Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness Review: Multiverse is madness indeed

New Delhi: “Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness”, a sequel to the 2016 film “Doctor Strange”, sees the Master of the Mystic Arts return to face probably his greatest challenge since "Endgame" amid a whirlwind of chaos as he crosses into the multiverse, to encounter new threats.

The film marks the character's fifth appearance in the MCU ('Doctor Strange', 'Thor Ragnarok', 'Avengers: Infinity War', 'Avengers Endgame' and 'Spider Man: No Way Home').

Directed by Sam Raimi who had earlier directed the iconic Spider Man trilogy, this is a very different film from the first one and the whole vibe here is very different from almost any Marvel movie.

With increased importance in the character's role in MCU it is only fair that the Master of Mystic Arts will have greater characterization than before with more developments to his character.

Suffice it to say that it does, and it does it really very well with Sam Raimi hitting the nail on the head. Stephen Strange is plagued by his internal conflict of wanting a happy life with his love interest Christine Palmer but nonetheless choosing not to get in her life due to his own responsibilities as a Master Wizard, a superhero, his past regrets for botching up his love life and the fact that deep down he feels that a normal sort of happiness may not be in the cards for him.

More than 95% of Marvel content, movies and shows out there have a really predictable by the numbers formulaic plot and setting. And what makes 'Doctor Strange 2' special, is that it is a genuinely interesting and well thought out movie with some great character arcs, interesting plot points, a great atmosphere and multi dimensional tone instead of a single direction tone, though granted it does tend to fall victim to some of Marvel's biggest problems though it is uncertain whether it was the studio that was responsible for it or the director.

These included some needless moral messaging through forced diversity and playing social justice warrior by employing LGBTQ+ themes, though these devices were used in far more restrained way and did not fill the movie to the brim or become its defining crux as opposed to movies and serials like 'Captain Marvel', 'Black Panther', 'Falcon' and the 'Winter Soldier' or the upcoming 'Ms.Marvel' series.

Director Sam Raimi seems went into the movie with the singular intention of making it different from the rest of the MCU movies, which suffice it to say he did very well letting his horror sensibilities creep in.

The setting here is very horror inspired as we get a bit of 'Evil Dead' vibes though more in a darker and serious horror rather than the horror comedy of 'Evil Dead'. The horror is mixed well with Marvel's light-hearted kid-friendly humour and comic book plot points.

The plot is wacky, over the top yet simple and a great pleasure to watch. The concept of the multiverse since the time of 'No Way Home' is explored really well as the movie more than lives up to its title as the entire concept and jumping around through multiple universes and the chaos that results from it is really something.

The concept of the multiverse as show in the movie is definitely crazy, almost like madness itself resides there.

Furthermore, in a great turn the carnage that comes in this movie in PG-13 fashion is presented in such a way that inspite of the violence not being graphic, the horror infused elements make the whole sense of carnage far more real than some ultra graphic zombie apocalypse series.

As a further treat for all comic lovers, this movie is filled with some great fan service. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the role of multiple Doctor Stranges with differing personas and plays them really well with no elaboration required other than the fact that he is shown to portray men of responsibility and desperation, all having to make choices they do not want to make.

Strange's character is best defined in the movie through the exploration of his dynamics with the character of America Chavez as he fights to protect the girl all the while appearing more and more human in the process.

Xochitti Gomez plays the role of America Chavez, a girl who like her comic book counterpart is capable of interdimensional travel. In some ways, she forms the core of the movie as the entire plot revolves around her.

A girl with a great power, she is constantly attacked and her abilities are a danger which she cannot control. Furthermore, her aforementioned dynamic with Strange is something that is really imperative to the story.

It is interesting to note how this dynamic evolves from her being a desperate girl who turns to Strange for protection but does not trust him and he likewise has his problems, but later Strange gives his all to protect her as their relationship evolves into something more from just that of a protector and mission to bonding more on a personal level.

The best character in the film by far has to be Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff or the Scarlett Witch. Her performance is both awesome and legitimately terrifying as she has become a sort of embodiment of chaos itself. Without diving too deep into the story, suffice it to say that you do not want to be on the wrong side of this person.

For most of the time, she is just this one terrifying force that is nearly unstoppable and is proceeding with just one goal in mind. Her aura is strong, powerful, haunting and yet there is a strong emotional undercurrent to her whole motivation which for all her power makes her seem more human than most.

Then we have Benedict Wong as Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme who is by now less Strange's mentor and far more his friend. The relationship between the two master sorcerers has evolved even more than last time as the two stand more as equals in terms of both power and status with Wong being Strange's superior only through his title.

Wong's performance is both funny and yet he can play the role of the wisest man in the room very well who possesses very strong powers, but more than power it is the man's knowledge that defines Wong's character.

Rachel Mc Adams returns to play Christine Palmer, a surgeon and Doctor Strange's ex girlfriend and love interest. Mc Adams plays different versions of herself in different universes a critical role in Strange's life as their relationship forms a very interesting pattern.

Strange's love for his ex is an important point for his character as the regret in him for leaving her is ever present. Mc Adams role as her alternate self from another universe is a very critical one here. There are few complaints here though one is the length, though a good length there were some parts that were unnecessary and just kept the film dragging.

In spite of being more comic bookish, there were some parts that had more than the required does of cheese which while more of a nitpick it can't help but be noticed.

As far as the production goes little needs to be said in a Marvel movie for the worst ones are extremely smooth and refined with great lighting. Sometime it is far too overdone and takes the real life away from the comic book, though good for all it is more restrained here.

Same goes for the VFX, while the giant eyed octopus demon may seem very cartoony the choice is clearly deliberate though the real marvel of the VFX comes when all the mystical and multiverse crossing scenes occur when reality itself starts splitting apart, there it is easy to get lost.

Danny Elfman's score is also a treat here because while most Marvel movies carry a score that is more passable as background music, the score manages to stick and even merges with the atmosphere so well that the intended tone for the movie is further enhanced and the overall product just made better.

Though in the end what really deserves praise is Sam Raimi's direction, taking a bit of a risk Raimi decided to use his artistic license in a far more liberal fashion by being bold and taking risks.

To be explained in a summary, “Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness” is a bold Marvel film, focused more on storytelling and character development instead of playing social justice warrior. It is heavily horror infused with some legit terrifying moments but does not fully abandon the tropes of a standard Marvel film and ultimately knowns what to do.

Overall, “Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness” is a great movie which every comic book fan and even a non superhero person ought to watch just for a good time as it is one of Marvel's finest efforts and one of the best stories in the MCU. (UNI)
(Rating : 8.5/10 By Anand Venkitachalam)