AT THE MOVIES

by Isy Jordan

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Xochitl Gomez, and more.


Doctor Strange teams up with a mysterious teenage girl from his dreams who can travel across multiverses, to battle multiple threats, including other-universe versions of himself, which threaten to wipe out millions across the multiverse. They seek help from Wanda the Scarlet Witch, Wong and others.

For a Marvel film, this one was a little controversial. Personally, I don't get why. Yes, it's the MCU's first horror film. But if you have reservations because director Sam Raini's idea of a horror movie is the cult-classic Evil Dead, remember he also directed the first Spider-Man film franchise. And this Doctor Strange film is PG-13. Some scenes, admittedly, stretch that rating a wee bit but then, so did The Walking Dead.

The film required a little bit of homework to fully get it. To understand what happened to Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Olsen), it's really helpful to watch WandaVision on Disney+. To understand what Strange did to the fabrice of reality, you probably should have seen Spider-Man: No Way Home. (But who hasn't?) You might have a better understanding of the multiverse if you watched Loki on Disney+ or some of the multiverse versions of characters if you watched What If...? on Disney+.

Honestly, you could have gotten away without watching any of them aside from the last Spider-Man and been just fine.

There's not a lot I can say without getting spoilery. I can mentioned that this film introduces American Chavez who has a power that one of the main characters desperately wants.

The film is dark and scary at moments. For horror fans, it's light fare. For regular Marvel fans, particularly the younger set, it can be a little traumatic. The effects are stunning, the acting here is amazing, and the story sometimes applies its messages with a twenty-pound sledge hammer but it works.

Be aware of dark subject matter, scary images, and some violence. There are some tears here too. Still, a fun-filled romp of a movie that advances us into the next phase of the Marvel universe. If you can see it in theaters? All the better. I highly recommend it.

Isy