Doctor Strange 2 Review: Definite madness, not enough multiverse

The multiverse takes centre stage... but does it really?

Director Sam Raimi brings to life the multiverse in a dark and thought-provoking fashion. The iconic horror (and superhero!) director employs great artistic direction, paired with committed performances from its stellar cast, to form the crux of the heart and soul of the film.

That said, the journey through the multiverse unfortunately struggles to hold all its elements together to make a winning formula. While the film is filled to brim with impressive action and visual sequences the narrative told feels like it only scratched the surface. Without further ado, let’s dive right in to this spoiler-free Doctor Strange 2 review.

The Multiverse of Madness is finally here and it’s a bit confusing

Despite its billing as a vehicle for Doctor Strange, The Multiverse of Madness operates better as a sequel to Wandavision than it does to the titular characters’ original 2016 feature. The film picks up after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. While Spidey’s outing served as the original introduction to the idea of the multiverse, Doctor Strange 2 doubles down on exactly just how big of a deal this will be for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Doctor Strange is dealing with the ramification of his glimpse into the multiverse. For Wanda, her actions in Westview and the loss of her children still haunt her. With the concept of the multiverse now exposed, all that it encapsulates and the power it holds is explored. In particular, this film focuses on the risk the multiverse may pose, and who across the multiverse possess the ability and desire to disrupt and damage the natural order.

New characters and cameos feature throughout, including many that will be familiar faces to Marvel fans. Others first appear to be the same characters we know and love, but simply different variants of them.

Superb performances from a stellar ensemble cast

Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen prove once and for all why they are the best Marvel has to offer. Their performances as Doctor Strange and The Scarlet Witch are a sight to behold and elevate the whole film as a result.

Elizabeth Olsen rises to the challenge of being placed centre stage in a Marvel film, building off the back of the success of Wandavision and adding even more intrigue and nuance to the character of Wanda. Trailers teased the idea of different variants of Doctor Strange, and the film does make that a bit of a focus. The MCU is currently obsessing over having its actors play different versions of the same character. Between The Multiverse of Madness and the recent Moon Knight Disney+ TV show, the MCU is showing the the best co-star and actor can have is themselves.

Xochitl Gomez’s first outing as America Chavez is a great one and promises the future of the MCU to be more inclusive and diverse. She not only holds her own against a mammoth cast but even shines. While this movie may be more brutal and horrifying than most Marvel projects, Chavez and fan-favourite character Wong still manage to deliver some laughs and moments of levity.

Of course, the big drawcard to this film is the promise of cameos galore. While there are many — some of which are exciting and others downright unbelievable — the opportunity to capitalise on these inclusions was lost in favour of simple shock factor and fan service. In a movie that promises the deepest exploration of the multiverse yet for the MCU, it merely scratches the surface. This is a potential consequence of the film having to juggle so much in such a small amount of time.

The multiverse is simply too big to explore in a 2-hour film

Some movies manage to incorporate reshoots and additional filming seamlessly. Unfortunately for Doctor Strange, continuity and pacing issues seemed largely due to the clear juggling of the film. Small but obvious details such as different hair lengths or styles for characters feature throughout the film exposing just how all over the place the structure of the film was.

The scale of what The Multiverse of Madness tries to accomplish rivals the stakes and magnitude of Infinity War and Endgame. While it may not be an Avengers film it certainly tries to replicate the chaos and excitement that comes along with a large-scale Marvel flick. It’s this identity crisis that is ultimately what holds this film back from true greatness. It jumps back and forth between being a Doctor Strange film, a Scarlet Witch film, and a multiverse film so often that none ever truly get the time or focus they deserve.

While other superhero films face the issue of an overextended runtime, The Multiverse of Madness could have benefited from an additional half an hour. The fast-paced atmosphere of the film is enjoyable and gripping but at times compromises the narrative and flow of the story being told. When the final credits roll the film leaves you with a feeling of dissatisfaction, that the story had so much more to offer and give.

One of the darkest and most brutal MCU movies to date

While the film may struggle to deliver on the idea of the multiverse, it certainly delivers madness. One of the greatest strengths of both Doctor Strange and The Scarlet Witch is their uniqueness regarding the visual style of their powers. A film that then brings the two together creates a masterclass of immersive and fantastical CGI moments. Fans of the original Spider-Man trilogy will delight in witnessing another superhero film by Sam Raimi. The Multiverse of Madness very much so embodies the tone of his other work and benefits from his vision and unique take on the characters.

Blood, gore and jump scare form the foundation of this film, a combination very rarely used in any Marvel projects let alone its feature films. This change-up in tone and direction is refreshing and promises a more mature look for the MCU going forward. The film is anything but family-friendly with certain moments and sequences alarming and hard to watch. Alongside The Batman, this film feels out of place for a PG-13 classification at times a stomach-churning thriller.

A solid Marvel movie that struggles to capitalise on its potential

Despite its issues, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness cements itself as a worthy addition to the MCU canon. It’s one that fans of its central characters will appreciate with all their heart but also an experience that filmgoers will simply enjoy because of its immersive and unique cinematography and design.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently in theatres.