*Plot spoilers in the 4th and 6th paragraphs
MOST likely a mere coincidence, but this past week marked the 20th anniversary of the first Spider-Man movie, a movie that perhaps more than any other lit the fuse of this modern era of superhero blockbusters. That trilogy of films, which concluded with 2006’s Spider-Man 3 – though there was an aborted attempt at a fourth outing – were directed by Sam Raimi, who returns to the genre with this latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Picking up from the aftermath of last December’s megahit Spider-Man: No Way Home (which Raimi had no involvement with), and in which Doctor Strange played a supporting role, Multiverse of Madness is a hectic, non-stop, multi-dimensional thrill ride that features plenty of the filmmaker’s stylistic flourishes going back to his days as a director of the cult horror Evil Dead movies.
Speaking of horror, this is the closest Marvel has come to that genre, as the movie has plenty of jumpscares and unsettling imagery that might give some people nightmares. Part of that is the movie might also be the most violent in the MCU. People are incinerated, heads are popped and other characters meet grisly (and spoilery ends).
Benedict Cumberbatch once again dons the cloak (totally not a cape) as Doctor Stephen Strange, New York’s mystical defender, who very quickly has to protect interdimensional traveller America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) who is being hunted by a supernatural threat that early on is revealed to be the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), who for most of the MCU has been a heroic Avenger. Her experience on the Disney+ show WandaVision ‘radicalised’ her and turned her to the dark side, so to speak.
If there’s a big criticism to be levelled at the Multiverse of Madness is that its relatively tight running time of 2 hours and 6 minutes (we are truly living in the age of bloated movies if that is considered short) is packed with action, special effects sequences and much anticipated cameos that character development, specifically with Strange and Wanda is pretty abbreviated and told in broad strokes.
Cumberbatch owns the role, growing into it following his experience in Infinity War and No Way Home. If you’ve seen the trailer you know that there are multiple versions of Strange, which lets the classically trained actor stretch his muscles. Olsen’s leap to supervillainy is a bit mixed. When she plays up the humanity of the character it’s a good performance, but when she goes over the top – which is not uncommon for a Raimi production – it can be a bit overcooked.
The dialogue is also a mixed bag, with some lines that are a bit too silly, but other lines are appropriately comic booky. It is a weird tonal balance these types of movies have to balance. The recent Batman movie also had a tone that worked for some more than others. Straddling the line between outright goofy and serious is no easy feat.
But if you’re looking for spectacle in Multiverse of Madness, there’s plenty of that. From fighting monsters in the streets of New York to exceedingly trippy journeys across dimensions to a brutal superhero beatdown unlike any seen in the MCU, there are a lot of setpieces. In fact, there are probably too many. Some of these blockbusters need to remember the value of some quiet moments in between the chaos.
All in all, it’s too early to say where this Doctor Strange sequel ranks among the other 20 or so Marvel movies, though its focus on spectacle detracts from character development. The similarly busy No Way Home had plenty of humanity, but it was also a much longer movie. Still, there’s nothing quite like the rush of watching a universe expanding MCU movie for the first time.
*** Full spoilers below ***
The unveiling and rapid dispatching of the much hyped Illuminati – which is an organisation that does exist in the comics – will likely be the subject of much of the fan discussion, as well as Charlize Theron’s appearance in the first post credits scene.
They exist to show the potential of the multiverse even though they’re taken out pretty quickly. After many years of anticipation John Krasinski finally shows up as Mr Fantastic, Hayley Atwell brings Captain Carter to live action, and Patrick Stewart’s Professor X appearing in a Disney movie helps set up anticipation for the return of the X-Men. Marvel movies exist to set up more Marvel movies, so in that sense, mission accomplished.
While the MCU loves to redeem its villains, as it did with Loki, Wanda aka the Scarlet Witch probably went a step too far, killing dozens at least in her quest to be with her children. But her quick turn at the end came a bit too quick. She’s about to be the most powerful being in existence, when an encounter with her children makes her realise her wrongdoings, so she decides to bury herself. That’s not really a satisfying conclusion.
On the other hand, the musical Strange vs Strange fight was inventive and great. That’s actually something new and different. Also the reveal of zombie Strange in the trailer led many to expect that to be a villain, but him being possessed by Benny Cumberland was a ridiculously fun twist.
Also surprising were all of Raimi’s stylistic tics that he was able to port over to a mega budget movie. From the (tasteful) gore, to possible 4th wall breaking, to the horror tone of some scenes, it's all here. Not to mention his mascot Bruce Campbell mugging in a hilariously trolly final end credits sequence. – The Vibes, May 7, 2022
