“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (2022) Review
A Review by Victor DeBonis
If you were to ask me who are some of my favorite directors of all time, it would take a while for me to answer. I’ve talked before about Martin Scorsese (who would probably be at the top) and Tim Burton, but there is one filmmaker who I heavily respect that I always feel great joy when discussing as well. That would be Sam Raimi who would, at least, be in the Top 5, if not, the Top 10 for me. For most of his movies, he provides a creativity with the camera that makes it truly feel alive in a way that is hard for other filmmakers to duplicate. He knows how to keep his audience on their toes, and he brings passion in spades through his best works, regardless of what the genre of the film may be.
He does amazing with horror as shown with “Drag Me to Hell” and, of course, his “Evil Dead” trilogy that I absolutely love. In his 1996 movie “The Quick and the Dead” he turned what could’ve been a standard Western movie into a delightfully cartoonish and exhilarating revenge thriller filled with character and impressive tension.
And, to this day, I still look back to my experiences of seeing his first two “Spider Man” movies in the theaters as essential moments that helped develop my growing love for movies. I still remember seeing what I did on the big screen and just being blown away by how much passion and creativity came from his filmmaking. I also appreciated how much he made me care about the mythology surrounding the superhero and opening my mind to why superheroes, as well as heroes, in general, are so essential in our culture and lives. Before “Into the Spiderverse” came along, “Spider Man 2” was probably a contender for my favorite superhero film of all time, and I will always hold Raimi in high regards for that alone.
I could probably write a whole essay talking about his influence on me as a film writer and lover of movies, but I think that what matters is that he is someone who knows how to create something with a fun, powerful voice that you instantly recognize as his. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I read that Raimi would direct the sequel to “Doctor Strange.” I viewed the original movie as a decent enough effort. It had a good performance from Benedict Cumberbatch (even if his American accent still needed some work) and amazing visuals, but the story didn’t feel that different from other superhero origin narratives, and I could pinpoint much of what was going to happen in that flick from a mile away.
With Raimi directing “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” I can honestly say that it was a good time, and the movie definitely benefited from having someone in the main chair who understand how relatable characters and a new approach in style can provide additional life to a story from a familiar, cinematic universe. When the movie hits the familiar beats of a typical MCU title (ie: snappy comebacks to a serious situation, references to a familiar hero from another movie, etc) it’s a fine enough movie. However, when more scenes eventually happen that show Raimi’s fingerprints and allow the director to do as he chooses with the material, the film becomes a total blast.
Specifically, there are scenes in the movie, particularly in the first third of the movie, that feel more guided by studio notes than anything else. Here’s this line being said by this character to remind you of who he or she knew that said that line from before. Here’s this cameo that happens that is neat but also comes across as trying too hard to deliver fan service instead of working itself into the story well or being more subtle about it. To be fair, many of the cameos work rather well (especially one that was very clever and will make fans of this director’s past work appreciate it even more), but there are a few that I would be lying if I said that I didn’t roll my eyes at a bit. The action in the first act is decent but also doesn’t feel that different from other MCU titles in how it’s shot.
Yet, as said before, once the conflict with the Scarlet Witch gets rolling further into gear and Raimi gets a chance to tell more of the story with his style, “Doctor Strange 2” really kicks into high gear. It follows a similar pattern to Raimi’s 1990 criminally underappreciated film, “Darkman” in that it is still a superhero film but leans more into becoming a horror film with a decent amount of superhero moments planted along with it. The uneasy moments of dead silence, the bizarre and off-putting angles of the shots, the rapidly moving camera that seems to have a monstrous life of its own have been present in all of Raimi’s past horror films, and they come to haunting life here, and it’s awesome. In this movie, the antagonist has demon-like powers that show themselves in creepy ways, and it’s gripping to watch Strange see how he can anticipate the next move or determine what way to handle his foe who comes up with new ways of jolting the audience and other characters with her vicious abilities. It’s also worth noting that this film goes hard with its PG-13 rating and delivers some surprising gore and deaths with its characters. An impressive level of aggressiveness was shown here that I hadn’t seen in many MCU films, and I was happy to see the guts that Raimi demonstrated here.
What also helps heighten the horrific and often surreal nature of this movie is the music of Danny Elfman. Hearing his music again was like re-visiting an old friend. Elfman knows how to use those strings to show the raw emotion that a character is dealing with but also illustrate the horrors of them dealing with their darkest fears or worries in such a tragic way. Those chilling voices from the choir and ominous strings in the background elevated the uneasy atmosphere in a way that reminded me again why this composer has always one of my favorites. Speaking of which, the atmosphere of this movie, in general, is unapologetically trippy and off-putting. Several designs of the universes in this movie come across as something that one would see from a dream or an eerie nightmare, and they shine with creativity and a unique feel to what Strange and company is going through on their journey. The action also gets more creative and uses the dimensional abilities and what can be done with them to great effect.
In terms of performances, Cumberbatch is once again good in the titular role. His accent has definitely improved since his first film as this character, and he maintains the mysterious presence and voice that is commanding but calm. His moments of reflection and pondering about what his next move is are carried with clear humanity. They perfectly illustrate that, for someone who has the ability to travel from one dimension to another, he doesn’t have all of the answers, thus making him more identifiable. Elizabeth Olson is also great as Wanda/the Scarlet Witch, and she displays a deadly and vicious presence that is disguised behind a clearly aching heart from what she has lost. She superbly handles both her aggressive scenes and the moments in which she is trying (and failing) to hide how wounded she has been from previous events, and seeing both her and Cumberbatch try to grapple with their present and the hurt from what led them to their current points also helped me find myself further invested with this movie, in general.
One of the elements that I’ve always loved about several of Raimi’s movies is that he always knows how to make the audience understand what drives a character to do what he or she does and what makes that character as vulnerable and human as they are. As obvious as that might sound, it is easy to forget how many films can have a character move from one point to the other to another and, eventually, lose sight of what made the audience care so much about him to start out with. Examples include the director focusing on a shot of Tobey Maguire trying to come to grips with himself and his doubts and demons in the “Spider Man” movies or showing the characters in “The Quick and the Dead” take time to talk to one another and express what their personality is without saying a word in certain scenes. Raimi has always known how to help moviegoers recognize and find interest with why characters do what they do in his stories and give them an understanding of why they should care about them.
The director accomplishes that, too, with the characters of Strange, Wanda, and newcomer America Chavez as played by Xochitl Gomez. These main characters are given moments that, while not incredibly deep, perfectly echo the hurt that lies within them that partly motivates them to try to move forward in their actions. There is a prominent theme within “Doctor Strange 2” about trying to overcome hurt from one’s past and find happiness in the present reality. This film illustrated this idea in a way that resonated with me in a meaningful manner, especially as I have been working on trying to find understanding and make the best of my present day and recover from the events of the past couple of years as of recent.
I think that many of us have, at one point in time, experienced either an event or several events from our own pasts that we wish that we could reverse or try to change in a way that would help things be better in our present reality. While things certainly feel better in regards to the pandemic at the time of this review, I think that it goes without saying that many of us wish that none of us had to lose a loved one or had to undergo the devastating events and changes that led us to where we are, now, even if things are better in some aspects than they were a couple of years ago. There’s no automatic, easy-to-find answer to finding a better sense of joy after traumatic events from some time ago, and I appreciate this film for having the guts to depict that through its characters and what they go through.
If I did have any other qualms with the movie, I would say that, for a movie with Dr. Strange’s name in the title, it focuses a little more on Wanda’s inner conflict instead of the titular hero’s. Strange’s inner struggle is illustrated well to be sure, but there needed to be a better balance between showing his and Wanda’s. Also, while Xochitl Gomez effectively plays America with razor-sharp intelligence and compassion and has a backstory that made me feel as strongly for her as I did for Strange and Wanda, I feel that the script could’ve made her a more active character in the movie beyond being the one that Cumberbatch has to protect a bunch. The “protect someone from being harmed at all costs” trope is something that I always found myself rolling my eyes at, in general, from movies to especially video games. The movie does show more of its purpose for the character as it progresses forward, but it also could’ve provided more for Gomez’s character to do in order to bring the writing surrounding her to another level.
All in all, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is an enjoyable and entertaining ride that has solid emotional moments and shows that Raimi still knows how to keep his audience engaged and thrilled throughout the running time. The writing isn’t always incredibly tight in places, and I would be lying if I said that a part of me wasn’t imagining if a great MCU movie could have emerged by Disney allowing Raimi to make this movie however he wanted to all the way without holding anything back. Yet, by now, I feel that most are familiar enough with Disney to know that it is rare as gold for them to hand complete control over to their filmmakers all the way. And, for what this movie is, I enjoyed seeing it through and through. I appreciated seeing a straight-up MCU horror movie for the first time, and I’m sure that other horror fans from the MCU fanbase will be rather pleased with this entry, especially if they enjoy this director’s previous entries from the genre. Plus, the actors do well in bringing the human connection to the movie, the music from Elfman is great, and the action scenes display a solid amount of creativity as the film progresses. I hope that more unique visionaries, such as Raimi, are allowed to do more stories from this universe (No pun intended.) in the future because I admired the thrills and unique voice that rang at the center of this tale.
Grade: B+