Dr. Christine Palmer