Doctor Strange Into The Multiverse Of Madness promised more than just a movie but a crazy ride into all things magical and possible about the multiverse, which quickly becomes quite a tall order. With more than just a dedicated fan base going beyond what could be possible but giving standing to every far fetched fan theory with the argument “well in an infinite number of universes, it’s got to have happened somewhere” was always going to leave some fans disappointed and wondering whether a multiverse is too much…even for Marvel.
This marvel outing clocks in at a reasonable 2 hours and 6 minutes, being one of their more modest movies and not one having you strategically plan your bathroom breaks. That said, considering how much was expected and they needed to fit in, it definitely feels a lot longer than it’s desired runtime.
With some very important character developments rushed and unfleshed, you might be left with whiplash after motivations change in a measly few seconds and leaves a lot to be desired from some truly spectacular characters that quite honestly, just deserved better.
Overall Doctor Strange Into The Multiverse Of Madness most definitely has its faults but is the first that dares to try something new and deliver a quite literal out of this world experience, that might not be perfect, but offers what a glimpse at what could be possible given time and some smoothing of the edges.
What If….? This isn’t what we wanted
The multiverse of madness is a story that seemed to worry about it’s own potential, it felt reserved and in those reservations is where it seemed to stumble. With such vast universes and endless possibilities, narrowing the focus to 3 or 4 that never truly collided felt wasteful at best.
What if..? Is a prime example of everything Doctor Strange could have been, had it embraced all the weird and wacky antics that could take place across a multitude of universes. Given the darker and more sinister tone the movie adopted, it would have made the perfect departure from What if…? Which showcased all these colourful worlds. Doctor strange could have shown exactly what opening this Pandoras box of worlds brings with it
That said, director Sam Raimi should most definitely be commended for cementing his mark on the MCU and bringing a truly brooding and at times, genuinely scary entry into the franchise. There are some genuine jaw dropping moments for what this horror infused superhero movie brings and quite honestly just leaves us seeing all the potential projects such as blade could have if handled in the same tone, or here’s hoping, goes even further.
Doctor Who?
Despite being a prominent character in a number of recent marvel outings, it has been 6 whole years since our last Doctors Strange movie….and you might want to wait a little longer as this is a Doctor Strange movie in name only.
With what started as a promising look into how far someone “virtuous” might go to protect the greater good and what lines that warrants crossing gets completely side-lined for a less interesting story and one that feels like a retread for Wanda that will most certainly divide Marvel fans.
The approach towards The Scarlet Witch is one that will most definitely be remembered, for better or worse. As we truly begin to see the magnitude of Wanda’s powers and exactly who this Scarlet Witch has chosen to be.
However one thing that certainly won’t divide us and that we all wanted from the Multiverse was cameos…and we were not disappointed.
From some loveable and ones that will leave you grinning to those that leave your jaw on the ground and frantically finding the person closest to you, shaking them while screaming “WHAT DOES THIS MEAN???” There is no short supply here and leaves a bright and exciting future for some of the most anticipated upcoming features.
Verdict
Doctor Strange Into The Multiverse Of Madness most definitely takes you on a ride into the multiverse, a quite brief one and maybe one that we might not have considered, we don’t actually want to take.
Much like most recent Marvel outings, it leaves us with more questions then answers and although delivers some truly spectacular cameos and horror elements leaves us questioning, with so much still to explore in the universe we know, do we need more than one.
