Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness Review: Sam Raimi injects his magic into the MCU

Sam Raimi brings a massive helping of horror to the MCU with Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness. There’s no shortage of visual majesty in Raimi’s MCU film. However, he also knows when to allow the camera to stay still and capture the terrific performances by Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch and newcomer Xochitl Gomez.

Cumberbatch may have the title role and he’s great. However, Olsen is simply breathtaking throughout the film. The grief, anger and power she showed in WandaVision are on full display here. Raimi’s interpretation of Wanda and the Scarlet Witch is the perfect fit for his horror sensibilities.

Stephen Strange has never been as likable as he’s in Multiverse of Madness. He’s less arrogant and unlike in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Strange makes the right decisions throughout the film. Gomez portrays America Chavez with just the right amount of toughness and vulnerability

The script is a bit messy at times. The fast pacing makes everything seem a bit rushed, which isn’t necessarily a problem until the 2nd act slows down. There are just certain ideas and concepts dealing with the villain’s plan that needed to be more fleshed out.

From a storytelling standpoint, Multiverse of Madness is at its best when focusing on Strange and Chavez’s partnership as well as on Wanda’s desire to be reunited with her children. When the story focuses on Stephen’s relationship with Dr. Christine Palmer the film falters a bit.

Rachel McAdams is given more to do in Multiverse of Madness. She does a great job, but it’s tough to buy Stephen’s devout love for her based on the limited amount of screentime they’ve shared.

Danny Elfman takes over the composer reins from Michael Giacchino and does a fine job. Although, the best music moments in the film belong to Giachinno’s Doctor Strange theme. The CGI and visual effects are outstanding. However, there’s nothing that matches the Inception-like visuals Scott Derrickson unleashed in the first film.

Multiverse of Madness succeeds when the focus is on the madness of Wanda’s grief over multiverse hopping. There are really only two universes that get any kind of attention. In spite of those issues, the excellent cameos, horrific imagery conjured by Raimi and emotional performances make Multiverse of Madness a worthwhile addition to the MCU.

With the overview out of the way, let’s dive deeper into the elements that stood out in Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness. There may be some minor spoilers.

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An Improved Dr. Strange in Multiverse of Madness

The MCU’s Stephen Strange has never been more likable than in Multiverse of Madness. When he first meets with Wanda, he doesn’t blame her for what she did in Westview. He stands by America Chavez at every turn.

Strange does lie about being happy to Christine at her wedding. However, he’s nothing less than kind to Christine. He expresses remorse for how he treated her and has enough courage to ask what he did wrong. Would I have preferred that conversation happen before the wedding rather than at the wedding reception? Yes, but at least the conversation happened. No matter how much power Strange has, he’ll never be truly happy without Christine.

Multiverse of Madness also does a decent job of fleshing out his past. Stephen showed a soft side for Peter in No Way Home and obviously shows compassion for America Chavez. In Multiverse of Madness, Stephen reveals his sister drowned in a frozen lake while they were playing as kids. His tragic past, while eerily similar to Moon Knight’s, explains why Strange has such a tough exterior and doesn’t open up much.

Cumberbatch is outstanding throughout this film. When the film threatens to go off the rail, it’s his performance as well as Olsen’s who ground the film in some sort of reality.

Hopping Through the Multiverse with America Chavez

Raimi and Michael Waldron‘s script wastes little time before jumping into action. Chavez and another version of Strange are fighting a one-eye octopus creature. Just as the creature is about to steal Chavez’s power, Chavez blasts a hole into another universe and falls into the MCU.

Strange and Wong work with Chavez to fight off the creature. Chavez quickly (a bit too quickly) fills them in on the situation. There are multiple universes, which Strange already knows based on the events in No Way Home. Someone is trying to steal Chavez’s universe-jumping power.

Chavez has no control over her abilities. Basically, if she’s frightened, a portal opens to a new world. She doesn’t know what universe she’s in until she’s in said universe.

Events on the MCU (Earth-616) force Strange and Chavez to travel to Earth-838. Chavez provides some rules and also has a heartbreaking backstory of her own showcasing the tragic nature of her powers. There’s actually not too much universe hopping. Most of the events in Multiverse of Madness take place on Earth-616 and Earth-838.

There are several really cool cameos. The best is a certain member of the Fantastic Four finally appearing. The actor playing said character is actually perfect, it’s crazy. Strange and Chavez also meet an alternate Christine who works for the Illuminati as a scientist. McAdams is much better in this role than as Dr. Palmer on Earth-616. She’s brave and has an even clearer understanding of Stephen.

Madness of Grief

Multiverse of Madness wastes little time in establishing the villain. Wanda is without a doubt the villain in the film. Olsen’s performance and Raimi’s usage of The Scarlett Witch’s powers are terrifying.

Already on the edge of madness after WandaVision, Wanda has lost all sense of reason over her grief. She is despondent over losing her children and is willing to do anything to bring her children back. If she has to cross another universe and steal Billy and Tommy from another version of Wanda, she will do it. If she has to kill a child (Chavez) and steal her power to cross said universe, she will, without hesitation. Nobody is going to stop her.

Stephen and Wong do what they can, but are overmatched. The fantastic 3rd act amps up the scares and the action. There’s full-on body horror and plenty of bloody carnage. Multiverse of Madness is easily the bloodiest and darkest MCU film to date.

Waldron introduces an interesting concept of dream walking. I won’t spoil what that concept is, but I was disappointed in how the film broke the rules it seemed to establish. Apparently, all dreams are real in the MCU. Dreams are glimpses into their lives from other universes. It’s a really cool concept that gets lost in the noise.

Olsen and Cumberbatch are two of the best actors on the planet and they show it in every scene throughout the film. The scenes featuring these two just talking are fantastic. These performances make Multiverse of Madness one of, if not, the best acted MCU films to date.

Multiverse of Madness Final Thoughts

I have some issues with the film glossing over some of its weightier, world-building concepts Multiverse of Madness establishes. However, the performances, Raimi’s directing and commitment to horror make Multiverse of Madness an unforgettable, if somewhat messy MCU entry.

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