The enormous success of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ made it clear that the public’s interest in Marvel movies was still high. It is not going to be easy for ‘Doctor Strange in the multiverse of madness’ to match what was achieved by the adventure starring Tom Hollandbut this return of sam raimi to the superhero cinema promises to be one of the great cinematic bombshells of this 2022.
Time will tell to what extent this sequel to one of the best in the MCU to date will work well at the box office, but what I can tell you is to what extent it is worth it, since I have already had the opportunity to see it in full. For me I have quite enjoyed it, but it has left me with a certain bittersweet taste because it had weapons to be one of the best films of the studio and when it comes to truth it even falls short of ‘Doctor Strange’.
very dynamic
Marvel has been putting a lot of trust in two factors. The first is the fact that all his films are part of a larger universe, so basically we have to see them all, even those that a priori make us feel a bit lazy, to follow the story that unites them. The second is the different surprises that each adventure includes or simply those that are included in the post-credit scenes.
This has led to crossovers being much more popular than solo adventures, perhaps for this reason it is becoming more and more common for individual franchises to have appearances by other vital characters within this universe. Here is the Wanda (elizabeth olsen) which makes an appearance, which makes ‘Doctor Strange in the multiverse of madness’ a sequel to ‘Scarlet Witch and Vision’.
This factor is vital in the script of michael waldronwho had already played with the idea of the multiverse in ‘Loki’, which only needs a few minutes to put all the cards on the table regarding the threat that the character played by benedict cumberbatch. That is one of the main virtues of the film, since it is committed at all times to building a dynamic adventure in which it always offers something to keep the viewer entertained, and also avoids falling into unnecessary repetitions.
Handbrake magic
Eye, that does not mean that the film also does some concession in relation to giving certain moments designed for the delight of the fans. In fact, there are about 10 minutes of footage midway through the show that give the feeling of being included more so that some viewers say how cool everything that happens there is than because it has a really important dramatic weight in the story that it is telling us. And it is true that in isolation it is all very striking and everything indicates that it will be the most talked about feature, one thing does not take away the other.
That said, what most marks ‘Doctor Strange in the multiverse of madness’ is that it is a Marvel movie that never forgets it. Do not expect anything miraculous from the fact that sam raimi has stated that he has been able to apply here what he learned in the horror works he did during his youth. Yes, there is something of that, especially in its final stretch, and it has more room than you might expect to give us moments with visual strength, but always limited to what this universe can give of itself without breaking. Come on, don’t expect to see him unleashed, but there was some truth to the fact that he had total creative freedom within the strict margins of Marvel.
That is something that applies to the film at all levels. It’s visually powerful and has some very thought-provoking ideas – there’s a music-centric fight that ranks among the best action scenes Marvel has given us so far – but ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ‘ always drives with the handbrake on.
leaves you half
That is where there is the feeling that the film leaves you halfway. Being able to play with countless universes, having a director with personality behind the scenes, with the promise of being the studio’s first horror film and proposing a story with a hook, what remains should be more than a good Marvel movie.
Yes, it can be said that the action scenes are clearer and more convincing than usual, also that there is a greater commitment to intensity, limiting the presence of humor more than usual – but it is still there, although Raimi reserves the best for the end- and playing the appropriate keys so that its most exciting component is highlighted by the most human facet of the story. And yet, everything seems too measured when it was a film that needed more doses of lack of control to reflect in all its splendor both the existing threat and the variety within the multiverse.
This is perceived, for example, in the fact that we see different versions of various characters. There everything ends up being too similar instead of reflecting that multiverse of madness that the title proposes. Within that limitation, he does know how to move briskly, successfully exploring, although you don’t expect much depth either, the motivations of the characters and creating a dilemma with which the public can connect.
In short
‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ is a good Marvel movie, surely one could even say that it is quite good, but it has the problem that it does not even remotely take advantage of everything it proposes. Watching it you can enjoy a lot, and it even leaves some scene for the memory, but in the end it is clear to you that this material was for much more.