Elizabeth Olsen delivers an outstanding performance, so much so, that the movie should have been called Scarlet Witch instead of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Read Pinkvilla’s review below.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Director: Sam Raimi
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Stars: 3.5/5
With Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield back as Spider-Men, Marvel fans had another reason to rejoice as beloved superhero/horror specialist Sam Raimi was tasked with the heavy lifting of a highly-anticipated MCU movie – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. With the easy access of reliable actors like Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen, who have perfected the art of playing their beloved complex characters – Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff – is Sam Raimi’s experimental vision of the multiverse is a welcome addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let’s find out!
With Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange’s misshaped spell beckoned the multiverse and all its quirks. Upon encountering America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a mysterious being with the ability to travel across dimensions, Strange and Wong (Benedict Wong), the Sorcerer Supreme, are tasked with protecting the young girl and her unimaginable power. With immense power, there’s always evil lurking… and we have Wanda Maximoff, who as seen in WandaVision, has now become Scarlet Witch under the Darkhold. As the two powerful beings traverse across the multiverse, old and new allies and enemies surface, including their different versions.
First off, you can automatically tell that Sam Raimi has taken complete onus when it comes to the storytelling aspect because this isn’t a typical MCU movie, but a Sam Raimi directorial through and through. Given his extraordinary vision when it comes to the horror genre, no one is a better choice than Raimi to direct MCU’s first horror heavy film. In terms of narrative, there is no breathing space for the characters or the audience as it’s intense action from the get-go. Given how the battle comprises sorcerers and witches, the thrill-seeking sequences rely heavily on CGI, which can get dreary pretty quickly. Case in point, the Kamar-Taj invasion invited a hellish, scary affair, but was let down by anti-climatic effects.
Similarly, the much-publicised horror aspects make way for some visually stunning sequences, but again, the CGI isn’t up to Marvel Studios’ superseded standards. You can clearly see many continuity glitches, and this is from a reviewer who hasn’t seen it in 3D. Given the multiverse angle opening so many experimental portals, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had the opportunity to be an aesthetic masterpiece, and in certain parts, it is (Won’t spoil the fun for you!), but not in totality. An extremely fun element, which fans would be hypnotised by tremendously is when the characters get to jump across dimensions in a no-holds-barred, anything can happen aspect. This is where the Sam Raimi magic interlaces beautifully.
