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!

Movie Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

If the tagline "The Impossibilities Are Endless" didn't clue you in on what is fact for most fans already, Marvel Studios is literally full of wonderful expectations and ideas that are drawn from the magical well that is comic books and turned in blockbuster material that continues to enchant audiences worldwide. Starting with 2008's "Iron Man" and bringing unique individuals with powers together in "The Avengers", the world of superheroes and film has certainly grown exponentially over the last eight years, and it's a ride that sees no end in sight just yet. In fact 2016 marked the beginning of "Phase Three" of the ever growing Marvel Cinematic Universe, and last April/ May started things with a bang by pitting Earth's Mightiest Heroes against one another in"Captain America: Civil War". That sequel pitting "brother against brother" in story laced with action and political intrigues opened the floodgates for more ambitious things to happen in the MCU, and that time has come with the arrival of a well known Marvel character who hasn't had his time to shine in live-action... Until now.

Finally ready to draw from the mystic well and show himself in cinematic form, Doctor Strange has emerged and joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper! Here's my review for the film, and special thanks goes to Walt Disney Studios PH and Marvel PH for the IMAX 3D Premiere last October 24th! Possible SPOILERS below, so read with caution!