Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)
I saw the first Spider-Man on May 3rd, 2002, the day before my birthday. 20 years ago, I even said, well I’m not the biggest comic book movie fan in the world but let’s see what my favorite director can do with this franchise. Little did I know that two decades later, we would be inundated with Marvel content, for better or worse. Suffice to say, I was thoroughly entertained by the first installment and its sequel might be my favorite comic book film of all time. It’s a little surreal to be writing something about another Raimi Marvel film pretty much 20 years to the day. Usually I just ramble into a microphone with new reviews lately but I thought, why not sit down with my morning coffee and try to piece together some thoughts on the latest Marvel offering?
Not to bury the lead but the 2nd installment in the Doctor Strange franchise is nowhere as exciting as the 2nd installment in Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. The Raimi who directed those films definitely offers us a handful of sequences that feel like they could have been ripped out of the pages of a comic. But it is more of a Sam Raimi comic this time around. Honestly, I sometimes wonder what his career would’ve been like if Darkman became a huge blockbuster. The possibilities were endless with that character which is probably why it spawned straight-to-video sequels. That film was a calling card of sorts - Raimi can do action in a comic book-esque setting with ease and precision. Most of all, it still adopted his absurd sense of humor and kinetic camerawork throughout.
Thankfully, I think the balancing act of trying to make this accessible for general audiences and appealing to the die-hard Marvel fans is mostly a success but I’m also coming at this with some bias. As someone who hasn’t seen all the Disney+ shows or retains anything from the previous Marvel films, this installment can kind of stand on its own. Whether it’s entirely a success on a narrative or emotional level is something else. As delightfully weird as certain elements get, there’s no denying it’s a bit messy and confused at times.
This story begins with a dream or is it a dream? Right during a wedding reception, Doctor Strange manages to save a teenager, America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), from the tentacles of a one-eyed beast on the city streets. (Just for fun, pay close attention to when Strange first confronts this creature and keep an eye out for a man running with a briefcase). It soon becomes clear that this teen has the rare power to open portals and travel through the multiverse, an infinite series of alternate realities. Like a lot of aspiring heroes, she also has trouble knowing how to control her power. An unlikely enemy emerges in the form of Wanda/Scarlett Witch who has a devious plan of her own and begins to confront both America and Strange.
America’s abilities are desired by dark forces who are hunting her down, in conjunction with two powerful mystical artifacts that serve as a foil for each other’s power: the Book of Vishanti and the Dark Hold (which could’ve just been called The Book of the Dead). The latter is a seductive form of evil, allowing its users to manipulate different universes and threatening to collapse their realities altogether. Soon, a universe-wide chase ensues, with Doctor Strange consistently on the back foot as he learns how little he knows about his “other” selves that populate – and sometimes screw up – the world. With the assistance of his former sidekick Wong (Benedict Wong), who’s now the Sorcerer Supreme, our Doctor Strange does manage to maintain Wanda at bay briefly, leaping with America into who-knows-where.
There’s a moment when I really perked up - thinking more about the possibilities Raimi and his team can bring to the table. Having been a fan of both Everything Everywhere All At Once and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, a sequence in which America and Strange stumble into various versions of themselves left me giddy. However, they sort of settle into one universe and only one. But it is not without some surprises especially when we are privy to an assemblage of other characters in which the person sitting next to me was damn-near applauding about. For someone that doesn't really care about alternate comic book character incarnations, there is however a moment of pure joy involving a certain hot dog vendor that of course Raimi had to put in here or people like me would’ve been pissed.
You almost want more weirdness than what is served up here especially at the midway point. Perhaps more journeys into other universes with changes and variations to the point of even throwing Doctor Strange and America into a cabin in the woods in Michigan. I realize that’s wishful thinking because Marvel, inc. has its own plan to tie other storylines they’ve established together, perhaps to a fault. The only Marvel series I have seen the whole way through was Wandavision and I’m glad Elizabeth Olson gets a lot to do here even if the storyline itself is a tad bit predictable in the end. There’s no denying that more could’ve been done with this script but that’s not to take away from Raimi’s skill as a director coming through at certain moments. As a fan of this filmmaker, I’ll admit I’d rather him scale back and not do a film like this, but I’m also happy he’s bringing his own brand of stylistic flourish to rather ordinary proceedings.
When they are trapped in a room at one point and various reflections and puddles become the enemy, the camera swiftly tilts and pushes in that of course reminds you of the crew in Evil Dead 2 being similarly trapped. Not to go into spoiler territory, but even the final act made me laugh out loud because well, if you’re a fan of Sam Raimi, how can you not smile at a decision made by Strange late in the game involving dream-walking? That kind of lunacy is what I would’ve loved to have seen more of but I also shouldn’t expect that - this is a Marvel comic book movie after all - there are conventions and requirements to satisfy a particular set of fans. The film makes an effort at evoking genuine chaos, bouncing between the enjoyably weird and the outright hokey on numerous occasions. It veers into a lot of different tones that might feel off-putting to some but I admit, I enjoyed experiencing this film unfold on a playful visual level even if I didn’t always care about what was going on.
On a recent podcast episode, I admitted that sometimes when some elements are strong (score, cinematography, production design), I can often focus on those elements to where some weaker choices (script, characters, acting) are easy for me to forgive or overlook. I know films are mainly about how the elements all come together and cohere to tell a satisfying story. I don’t always need to be as satiated by the main course when certain side dishes are ultimately delicious. The relationship between Christine and Strange is meant to serve as a focal point for a relatable investment (unrealized love & regret) but in both films, it is never fully realized or likely to conjure tears. I care more for the dynamics between Peter and Mary Jane than any moment between Christine and Strange (also a shame to mainly waste the talents of Rachel McAdams as well but even Cumberbatch is just kinda… there).
There’s a simple formula to these movies that always comes down to a fight between good and evil and we know the ultimate outcome. As dark and haunting as the ending of Avengers: Infinity War is, of course it will be resolved or reversed in the follow-up. I think that’s why I rarely feel moved when watching these movies and basically go in hoping I’m entertained and distracted for a couple hours. Color me surprised by the pleasures of Spider-Man: No Way Home most recently, possibly because, once again, we are treated to some unexpected comedy and odd behavior courtesy of a multitude of Spider-men. Whereas I truly feel Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness isn’t particularly a strong film or even one of the better Marvel comic book movies, the fact that Sam Raimi is behind the camera is enough for me to recommend it for the sporadic pleasures contained within.
Do I want him to go back to making more films like A Simple Plan or Drag Me To Hell as opposed to these epic superhero entries? Absolutely 100%. I felt that way going all the way back to movies with subpar scripts that he’s made like Oz The Great & Powerful or For The Love Of The Game. They are not great movies but Raimi still manages to elevate them with certain moments that remind me that one of my favorite directors is making interesting choices. That happened several times here with his Doctor Strange sequel contributions. That said, it is uneven, sometimes oddly paced, and a major central performance is pretty subpar. There are a lot of criticisms but let’s focus on the positive end result. It certainly didn’t reach the heights of the hospital sequence in Spider-Man 2 but I managed to be entertained and distracted for two hours and sometimes that’s all it takes. Well and a fun cameo or two as well.
