Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Directed by: Sam Raimi | 127 minutes | action, adventure | Actors: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, Rachel McAdams, Bruce Campbell, Julian Hilliard, Jett Klyne, Keenan Moore, Patrick Stewart, Soo Cole

In the amusingly colorful ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’, Stephen Strange catapults his way across the Multi-universe to fight a formidable adversary and find his friends and foes unexpected counterparts. We have now entered Phase 4 for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and this Doctor Strange adventure is already the fifth film (the 28th in the entire series) in an overarching story that will unfold over this decade. This phase also includes TV series, such as ‘WandaVision’ and ‘Moonknight’, which Disney is putting on the streaming channel. Fortunately, you still don’t have to watch a few hours to be able to follow the new solo film by the magician Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Nevertheless, it is useful to take the four previous films in this phase or at least ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, because the Multi-universe is also on the menu there.

After a creative split between the director of the first Strange Film, Scott Derrickson, and the Marvel studio bosses leading up to the new production, the old hand of the superhero blockbuster genre Sam Raimi came into the picture. About twenty years ago, Raimi directed the Spider-Man trilogy at Colombia Pictures with Tobey Maguire as the title hero. Provided the mega-productions had a solid budget, solid story, star actors and the latest computer effects, he and Brian Singer (the ‘X-men’ movies) proved that superhero films definitively recapture the pure camp of the earlier attempts, such as ‘Batman & Robin’. had transcended. However, Raimi himself came from that corner, as witnessed by the still delicious pulp film ‘Darkman’ (1992). In addition, like Derrickson, he has a subscription to the horror genre. The supporting role in this Doctor Strange film by Bruce Campbell, Raimi’s regular for ‘The Evil Dead’ films, among other things, reminds the viewer of this even more. In short, zombies and witchcraft remain daily cake for Raimi.

In the MCU, ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ moves somewhere between the bravado of ‘Iron Man’ and a stale seriousness about all things supernatural. It’s like stepping in and out of a combination of ‘Guardians of The Galaxy’ movies and ‘Star Trek’ mythology. In addition, the film contains a lot of humor and pathos with a black edge and this is perhaps somewhat unsuitable for the youngest Marvel fans. In addition, the Phase 4 films increasingly resemble the TV series and vice versa. Perhaps this is why the first part of ‘Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness’ marches a bit stiffly on the big screen. The computer effects just lack the level of the previous Marvel films and feel less epic, as if they were canned somewhat hastily for the TV format.

It subconsciously feels as if the viewer is forced to know information from the other films, and now also series on the streaming service, in order to better place a number of dramatic twists. There is nothing wrong with that, after all, you are buying a ticket for an infinitely expanding story universe. However, this can sometimes bite Disney, because like all those endless crossovers in the comic versions, at some point the reader simply loses count of the number of storylines in circulation. To keep track of it all, an encyclopedia may be added by now. Parent company Disney is balancing on a thin rope here, how does it prevent overstimulation among the current public and a fear of entry for newcomers. Just grabbing a new Marvel film in the cinema is not really an option anymore.

While Raimi isn’t quite as fresh as in his Spiderman days, Doctor Strange occasionally appears as a jaded Harry Potter in a white-striped wig, the wizard of tightly directed horror pulp still shows how insane entertainment can be with Hollywood pathos. mix.