Having experienced the dangerous multiverse in last year’s Spider-man: No Way Home, Doctor Stephen Strange must contend with it once again when a mysterious dimension hopping traveller appears in New York.
The Evil Dead’s Sam Raimi returns to the superhero genre for the first time since his groundbreaking Spider-Man trilogy as he takes the helm from original director Scott Derrickson, who departed the project in 2020 over creative differences with the studio.
Written by Michael Waldron, the man behind Disney Plus’s MCU show Loki, the story begins with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Strange waking from a nightmare, which he soon realises is all too real.
Whilst attending the wedding of his former fiancée Christine (Rachel McAdams) Strange encounters the girl from his dream, who has the ability to travel across different Universes. Pursued by inter dimensional beasts, Strange turns to former Avenger Wanda Maximoff for help in protecting the girl.
Newcomer Xochitl Gomez takes on the role of America Chavez, the dimension hopping youngster whose raw power is the film’s catalyst, and the actress does a sterling job alongside the seasoned veterans beside her.
After six films, Cumberbatch can do this character in his sleep, but the sarcastic and aloof Strange has evolved into a more likeable presence since that first film in 2016. Here he gets to flex his acting muscles playing different variants of the character, while also getting a few moments to breathe and explore his regret over that failed relationship with Christine.
Picking up where she left off in last year’s WandaVision TV show, Elizabeth Olsen goes full Scarlet Witch, and is absolutely fantastic as the conflicted and emotionally troubled Wanda. Her story arc is pivotal and provides the beating heart of the film.
Whilst this is very much a Marvel production, Raimi’s influence is clear as things progress. The director pushes the boundaries for what is acceptable for a 12a and takes the film as close to horror as the MCU has ever been.
A musical fight between Strange and his evil doppelgänger gets a bit silly and pushes the envelope too far towards slapstick, but overall Raimi concentrates on bringing the thrills and the scares.
Often accused of producing cookie cutter movies that follow the same formula, Marvel have attempted to break the mould with their recent projects (See Disney Plus show Moonknight for proof) and it’s refreshing to see the studio trying something more offbeat. The film may well be too hectic for the uninitiated, as it very much lives up to the ‘Madness’ of the title, but ultimately that makes for a hugely entertaining ride.
With cameos galore to thrill the Marvel faithful, Multiverse of Madness is a feast of spectacular visuals, packed full of excitement and littered with surprises.
What more could you wish for from a trip to the cinema?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paul Steward
@Grittster
9/05/22