Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness [2022]

The darkest MCU project so far, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness over delivers in some things, and totally misses the mark on others.

Two main way to talk about this movie while not spoiling it: A stand alone movie and an MCU movie.

As a stand alone movie, I love it. It’s dark and surprising while being full of twists and turns. I missed Sam Raimi‘s signature horror and I’m glad he’s back. Plus, the music and audio mixing was almost perfection. However, the movie has some clear issues with CGI quality. We know that the movie went thru extensive reshoots, and it shows. Some fight scenes look rushed thru post-production. Early in the movie, Strange and Wong were fighting an entity. Surprisingly, you can clearly see the difference in lighting and shadows between the CGI entity and the two actors. Disappointing to say the least.

As an MCU movie, I have concerns and issues with it. While it was promoted as a pivotal point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it technically didn’t do much besides introducing Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez. The movie actively ignored Wanda’s redeeming arc in WandaVision, and ended in a confusing way. Plus, it wasn’t until I researched the significance of the ending and credit scenes in relation to the comics until I understood what’s going on. Sadly, the majority of viewers won’t get it.

However, there was a lot of missed opportunities in favor of basic fan servicing. A main thing for me was the Illuminati and how they were represented. And no, this is not a spoiler, they were mentioned in the trailers. Sadly, this is becoming a staple of Marvel projects: Introduce a major entity from the comics just to rush its story in favor of something completely un-related.

Should you watch it?

Make sure to watch WandaVision first, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness might not be the pivotal movie it was promoted to be, but it’s definitely a good watch. The movie is totally worth it for Scarlet Witch and Wong alone. Plus, THOSE CAMEOS.

Where can I watch it?

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theater.