••• The International Writers Magazine - 23 Years on-line - Film Review

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Director: Sam Raimi Cast: Xochitl Gomez, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams • Sam North review

OK my excuse is that it was raining, what’s yours?

Dr Strange 2 is a spectacular vacuum with some iffy acting and a nonsensical script that would almost make Dr Who seem intelligible.  Benedict Cumberbatch has fun and happily takes the mickey out of himself (especially when playing a zombie) but on reflection what a pity it is they didn’t stay a little longer in the multiverse made of paint or even the animated one. Of all the 72 multiverses they had to play in they couldn’t find a better story other than a mother missing her kids (who don’t actually exist in her universe)?  Newcomer Xochitl Gomez plays America Chavez who seems to belong to no universe and Dr Strange is tasked with saving her from Wanda Maximoff (the evil Scarlet Witch who wants America Chavez' powers to traverse the multiverse).  Yeah, I told you it was complicated. The second string story about Dr Strange's endless inability to commit to Christine (Rachel McAdams) in any universe seems a tad meta but hey-ho maybe it makes our wizard more human.

The curious thing about Marvel movies is that they all come down to people knocking the hell out of each other and not really debating the merits of the multi-dimensional possibilities.  As I remarked, we could have spent two hours watching paint dry in one of the universes.  You could save your money and do this at home.

That said I can’t wait to see Everything-Everywhere when it comes out that promises to at least think about the multiverse.

© Sam North - May 12th 2022
Author of A Cure for Sceptics

More reviews in Film Space

Share |