Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) User Reviews (4,010)

This was Wandavision 2, not Doctor Strange 2

[briancham1994 · 7/10 · 14 May 2022]

I liked this movie and I think it's a fine addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It has the distinct directorial style of Sam Raimi with some quirky camera choices, horror elements and quick montages. The fight scenes and magic are more creative than in previous films, such as the musical battle. The visual design of the universes are very distinct and feels like other worlds have really come to life. It was very exciting to explore other worlds and other versions of Dr. Strange. Scarlet Witch has a truly terrifying presence.

While I enjoyed the movie overall, it did disappoint some expectations and could have been better. As my review title states, it's more like Wandavision 2 than Doctor Strange 2. I kept wondering, whose movie is it? Elizabeth Olsen steals the show as Wanda, a corrupted demonic figure who fits the "slasher" role in this film, but her characterisation was also a bit too single-minded to feel like a real person.

The pacing is very strange. It often skips about from one scene to another before they have really been explored or digested, leaving us with only a glimpse. This film feels like the characters are abruptly jumping between several films that have been awkwardly smashed together, unlike the first Doctor Strange film which was extremely focused. Cool scenes like the Illuminati were wasted by being disposed of so quickly. The multiverse isn't really explored beyond red and green being swapped and pizza balls being "free".

The writing leaves a lot to be desired. As mentioned, this is essentially Wanda's story so nobody else is given much to work with. America Chavez is just there to run away from things, Christine Palmer is just there to give Dr. Strange something to anguish over and Wong is just there for the special effects. There are glimmers of character development but it goes nowhere. We keep seeing that Dr. Strange and Christine Palmer don't work out in any universe, which we already knew, but they keep repeating it for some reason, and it's not a compelling character relationship. Dr. Strange realises that he's really no different from the other versions of him, so he has to accept what he's got in this universe and not pine for things that are out of reach (i.e. Finding happiness without Christine). But he also realises that he can choose to be different from the other versions of him and work for the greater good without throwing anyone under the bus (i.e. Letting America Chavez keep her powers). Which one is it? What does he learn from the other versions of him?

On a finer level, the dialogue had lots of problems. It was often very cheesy, like the supposedly inspiring speech Dr. Strange gives to America Chavez near the end. It was also full of blunt exposition, like the encyclopedic infodumps about multiversal powers, the Darkhold, the Vishanti, the Illuminati, Thanos and so on. There are times when it felt like the writing room had an extensive Q&A session where they tried to cover every possible viewer doubt, concern or plot hole, but instead of weaving the details in naturally, they just made the characters parrot their explanations verbatim, which sounded contrived and awkward. For example, there was one scene where the film stops so that Wong can ask Wanda point-blank why she wants full multiversal powers instead of just staying in one universe with her family. This happens a lot during the film.

The writer Michael Waldron was chosen because of his experience with multiverse stories, especially Loki. This sounds great until you realise that Waldron has already run out of ideas and just wrote the same story again:

• Main tension: The powerful protagonist is put in cuffs and deprived of his powers (Loki: Loki; Dr. Strange: Stephen Strange).

• He is brought before a powerful tribunal of celebrity cameos with AI assistants to account for crimes against the natural order. Protagonist responds with snarky remarks (Loki: TVA, Owen Wilson and Miss Minutes; Dr. Strange: Illuminati, Patrick Stewart and Ultron robots).

• The tribunal has some heroic story for the public, but they are hiding a sinister secret (Loki: Time Keepers maintain the Sacred Timeline; Dr. Strange: Strange sacrificed himself to defeat Thanos).

• Due to having no powers, the protagonist resorts to hand-to-hand combat in their headquarters (Loki: Loki & Sylvia vs. TVA; Dr. Strange: Stephen Strange vs. Illuminati Mordo).

• They turn out to be staffed by imbeciles who couldn't catch a shoplifter. They are dispatched easily in combat so the plot can continue (Loki: TVA vs. Anyone else; Dr. Strange: Illuminati vs. Wanda).

• Main plot: A female character is being pursued because she has powerful abilities to transport herself across time and space and keeps evading everyone (Loki: Sylvie with orange portals; Dr. Strange: America Chavez with blue portals).

• Main threat: A female character possesses the minds of other people to attack (Loki: Sylvie's enchantments; Dr. Strange: Wanda's dreamwalking).

• Lazy and blunt exposition technique: Protagonist uses a machine to bring his memories to life (Loki: TVA timeline viewer; Dr. Strange: Shop display that projects your past trauma to the whole street).

• Lazy and blunt character development: Protagonist is forced to encounter an alternate version of a significant female character from his life to make him realise something about himself. She otherwise serves no story purpose (Loki: Simulation of Lady Sif; Dr. Strange: Illuminati Christine Palmer).

• Eventually, protagonist finds a deranged man who lives alone inside a castle in a post-apocalyptic realm. He knows more about the vaguely defined dangers of the multiverse and must be dispatched (Loki: He Who Remains; Dr. Strange: Sinister Strange).

If Disney keeps hiring Waldron to write the same story, I'll save you ticket expenses by explaining the next Spider-Man movie. Tom Holland's Peter Parker encounters a universe-hopping Spider-Woman and tries to pursue her to find her secrets. He is captured by the multiversal Peter Parker Posse headed by Tobey Maguire and injected with a serum that neutralises his spider-powers. The film stops so that Maguire can give a half hour lecture about the finer details of the multiverse and how there can only be one Spider-Man per universe otherwise something vaguely bad happens. Spider-Woman arrives and controls the minds of some Peter Parkers and defeats them all in half a minute. Using a memory display machine, she reveals that the Peter Parker Posse isn't protecting the multiverse, they're secretly neutralising all the Spider-People's powers so their loved ones won't be in danger anymore. Spider-Woman turns out to be an alternate Aunt May, making Tom Holland's Spider-Man somehow realise that with great power comes great responsibility. They trace the neutralising serum to the Final Peter Parker, who lives in a universe where every single person got spider powers and misused them, leaving him as the only survivor. His life's mission is now to ensure that nobody ever gets spider powers and claims that "with NO power comes NO responsibility!" They defeat him and travel back to all the other universes with radioactive spiders to restore a Spider-Person in each of them. The end. Rinse and repeat for the next ten years.

somewhere in the multiverse, there's a better version of this movie that exists.

[Vimukthi7 · 6/10 · 4 May 2022]

The overall pacing is relentless and the sequel shows its hand a lot earlier than you'd expect. There's been endless speculation from fans about the villain, which i won't spoil here, but it's revealed surprisingly quickly.

You can't help that feel somewhere in the multiverse, there's a better version of this movie that exists.

Not enough multiverse and maybe too much madness

[cricketbat · 6/10 · 4 May 2022]

Sam Raimi definitely put a splash of horror in this action film. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is darker & more violent than any previous MCU movie, which could be considered a strength. However, I felt like there was not enough multiverse and maybe too much madness. Despite the entertaining visuals, the plot is fairly chaotic, and the acting & dialogue are inconsistent. This movie is an entertaining ride, but it's a little too messy to stand on its own.

Seems Rushed For A Two-Hour Movie

[boblipton · 6/10 · 7 May 2022]

Xochitl Gomez shows up from an alternate reality and asks for Benedict Cumberbatch's help. She can travel between the various realities, but she has no control over it; when she's in a life-threatening situation, she autonomically zips into a a different world. She's been doing that a lot, since monsters have been attacking her to steal her ability. This is at least the second Dr. Strange she's asked for help -- here's the corpse of another.

For reasons of the plot, Cumberbatch goes to Elizabeth Olsen, aka The Scarlet Witch for help. Waddaya know, she's been controlling the demons because she wants to get to an alternate world where she has children -- thus linking into the Disney+ show, Wandavision.

Sam Raimi is back directing, and he borrows liberally, not only from earlier superhero movies, but from horror movies. This one has fewer quips than your average Marvel movie, but it does ask questions both overtly "Are you happy?" and symbolically. It's not my principal interest, but at a tad over two hours, my bladder didn't force me out of the theater.

Still a fun ride, albeit a little all over the place.

[andrewochel · 7/10 · 16 April 2023]

The first Dr. Strange stands in its own, even for just superhero movies. But this one is still enjoyable, especially if you are caught up with WandaVision and Loki.

I don't understand the unreasonable level of hate for anything post-endgame other than Spider-Man (shocker). Sure there's a couple things people have pointed out that I've noticed but the movie is nowhere near the suck-fest rabid fanboys insist it is. It's a fairly standard comic-book fare.

I'm not going to convince anyone this is the best MCU movie, I don't even think it is. But it's good and it's fun. Some Marvel fans are weird now, they have no ability to have any nuance in their opinion.

Massively improves on a second viewing

[Avwillfan89 · 8/10 · 4 May 2022]

I was not in a good head space at all watching it the first time, so I had to watch it a second time.

My number one worry going into this film was that it wouldn't be a Stephen Strange film but a Wanda film. I was half right.

Spoiler alert: She is the main baddie. And she kills many people to try and suck the power out of America Chavez in order to "dream walk", the act of going into a variant of oneself and taking over their body. She has been corrupted by an evil book and has found out there are variants of her children in the multiverse and she wants them for herself. I kind of felt like her story was already told in WandaVision, and this also feels like a season finale of that.

The exposition, which there is a lot of, is not as bad as I've seen in other movies. But because there is so much "madness" going with Wanda chasing Chavez through the multiverse, the script doesn't allow that much space to breathe.

There are some strong moments in the film involving Strange meeting his other selves, or talking with a variant of Christine, and being confronted with his own ego and arrogance. But sadly, they are very fleeting. And that's a huge problem. My favorite scenes in the MCU have always involved dialogues about morality, grief, mortality and other strong themes. Ex: The balcony scene in the first Doctor Strange + the Sokovia Accords debate in Captain America Civil War.

The movie's themes are primarily about people wanting what they can't have. While this wasn't the sequel I was truly hoping for, it is what we have. It's what I like to call "the saggy middle": not quite up to par with its predecessors but entertaining and important nonetheless.

Unfortunate decline in story

[marcell-karafa · 6/10 · 4 May 2022]

Man, what a disappointment, expected way more interesting plot as Strange is one of the coolest and most powerful characters - at least so far it seemed, as Wanda just mopped the floor with him and kinda everybody. She is waaaay more overpowered than supposed to and her motive as a main villain? Being with her children in another universe... Rather unoriginal, kinda we got that in Wandavision. The sensation hunting with other universe's characters were not used well or interestingly whatsoever, while that america chavez girl is just a terrible actor with zero chemistry with the stars. Just a weak story, badly used characters, way too much nonsensical "fight", was a missed opp, really hoped marvel can still be on that level than before Endgame, however seems Spiderman was the last big hit that was spot on. Thor is the last hope, the rest is seemingly ruined or much lower quality than the predecessors.

First Marvel Review

[jbprince-40023 · 9/10 · 6 May 2022]

Most of the reviews i see dictate the movie a 6/10 saying there wasn't enough doctor strange or the movie was chaotic. This is my first review for marvel as I've only really liked 3 of their movies, but i feel this movie is really good and deserves a higher rating. I honestly think its receiving a low rating because it diverted from marvels generic direction. There was gore every marvel movie misses. Not much else to say, its one of their top tier movies, I mean madness is in the name and people believe the story too crazy?

Save for the ending, that was pretty generic for marvel.

Could of been so much better.

[dj_ukuk · 7/10 · 1 February 2023]

Hats off to Sam Raimi for a fantastic return to superhero films. That doesn't help the films weakest link, it's story.

The biggest problem with this film story is it McGuffin. To begin with, Marvel broke their rule that the TV shows shouldn't influence or interfere with the films. Wanda is looking for her kids, makes perfect sense for anyone who has seen WandaVision. If you haven't seen it, because you don't subscribe to Disney+, simple choose not to see it or whatever reason a person has, it makes no sense. If the plot had revolved around her trying to find another Vision, it would of more understanding to the larger audience, as that was her biggest loss in the films. The reveal of the kids could of still worked. Unfortunately the Marvel films following EndGame have fallen foul of poor writing, plot elements or both.

Well, it was shiny and colourful

[andrew-hill515 · 5/10 · 8 May 2022]

So, carrying on from WandaVision, Wanda continues her arc as a slaver who faces no consequences for enslaving a town full of people to now being a mass-murdering slaver who risks the lives of trillions of people's lives, destroys universes, enslaves more people, so she can murder a child, which will help her switch her plan to murder a mother and kidnap her imaginary children.

And her redemption arc is she notices she is a monster and ends her reign of terror in the last 2 minutes.

And we're meant to sympathise with her for those heinous acts because she is sad because she had to stop imagining her children, and had to stop all the slaving and torture she was doing in order to imagine some fake imaginary children.

It was loud and shiny and stupid, so it was fine as totally brainless, lightweight nonsense... Pretty meh overall, and I stopped paying attention during some parts as I was thinking about other things because it was not engaging at all.

Sam Raimi Doing What He Does Best

[MrLucasWarHero · 8/10 · 4 May 2022]

While this film has a more grim tone than its predecessors it's still a Marvel film at heart. Of course it would take Sam Raimi to find the perfect blend of comic-book-movie, horror, fantasy and slapstick. He might be working with a massive budget now, but the man stays true to his roots and sticking with what he knows pays off.

The pacing may seem disjointed or fragmented at times, but I feel that only reflects the complex nature of the multiverse within the film. Maybe it's not like other groundbreaking MCU films, but ultimately this is an entertaining feature.

Some Bald Guy Once Said: Keep Your Expectations Low and You Will Never Be Disappointed

[MamadNobari97 · 6/10 · 5 May 2022]

So thanks to watching some early reviews on YouTube saying this is more of a Doctor Strange and Wanda movie than a Multiverse movie, I adjusted my expectations and I enjoyed the movie thoroughly.

And you might say, "well it's literally called Multiverse of Madness, how do you expect me not to expect a Multiverse from this movie", which I agree with. I had the same expectation when I first heard about the name of the movie and saw the trailers. But trust me, the whole thing revolves around the Multiverse And there is a lot of Madness, but not in a way you're thinking of. Naming this movie Multiverse of Madness was a real double-edged sword and it really shows, by how people reacted to it.

First of all, I gotta say that this is probably the most different and unique movie of MCU, at least in the aesthetic department, or should I say the most different-looking. And you already know it's exactly because of Sam Raimi and the horror and creepy aspect he introduces in this movie. And I loved it!

About the runtime, I remember seeing people argue that 2 hours is not actually bad and Sam Raimi movies are always more or less 2 hours and we are the unreasonable ones to think 2 hours. And I and many others thought "well how is a movie about the multiverse is gonna be only 2 hours? We need at least 3 hours". Which weren't wrong, because after watching the movie I can say that it definitely needed at least 20 more minutes. The pacing is really on and off, it kinda lingers in some scenes and it fast-forwards in some scenes that needed more time, especially the ending. I think they just need to hire better writers because once again, this didn't "feel" a movie, it felt like an episode and a teaser to the real thing, but I still really enjoyed it and had fun with it.

And it is really weird too because the last movie they released was literally 2:28 hours and they've already seen that the longer runtime still sells like Infinity War and the 3-hour Endgame which are like in the top 5 of all time sellers in BoxOffice. I don't know why they cut scenes or why they didn't let some scenes linger more. Was it because of the writing? Then why not hire better writers or a team of writers like Markus and McFeely who knew what they were doing and gave us 4 decently written movies? I hope now that they're delving into the multiverse stuff, they actually get more creative writers and work on the script a lot more before releasing the movie.

It would be interesting to see a director's cut of the movie or even a Scott Derrickson version where he actually continued the first movie and not mainly WandaVision (which is an understandable problem people have with this), but we'll never see just like we'll never see Edgar Wright's Ant-Man. If I were in Feige's, I'd just go crazy with every movie and give 100% freedom to directors to make whatever tf they want and go nuts with it and have a different MCU next to the main one. And even now is the best time to do it, why not let Edgar Wright make an Ant-Man movie and call it something like What If Ant-Man...? This is the perfect opportunity for them to go crazy with the multiverse stuff, but I guess making movies is hard and expensive, but I doubt these movies won't sell. Just give directors full control and hire better writers and writing teams and the word of mouth and the good reviews do the rest, just like Everything Everywhere All at Once.

For people that are concerned about cameos and think this is gonna be a cameo galore and fanservice, don't worry. The cameos are fairly short, they are great and serve the plot, and are not just there just to be there, and they have some of the most brutal scenes I've seen from MCU. There was one particular scene that you know when you see it, that trod the line between PG-13 and R, and was so brutal that if you showed me the clip of it without context and without telling me anything, I would assume it was a scene from The Boys season 3. Yeah, that level of brutality!

Danny Elfman did the score and it fit the movie and the gothic vibe beautifully and there was a certain battle that I'm not gonna even hint at, but you'll know when you watch the movie, that was just audio-visual delight. I am a little disappointed and sad that they didn't use the amazing Doctor Strange theme Michael Giacchino did, and I think he would've done an amazing job if they kept him, but I guess Danny is Sam's blue-eyed boy. But the score is still good, just wish his iconic theme was used more in this movie.

The visuals were amazing too, although it still had some that looked really bad, and it seems like Marvel has been lacking with CGI in this phase more than before, even in the tv shows.

But the thing about the visuals is that even though they are great and a joy to witness, I kinda miss the reality-bending we got in the first movie and No Way Home, I wish they used it here too and went crazier with it.

And as for the direction, I gotta say it's pretty good and it's obvious Sam Raimi directed it as it has his fingerprint all over this movie and I loved it. It seems like Marvel is getting a little more open to having visionary directors take the helm and give them freedom. It's obvious that this movie is not given to Sam with 100 percent freedom, but I think they're getting a little bit better and I hope this freedom becomes bigger in the next projects. Sam Raimi does a great job with all the creepy, horror scenes, and the jump scares and this movie is more about witchcraft than it is about wizardry and spells. I really hope they keep doing these different genres and don't just stick to action-comedy as they've been for a long time. It's a breath of a fresh air seeing this being a different kind of superhero movie.

I also really liked that he actually used a good color grading and that the colors and environments are alive and that they don't look like another bland Marvel movie.

I don't think I need to talk about the acting because you already know they all do an amazing job. But surprisingly Wanda is the star of this movie and some people have a problem with that? I get that it's called Doctor Strange and this movie kinda lets Wanda outshine him, but did you also have a problem with Infinity War being more of a Thanos movie, or The Dark Knight is more of a Joker movie? I don't get that people say Doctor Strange had less things to do or even less cool things to do than Infinity War, because it felt to me that they both had more of or the same amount of screen-time and Doctor Strange had obviously more screen time.

And America Chavez is a really interesting and a great addition to the MCU and Xochitl Gomez did a good job of portraying her.

Some reviews said that Christine Palmer was again underutilized, which I guess? But I don't know what more they could've done with the fast pacing of this movie and I thought they did a decent job with Palmer anyway. Obviously, and as I said before, this movie could've benefited from some breathers and 20 extra minutes, but it was still fine.

We also get Ashley Williams of course! And Bruce Campbell is great as ever. You can't have a Sam Raimi movie without Ash!

I also heard some people say that they liked the first one better, which it's ok I guess? You could argue that the pacing of the first movie was better and Stephen Strange had a good development in there, but since the villain sucked in that movie, I cannot say that the first one is better. The villain and "their" motivation in this movie were far better in this movie, and I guess they had some movies and shows to get more development and it's kinda unfair to compare and say this one had more development because duh. But even if this was their first appearance, they still had a better motivation and were a better character anyway. (I'm using "they" to not spoil who the villain is but I think it's obvious for anyone who that is)

In conclusion, this movie might not be what you think is going to be, so manage your expectations. The acting is great, the direction and Sam Raimi's touch are great and so is the cinematography, the music is good but disappointingly there is little to no use of Doctor Strange's iconic theme, the villain is good, the visuals are great but it needed more visuals and reality-bending from the first one, the horror aspect is fine and gives a fresh look to the MCU, but it's ultimately rushed, the pacing needed some work and needed extra time. I also forgot to say that there are some loose ends left from the first movie that they didn't deal with for some reason and it's not really a continuation of Doctor Strange as it is more a continuation of WandaVision, and in that case, people are kinda right if they think this wasn't that much of a Doctor Strange movie and more Wanda's.

Maybe I'm just a little carried away and I'm giving it an 8 impulsively, and I am doing it as I've done times before, and watching it a second time will show me its flaws better, and yeah it's not a full 8/10 but more like a 7.5 leaning towards 8 and I liked this one more than the first one.

Update: Watched it a second time and I think I like it a little less and noticed more problems with it, but I still like it, so I'm changing it to a 7 here.

Scarlet Witch: The Movie, ft: Sorcerer Supremes

[nakrugt · 2/10 · 10 May 2022]

Great visuals, actors and actresses do their best to make it believable. Benedict Wong's character proves to be a bad-ass. Olsen also does her best. Cumberbatch is as usual. No bad things there. Even the cameos can, at some level, sell the plot points.

OK!

There is one important plot hole: at the end of WandaVision, Wanda learns hot to neutralize other people's magic. She does that at the magnitude of a town. In this movie, instead of using that same magic and by-pass the Sorcerer Supremes and their wizards, she tortures and kills them. Why?

One important issue in character development: Wanda learns that her happiness means nothing if it is based on other people's misery at the end of WnadaVision. In this film, she has completely forgotten that lesson and at the end she learns it, again! Come on! Writers! Learn to respect these characters!

Disney identity politics: Wanda kills the 3 male cameos (Picard, Jim from the Office, and some guy) easily. Literally, with her mind. OK. But she fights Carter and Captain Marvel, and Captain Marvel dies because of a statue falling on her! The same Captain Marvel, who pierced a hole in Thanos's spaceship, dies because of rubble?!

And of course, she does not look for a universe where Vision is still alive.

If you have noticed, I did not mention Dr. Strange. It is because Dr. Strange has NO function or importance in this movie. Cut out his scenes completely, and the plot will not change.

In a Dr. Strange movie, Dr. Strange does not matter, at all.

Edit: other than the VFX scenes, the worst photography and the worst editing in MCU.

Weak plot. Lazy writing. A lot of plot holes. Too much focus on Wanda alone

[somsiriwongsiri · 6/10 · 4 May 2022]

Many things do not make sense in this movie.

Wanda's intention is so out of place. Even worse, she changes her mind at the end of the movie is awful. Imagine robbing a bank and changes your mind when you see bank staffs crying....

Too much focus on Wanda. This makes Dr. Strange and other characters so meaningless in the movie.

The first half is the movie set up audience for book of vishanti. Telling the audience how it is so important and unreachable. We didn't get to see book of vishanti being used once... why would Marvel introduce book of vishanti and hype the audience up in the first half of the movie.

Poorly written script for america chavez. The entire movie we saw her and Dr. Strange running away from one place to another. She could not control her power her entire life but manage to control after Strange said "believe in yourself"..... it's 2022 how could this even happen....

Hmmm. Not what I was expecting.

[aaronvsamuel · 6/10 · 4 May 2022]

Great visuals and acting from the cast but can't say I'm not disappointed. They tried bringing in so many characters to make future movies connect but by doing that the whole thing turned messy.

Marvel meets 80s style horror

[themadcamel · 8/10 · 5 May 2022]

This won't be a fan favourite but mixing the marvel cinema experience with a splash of "old school" horror hit the target for me.

It's weird, but id go as far as saying that a marvel movie was the best horror flick I've seen in over a decade.

Dark, creepy and visually epic.

The plot was pretty basic, but i had fun watching.

I like that they're mixing it up.

Darkest marvel movie yet!

[lovemichaeljordan · 7/10 · 4 May 2022]

Whatever your thoughts are about Marvel you have to give them credit for their worldbuilding and character development. Wanda and Dr. Strange are both very unique and gray characters which makes them fun. The actors also do a great job portraying their characters.

Marvel has never been this dark before. I'm honestly surprised it hasn't got a higher age limit. But it's great with darker content. Marvel has for a long time felt too childish but this feels more real and got a stronger effect.

The multiverse is a very confusing subject and it can ruin movies, but it can also make them more fun. This movie did a good job not making it too confusing while also utilizing it and creating fun fanservice.

Like the previous Doctor Strange movie, the visual effects are spectacular and breathtaking. There are some scenes which are not quite as believable but it doesn't take the viewer out of the movie.

The problem with these powerful magic characters is that they are too overpowered. There's a lot of plot armor, but it's almost impossible to avoid when you're playing with these powerful heroes. The magic can be a bit convoluted at times, but just remind yourself that it's a movie. Don't try poke holes at every plothole or stupid decision. Just have fun because it's a fun movie.

Should Have Been Called: Wanda Maximoff in the Multiverse of Madness

[EvanparkerT · 8/10 · 5 May 2022]

This isn't a MCU film, it's a Sam Rami film. I was in cloud 9 especially at the very beginning of the movie with its impressive visuals and intense, insane action. I haven't seen of all MCU but I'm very familiar with their usual formula or story structure. Into the Multiverse of Madness takes a more refreshing approach with a lot of brutality, felt pre-Disney era, and the humor felt right. Rami managed to added in some of his horror elements in there (Drag Me to Hell vibes) but I wanted more but I digress. The "short" runtime doesn't feel short, it's evenly paced out with no rushed moments (I recommend watching or rewatching WandaVision prior). Obviously, Cumberbatch and especially Olsen stole the show with their masterly performances. And last but not least, the amazing, Sam Rami god I miss him and his unique but amazing craft. Appreciate the movie for what it is and not with your expectations.

A movie that does what many don't

[BandSAboutMovies · 7/10 · 7 May 2022]

SPOILER WARNING: I'm going to do my best to be as spoiler-free as possible, but I also want people going to see this movie to be, you know, surprised.

It seems like the majority of people posting negatively about this movie hit the Venn Diagram just right of those that enjoy negatively posting on holidays as well. Now, I may be one of the most cynical people you'll ever meet, but it turns out that I actually want movies to entertain me. And when they entertain people other than me, I can accept their audience, move on and enjoy the movies that entertain me without dwelling.

So yes: this is a superhero movie. It's a blockbuster. It's the 28th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You also have had to have some cursory knowledge of Wandavision -- there's this great thing called YouTube that has these things called recaps, you know -- and What If? Yet you can enjoy this without that. And yes, this has Sam Raimi coming back to direct a superhero movie.

Even more importantly, this is the return of Sam Raimi to movies about cursed books.

Doctor Strange director and co-writer Scott Derrickson left over creative differences -- his movie The Black Phone is coming out someday, right? -- and that left Raimi and Michael Waldron (Heels, Loki) to start over.

From the original trailers, I was worried that this would cover the same ground as Loki, with Strange being called on the carpet for his abuse of the multiverse. Yet the movie does an early rug pull and places -- there's that spoiler reminder one more time -- Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch -- into the role of big bad.

Some backstory: Wanda was born in Eastern Europe, where her parents were killed by a Stark Industries missile, and she and her brother Pietro (Quicksilver) survived and were augmented by Hydra's Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. Working with Ultron, she tried to destroy Stark and the Avengers before learning that the robot's real goal was destroying the human race. This led to her, the Vision (a clone of Ultron turned to the side of good) and the Avengers stopping Ultron and then her joining the team. She and Vision become a couple, join Steve Rogers' side during the Civil War event and then she must destroy Vision to protect the Mind Stone from Thanos, which means nothing, as he uses the Time Stone to undo her and Vision's sacrifice. After a five year-plus battle with Thanos, she and the Avengers win, but her grief at losing Vision causes her to basically abduct the entire town of Westview and create her own sitcom reality -- she learned English as a child from watching American TV -- and raising sons Tommy and Billy with the Vision before her illusion is shattered by Agatha Harkness. The truth is that she's destined to be the Scarlet Witch -- the MCU version of Dark Phoenix, the Harbinger of Chaos more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme -- at which point Wanda traps Harkness in the town and leaves to study a book called the Darkhold, the Book of the Damned, created by the Elder God Chthon, written in blood on flesh pages (hey Sam Raimi) and bound into book form by Morgan Le Faye, not so coincidentally the villain of the first Dr. Strange movie on TV in 1978, long before the MCU was even a thing.

Yet Wanda's quest isn't predicated on evil. She learns that there is more than one reality and that in each of these -- you can glimpse these realities in your dreams -- her children still exist and haven't gone away when the spells she cast at Westview were negated. All she wants is her children, but to get them, she'll destroy entire realities.

Meanwhile...take a breath...there's America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who was born outside the multiverse and has the power to open doors between worlds. The first use of her powers pushed her parents into another reality and sent her running from the Scarlet Witch, who wants to absorb her power -- killing her -- so that she can find a world with her children and be a mother again.

We return to the central MCU reality -- Earth-616 also the same number as the comic universe -- where Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is attending the wedding of the love of his life, Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) when a giant monster -- which can't legally be called Shuma-Gorath and is called Gargantos -- attempts to take America, who is saved by Strange and Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong). Of course, our hero has no idea that Wanda is the Scarlet Witch, but soon figures it out. The entire magical training world of Kamar-Taj attempts to protect America, who must escape with Strange through the multiverse.

And that's where I really feel like the spoilers would be too much, right?

So let's just discuss the merits of the film.

I can't lie. I walked out of the movie with a huge smile on my face, but any film that combines the bull alien Rintrah and a cameo of the Living Tribunal with the look and feel of a Raimi film -- multiple dissolves of faces and objects like a comic book panel, wild POV shots, heroes getting slapped repeatedly and comedy mixed in with horror. Now, it's not full-on Evil Dead, despite the idea that this is the scariest MCU movie ever. I've seen a lot of folks upset about that, but what did you expect? Did Raimi make the Spider-Man films gore-filled epics?

I also do like the idea that Dr. Strange continues to evolve from the self-possessed braggart he started as and the man who said to Spider-Man "In the grand calculus of the multiverse, their sacrifice means far more than their deaths." Whereas in Spider-Man: No Way Home, that line showed that Strange would do anything to protect the multiverse, when Defender Stranger says it in the beginning, it's to prove that Strange believes that he alone can save the say, when by the end, he realizes that he's not the only hero. When he said to Starlord in Avengers: Civil War that there was only one way to win, now he realizes that just as there are so many realities, there can also be so many solutions. He's also learned from each different version of himself -- Defender Strange, Earth-838 Strange and Sinister Strange -- the same one from What If? -- that he must make personal growth in addition to protecting the Earth. I loved the scene where he fixed his watch and bowed to Wong, showing that he understands his place.

That's some pretty astounding character growth for a character in a blockbuster.

Also, for Raimi fans, the 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 shows up. Bruce Campbell shows up -- twice. Even a Grindhouse Releasing logo shows up. Throughout, I didn't feel like he was compromised. The music fight alone is incredibly inventive, as is how Strange makes his way back to Earth despite being trapped on a ruined world.

Perhaps most moving is a line that a certain wheelchair-bound hero says in the film: "Just because someone stumbles and loses their way, doesn't mean they are lost forever." That's an important message to understand. So is the fact that America has two mothers, a fact directly from the comic book and presented as such: it's just an ordinary way of life. As for America, her look and powers have emerged directly from the comics and work perfectly within the film, as she shows by the end that she may be smarter than any of the adults locked in this battle.

I'd hope that even non-comic fans give this a chance. It's a visual-filled odyssey through worlds of magic and I had so much fun throughout. It did what all good films should: it made me forget life for a fleeting moment -- something needed more than ever -- and gave me joy.

You can't ask for more than that, even if you rarely get it.

Terrible plot and script, boring and pointless

[PedroPires90 · 4/10 · 9 May 2022]

I always had some issues with MCU films but now they aren't even entertaining? Oh Raimi, what a disappointment. I honestly only liked the horror elements and being able to see some blood in a MCU film. Nothing else.

The plot is super weak - the worst of the film - but the script is also very erroneous with some strange and unexplainable writing decisions. There are some interesting shots - some Dutch angles and POV are cool - but this feel stupidly long for a film that is just 2 hours long. It's like watching the action going from setpiece to setpiece in a very inorganic way while travelling between boring universe with a lot of cringe dialogue. I don't even get the point of all this story for the entire universe and even the score - surprisingly considering that is Elfman - is super generic.

I won't lie: I had much more fun watching Eternals, Captain Marvel or Wonder Woman 1984 than this one. Said it.

A refreshing change of filming style from a conventional marvel movie.

[rvhydd · 9/10 · 8 May 2022]

I don't get it why people are finding this movie bad. Go in without expectations or stupidly believing too much on rumours and I can vouch you will be pleasantly surprised. The movie should've been longer and could've benefitted from a deeper storyline, but the performances of Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen do shine out. The CGI and direction of the movie was amazing and honestly I would say if possible go watch in IMAX because that's how it'll do justice for the amazing visuals and effects the movie had to provide. People saying that it had become messy and stuff. I don't know why they said that, but if you apply your mind, you will understand all of it without any issue. They probably don't have the mental capacity to fathom 2-3 storyline's running at one, and cohere them into one plot. It takes some brain and patience to watch the movie and understand it and oh boy it rewards with its amazing visuals.

In conclusion: Don't go in with expectations of all sorts of cameos and rumours

Pay attention Watch in IMAX (preferably) Use your brains And enjoy the movie

I would probably rate this half a point higher than No way home just to give credit to the fact that it does not blow up trying to juggle too many characters like all the three spideys making it a bad mess out of the hype. It is a worthy watch.

Also one last point, I feel seeing this movie on TV would not even give 1/4th of the experience it gives in the theatres just because of the extravagant CGI used which would just good in a good 3D hall.

Raimi's directing skills carry the movie. Without him, this would be even worse.

[naruekorn · 7/10 · 5 May 2022]

Actually, I expected many things in the movie before it was released plus all the spots and trailers that hyped me so much. This movie has every Raimi's style, such as, great camera angles, editing, and color grading also the terrifying tone from every Raimi movie. Besides the great things in this movie, it carries bunch of wired dialogues and screenplay. There are lots of plot holes in this movie. In this movie, there are many elements that can be use in the further movies, but they just...like throw it in some bad ways I never understand. So as a MCU fan, this just make me disappointed so much. As I say without Raimi directing style, this will be even worse than this.

Time to retire the MCU

[schlomo-jones · 4/10 · 6 May 2022]

After months of hype, we are left with a mess of a story that is mostly just CGI blobs, some light shows and some boring dialogue. I loved the first Strange movie, it's my second favorite after Captain America Winter Soldier. So this was extra disappointing.

Firstly, you're not going to have any idea what's going on with the main antagonist unless you watched the Disney+ show Wandavision. Even though I did watch it, it had been months, and I didn't remember all the details, so her whole backstory fell flat. This movie was less about Strange and more about her.

There's also a subplot involving Strange's old flame, but since we only saw them as exes in the previous film, it Didn't really feel that impactful.

There's also an obligatory teen sidekick, which I guess is now standard in the Phase IV fully Disneyized MCU. She might have been interesting, but she's just there as a macguffiin and has no real personality.

There's also random cameos from other Marvel properties, I'm beginning to see these bits of crossover fan service are the sole purpose of having a multiverse.

Seriously, I don't know why I keep giving my money to this franchise. Black Widow, Eternals, Shang Chi and now Dr Strange 2, have all been dull, uninspired CGI crap fests, that rely entirely on cameos and fan service to keep people coming back. Let's just face it, Hollywood milked all they could from Marvel. It's time to give the franchise ( and maybe all superhero movies)a good 10-15 year rest and reboot it after audiences grow nostalgic.

Marvel will write the end soon

[aiassgaminggamer · 7/10 · 4 May 2022]

Movie review: - Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness without final burning + online download link Pros: - - The visual effects are in the best effects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch and America Chavez, excellent epic representation - The soundtrack is very enjoyable And your entry into the film mode - the action is very excellent and executed logically The negatives: - - the story is very bad, poor and superficial - the plot is ugly - the transfers from one scene to another show that the movie was modified by the studio It appeared, God is good, but its use is illogically wrong - unfortunately, Marvel Curve is gradually decreasing in a sad way - the scene that I refuse to because the film is not necessary and there is no need if it was removed, it would not affect - a lot of talk is spread on the release of the EXTENDED version of the movie in the month of 6 in the digital version, and this refers to me My final rating for this movie is 7/10 . Disney's Greed.

Does this film belong to Dr. Strange? NO!

[Biswas_ · 6/10 · 7 May 2022]

The main story, being quite absurd and ordinary, focuses so much on Wanda and America that Dr. Strange "strangely" gets sandwiched in between them. It almost feels you are watching a Wanda film rather than a Dr. Strange film. This was a huge negative as he leaves barely any impact. Majority of the impact is left by Wanda only who puts up a near Civil war like situation with Strange.

This is a VFX heavy film. Lots and lots and lots of special effects like any other Marvel film but here, to mask the poor story has been used. It is only this that make the film enjoyable. Often certain fight sequences also make the film enjoyable. Humor also works wherever present.

Overall, watch only if you are a die hard follower of marvel series (both films amd web series). If not, then Requesting not to watch just due to peer pressure as many things will go above your head and you will only end up enjoying the vfx nothing else.