DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS -- An Insane, Shocking, and Magical Marvel Movie

Review by Camden Ferrell

After the events of the MCU’s Phase 4, everyone is eager to know what wonders and secrets await in the multiverse. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness follows everyone’s favorite sorcerer on his next adventure. This movie comes from legendary director Sam Raimi and features many new and familiar faces. This movie is an absolute blast from start to finish, and it’s full of shocking surprises and revelations that you will not want to miss in theaters.
 
This main universe has seen a lot of calamities in recent years, but it is nothing compared to what the multiverse holds. Doctor Strange, Wong, Wanda, and newcomer America Chavez must explore the many secrets within the multiverse as they face off against sinister forces. Without giving away too much, the premise of this movie is full of mystery and intrigue which will keep viewers guessing and on the edge of their seat.
 
The movie still retains some of the MCU’s signature humor and style of dialogue, but it’s still very entertaining. From a writing standpoint, this movie does a great job of delivering a lot of exposition in meaningful and entertaining ways that does not slow down the overall pace. There is also a decent amount of dramatic and intense scenes that are written very well and help establish the personalities and changes of its characters.
 
Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as Doctor Strange. He is joined by Benedict Wong and Elizabeth Olsen as Wong and Wanda respectively. The biggest addition to the cast is Xochitl Gomez who plays America Chavez. Cumberbatch is charismatic and entertaining as always, and Olsen follows up her brilliant performance in Wandavision with another memorable performance that stands out as one of the MCU’s best. America Chavez is one of the coolest characters in Marvel’s canon, and Gomez brilliantly brings her to life in an astounding debut performance that establishes her as a talent to keep an eye on.

One of the most noticeable things about this movie is how unique it feels from a stylistic standpoint. Raimi’s influence is seen in the entire final product, and he gives the film so much personality in the way he executes scenes and creatively uses his camera to tell a story. He also embraces the horror elements of the story, and he creates some genuinely frightening moments. Along with Eternals, this movie feels like one of the most radically different movies in the MCU so far, and it is a great change of pace for the franchise.
 
If the movie can be faulted for anything, it’s that its CGI early on feels particularly weak. There is one specific scene that is the biggest offender. However, aside from these early moments, the CGI is great and contribute significantly to some of the movie’s biggest moments. For audiences who may not have seen every MCU project, the movie is fairly reliant on the context from Wandavision, so being caught up on that part of the MCU would be beneficial.
 
Despite what audiences may think they know about this, the movie is still packed with surprises that are some of the biggest shocks that the MCU has ever delivered. This is a movie that has everything one can expect from a Doctor Strange movie. It’s full of great action, cool spells, and it has a strong emotional core that gives the story life. I really enjoyed seeing the movie embrace the creativity of the mystic arts now that Doctor Strange is no longer a magical novice. Marvel fans are going to love how these characters grow and take on these new threats in unprecedented times.
 
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stands out as one of the best Marvel movies ever. Its story is shocking, entertaining, and full of color and personality. The MCU has rarely felt this fresh and original, and it’s clear that this is due to the creative direction and vision of Raimi. There are great performances from everyone, and America Chavez is a fantastic addition to the MCU that audiences are going to love everywhere. This is a movie you are not going to want to miss when it hits theaters.
 
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is in theaters May 6.
 
Rating: 4.5/5