Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (NON-SPOILER Reveiw)

 

One of the most fascinating things about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that it continues to grow and push the boundaries of what we can expect not just from Marvel Studios movies - but the superhero genre and Hollywood cinema as a whole. As everyone slowly returns to a sense of normalcy while also learning to live with the pandemic, our side of the world finally gets the return of Marvel films released on the same week as the US! Being an international release we get it a few days early - and the very first MCU movie for 2022 is none other than the long awaited Doctor Strange sequel and next Phase 4 installment in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”!

Thanks to the folks at Marvel Philippines, Walt Disney Studios PH, and SM Cinema - my friends and I got to see this highly anticipated Marvel movie - which is directed by Evil Dead and Spider-Man films director Sam Raimi and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange/ Doctor Strange, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/ Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong as Wong, Xochiti Gomez as America Chavez, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo, and Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer. The film continues plot threads established by past  installments such as Doctor Strange (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), WandaVision (2021), What If…? (2021), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), so there’s a lot of backtracking and watching to do if you haven’t been keeping up to date with Marvel Studios projects and want to be up to speed with what’s going on in the MCU.

This is a NON-SPOILER review for the film, so I won’t go into detail on what happens (and the internet has a tons of leaks), so if you plan to see this with fresh eyes stop here. Otherwise continue on and see what I think of this 28th film in the MCU!

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Trailer 2

Picking up where the events of Doctor Strange, the Avengers movies, and WandaVision left off, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness sees the Master of the Mystic Arts receiving strange dreams where he is in another reality and encounters a girl named America Chavez - who has the ability to travel to different parts of the multiverse. After attending the wedding of his ex-flame Christine Palmer and dealing with a mystical threat, Strange visits Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch seeking answers about the multiverse. What happens next is a journey that will test not only the former Sorcerer Supreme, but all of reality as we know it.

So without going into all the details - Multiverse of Madness is GREAT! It’s absolutely the kind of superhero horror movie flick you’d expect from a man who is an expert in the field such as Sam Raimi - who gave us the Spider-Man Trilogy, the Evil Dead and Army of Darkness films, and Darkman among many other classic hits. His influence in this Doctor Strange sequel is pretty direct and obvious, and as Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige said - this is pretty much the MCU’s first true presentation and dive into horror movie territory… AND IT WORKS with all the mystical properties and multiverse shenanigans this sequel gives and brings to life!

As for characters, Stephen Strange once again dives headfirst into a world he thinks he has mastered but has more surprises in store for him. Alternate versions of his character also take the spotlight here, and we get to learn how vast and different the multiverse is as choices and paths are played out similarly yet in very different ways. Wanda Maximoff also returns and continues her journey as the Scarlet Witch, and if the ending of WandaVision showed us anything, it’s that we’re not going to see a repeat of her previous adventures and mistakes. This is pure character evolution and taking these fan favorite Marvel characters to different points in their lives - and you’ll just have to see what happens for yourselves when watching this in the big screen.

Among all the MCU movies I’ve seen since the first Iron Man film to Spider-Man: No Way Home, Multiverse of Madness is the BIGGEST STEP to new experiences and pathways the MCU will bring for Phase 4 and beyond. I’m excited for the possibilities, and if you know your Marvel Comics and seen TV spots hinting at appearances of a certain group of people, you know what I’m talking about. This is an absolute MUST WATCH, and I rate it high coming from the director of the first Spider-Man movie that came out 20 years ago this week!

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is NOW SHOWING. Catch it in cinemas!

Rating - 5/5