Film: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

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Off to the flicks with fellow superhero enthusiasts, Jo and Janet, to catch Marvel’s latest blockbuster – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – part of the continuing expansion of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (the MCU). 😀

Hard to believe that this is the 28th movie in Marvel’s rollout (yes, really!) and the 11th instalment of MCU’s Phase Four. (Do try and keep up at the back!) 😉

Phase 4??

Read all about Marvel’s latest phase HERE

Yes, I’ve seen all 27 movies… some more than once… some more than twice… a few, even three times. The majority are great entertainment, whilst a few, for me, are duds. This latest tale takes Marvel into a darker and more complex place (judging by the title, should that read placeS?).

Official Trailer

The Plot

Short and sweet: Dr Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens a portal to the multiverse. What happens next, is the stuff of madness!

Verdict

WARNING: Mild Spoiler Alert!

There had been a few mixed reviews from those who were lucky enough to get paid for commenting – so I’ve ignored those! For the ordinary mortal, it helps if you’ve previously watched the original Doctor Strange movie (2016) and the Disney+ series, WandaVision (2021) but neither viewings are essential. On second thoughts, maybe watching WandaVision might help explain Scarlet Witch’s motivation.

Great acting all around with Marvel’s trademark – a lorry-load of SFX! However, it was a heck of a plot, and you’ll need to have all your neurons firing, to get the most from this one! It’s going to be taking you places that no previous Marvel outing has attempted, boasting a complex non-linear storyline (or is that storylineS?) that will demand your full attention… full-time! 🙄

Expect to see some familiar faces in UNfamiliar spandex and some superheroes from non-Marvel movies too!

As I heard someone say on leaving: “I enjoyed that, but I hadn’t a clue what was going on…”. Having thought about the comment, I think a reasonable grounding in the whole MCU backstory would have helped, but even with that, I still felt myself reaching for the paracetamol afterwards!

On a more positive note, the film’s runtime is a blessing – a bladder-friendly 126 minutes – relatively short by Marvel standards!

Oh, and don’t forget to stay in your seat for the now-obligatory mid-credits scene, that moves the story on. It had us three looking at each other, with that look of ‘wtf’ on our faces! ☹️☹️☹️

Go see this if you like superhero movies with plenty of action, but don’t try to follow the plot, it’s just not worth the headache!! I’ve therefore dropped it a star for its complexity, but it’s worth a watch for sure for pure entertainment and escapism.

Cast & Creatives

Directed by Sam Raimi

Produced by
Kevin Feige
Louis D’Esposito
Victoria Alonso
Eric Hauserman Carroll
Scott Derrickson
Jamie Christopher
Mitchell Bell
Richie Palmer

Composer Danny Elfman
Cinematography by John Mathieson
Film Editing by Bob Murawski and Tia Nolan
Casting by Sarah Finn
Set Decoration by John Bush

Starring
Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch,
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo/Baron Mordo,
Benedict Wong as Wong,
Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, with Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West and Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer
Jett Klyne as Tommy Maximoff
Julian Hilliard as Billy Maximoff
Michael Stuhlbarg as Doctor Nicodemus West
Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter/Captain Carter
Anson Mount as Blackagar Boltagon/Black Bolt
Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau/Captain Marvel
John Krasinski as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic
Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor X

Full credits here (courtesy of IMDB.com)