Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Mini-Review)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the latest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Stephen Strange crosses paths with America Chavez who is being hunted because she has the power to travel the multiverse with ease. The only problem is that she can't consciously control her power. Stephen ends up seeking Wanda Maximoff's help only to discover that she has been corrupted by the power of the Darkhold. With his former ally now an enemy, Stephen must go on a journey through the multiverse to save America. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was released in 2022. It was directed by Sam Raimi. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

This movie really feels like a Sam Raimi film. I admit I wasn't expecting so much of an Evil Dead feeling from it. Now this MCU film isn't a direct comparison to Evil Dead but there are pivotal scenes that draw inspiration from that series. Including a post-credits scene that fans will notice as a nod to the Evil Dead franchise. Though if you're not familiar with the series, the post-credits scene may feel like a waste of time.

My favorite Disney+ Marvel series so far is WandaVision. The series is an excellent look at what grief can do to a person. After Wanda decides to get Vision's corpse she finds out that S.W.O.R.D. has been working on reprogramming the Avenger. This was able to be done as he's a robot and not technically a human. In utter pain Wanda goes to the little town of Westview and takes full control of it. Yep, that includes the citizens. By the end of the first season Wanda realizes that what she had done is wrong and frees the citizens. So it's a little jarring to see her throw that character development out the window to become the villain for this film. Though there is justification as she was using the Darkhold during the post-credits of WandaVision and that cursed tome corrupts people.

This movie is one of the bloodier MCU films. I was surprised at how much gore was allowed. The absolute highlight was when Strange and America were trapped by the Illuminati so that the group could judge the sorcerer. Wanda figures out where Strange is and massacres all those that stand in her way. Now while bloody and downright disturbing, Raimi's gore fest is very restrained. Such as at one moment in the scene Wanda cuts a character in half but you never see the actual act. You see the expression on the character's face and their weapon covered with blood. But you never see the entire character's body during or after the killing blow.

This movie seems like a good way to introduce someone into the horror genre. It has a lot of really disturbing moments that are just...wow. But it's also a superhero film and so has to hold back from being a pure horror film. So it's dark enough to not feel like a kid's movie but not so terrifying that it'll scare off newcomers from the horror genre.

I would recommend Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to fans of the MCU. I would also highly recommend Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to fans of Sam Raimi.