Madness indeed. Multiverse not so much.
But I genuinely still loved it.
First off, it’s so refreshing to have such a director-driven MCU film. Not that it hasn’t happened, but Sam Raimi is just something else in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. A master at his craft. His fingerprint is in every frame and it distinguishes this film in so many ways from its counterparts. The “Raimi” cam is used to wondrous effect, as is his balancing of tone. My gosh can the man go from humor to horror in no time and it feels organic. The editing is sharp and the visuals are just incredible to look at. Some of my favorite cinematography from Marvel yet.
There’s a massive twist early on that got me, therefore the entire film that followed was a massive surprise. Very focused on a tight story, character growth, and darkness. Seriously, this one really goes all-in on PG-13 and “gore” like the MCU never has before. And I adored it. It was fresh, and visionary and kept everyone on the edge of their seats in my theater. I leaned over to my wife to remark how terrifying (but awesome) some of the imagery was. The creativity is just a sight to behold.
That being said, it doesn’t quite live up to the title. If you’ve seen the trailers you are probably expecting some big cameo surprises. There are some – but be careful with your expectations. After reading rumors for years and hearing about reshoots that cut 35+ minutes out of the film (not confirmed it was that much, but the reshoots happened) I dialed mine back. I’m glad, but also a little miffed because there were documented leaked set photos and due to the events of No Way Home, the marketing and the title – it’s not unfair to be expecting a little more. So I truly do get this complaint and can share in it as it’s my largest. They could’ve done more. If they were concerned with doing it for the sake of doing it, they didn’t land quite where they wanted.
As an extension to my point without spoiling it, I do appreciate that maybe the intention was to not lean into fan service too much. They still do, and there are some nice “surprises” (not really if you were in the rumor mill) that are cool to see confirmed. Unfortunately, they amount to nothing but teasing and shock value. That’s frustrating.
However, what’s unfortunate is that this will be the biggest takeaway from the film for a lot of people who were expecting something more due to past films. Again, I get it, but if that’s all you can focus on then you’ll miss an extremely well-crafted film that’s a wild ride from start to finish. No matter how unfortunate that this isn’t the wildest and most inventive multiverse film to come out in the past month.
I find the ending to be a bit abrupt when paired with the credits scene. I think they conflict in execution with one another. The ending as a standalone is perfectly Raimi. The second one is a hilarious reference point.
Just to note, WandaVision is an absolute necessity to watch this. And to an extent, What If…? as well. Both on Disney+.
Be warned it’s not for young kids and can be challenging to watch. There’s also a couple direct 2022isms that feel obviously forced into the picture which will divide some and cause controversy. Otherwise, the themes explored are worthwhile and powerful. When it focuses on the main characters it’s great, but unfortunately, it’s just not quite what was teased, and it’s a bit cheap when it tries to be that. In a way, that’s okay, as it’s still a darn great time at the cinema that makes up for it in every other conceivable way.
4.5 out of 5 stars
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