The Dr. Strange movies use the Marvel Multiverse probably more than all the other Marvel movies in this franchise. The title of this movie gives away the fact that it will be heavy on the Multiverse part. The viewer has to focus hard on the film to discern the plot.
Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness is the 28th film in the Marvel Universe. The main character, Dr. Stephen Strange, is portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. Elizabeth Olsen reprises her role as Wanda, who is seen in many of the other Marvel movies. Benedict Wong also returns to his role as Wong, who is somewhat of a sidekick to Strange and a mystical guide to many. Xochiti Gomez plays the pivotal role of America Chavez, who has the sought-after ability to jump from one universe to another and helps Strange defeat Wanda. The film also stars Chiweta Ejiofor, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachal McAdams.
The film received praise under the direction of Sam Raimi, but criticism towards the plot. As a viewer, this makes sense to me. Strange and Chavez chase a demon between the universes, searching for the Book of Ashanti. Strange is killed in that universe, and Chavez carries Strange’s corpse through a portal in which she encounters Dr. Strange from that universe, who saves them from a demon in that universe with the help of Wong. If you don’t catch on to that initially, you will be very confused for a while. The living Strange seeks guidance from Wanda Maximoff, only realizing she is responsible for the demonic attacks later. Wanda has acquired the Darkhold to become the Scarlet Witch. She wants Chavez’s power to jump from one universe to another so that she can reunite and live an imaginary life with her very real imaginary children. Wanda attacks Kamar-Taj, the mystical training facility when Strange refuses to hand over Chavez. Many events happen before the Book of Ashanti is found to thwart the Darkhold. If you struggle to keep all these universes straight, hold on…it’s just getting started. The Marvel movies always resolve the issues, so I will let you see how all the loose ends are tied. There are a few resolutions that did not get tied up.
Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness is another victim of the pandemic although the delay only held filming back a couple of months. Marvel Studios produced the film while Disney distributed it. The film’s direction changed hands to Raimi, who continued Wanda’s story from the WandaVision series and surprisingly made Wanda the villain in this film. The film has grossed over $953 million worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing film of 2022 (Top Gun Maverick recently overcame it).
I give Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness 3 out of 5 stars. The plot was very complex, with people zigzagging in and out of universes to the point that the viewer does not know where the characters are or why; however, the cinematography, graphics, and direction are excellent. I saw this movie while on the 3D screen at the movie theater. I thought it would be cool to see it in 3D because of all the graphic effects the Dr. Strange movie has. To me, the effects were not as pronounced in 3D as I thought they would be. Even though, this movie is still in theaters, I think this is a good one to stream at home due to the plot issues. If you can’t follow the confusing plot, at least at home you can pause it to discuss with those watching with you for a better understanding about what the heck is going on and where they are at the moment in time. I recommend watching the entire WandaVision series on Disney+ before viewing Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness. WandaVision gives insight into Wanda’s state of mind in the movie.
