Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness (2022) Review
“Just because someone stumbles and loses their way, does not mean they’re lost forever.”
When Scott Derickson, director of the first Doctor Strange, bowed out of the director’s chair for the sequel, it paved way for the return of the prodigal son, Sam Raimi. Bringing along with him frequent collaborator, and composer Danny Elfman. With a script by Michael Waldron, known for his work on the Disney+ series Loki.
The marketing for the film was remarkable, it was the first film I was excited to see from Marvel in a very long time. Therein lies the problem, however, when a marketing campaign is better than the final film itself. For one thing, the poster teased the inclusion of at least 5 versions of Doctor Strange, 7 versions of Wanda, 3 versions of Mordo, and 3 versions of Wong. You could attribute it to misinterpretation of the poster, or it could have been misdirection. Nevertheless, getting 5 versions of Doctor Strange isn’t as compelling as initially teased. We also never get the line heavily teased from the marketing, “Things got out of hand.”
Secondly, the production was riddled with rewrites, which is not uncommon, but certainly a red flag. The only thing to not have changed from the script was the film’s title. Doing rewrites the day of is always concerning for any production, because it is a chaotic way of filmmaking. This also paved way for a bigger issue, the film has an identity crisis. It doesn’t quite fit the MCU mold, and it struggles to embrace itself as the Sam Raimi horror extravaganza that it is. Perhaps there is a director’s cut locked in a vault, never to see the light of day. Raimi has already spoken about a longer cut, at least 30 min of which was left on the cutting room floor. It’s probably R-Rated but Marvel is too cowardly to embrace it.
I am perplexed as to why A.C. Bradley, head writer of the animated series What If, wasn’t brought on to pen the script after exploring the multiverse successfully and effectively. Especially after writing arguably one of the best episodes featuring Doctor Strange, see: What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart. It might’ve made this sequel a love story at its center, which Raimi is adept at telling. It would have made a version of Doctor Strange a tragic hero, it would have helped us empathize with any version of him that resorted to the Dark Hold for answers. Therein is the problem, we never connect with the other versions of him. We don’t get to connect with Wanda either, but Elizabeth Olsen plays the part ferociously.
All I know is, that Bradley wouldn’t have wasted those cameos the way Waldron did. Yes, we finally got our wish with John Krasinski stepping into the shoes of Mr. Fantastic. We get Professor X not only in his comic accurate yellow wheelchair, but we also get the much loved X-Men motif from the animated series. Well played Elfman, well played. (The man belongs in the superhero genre, elevating every movie he touches.) We also get Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter, Anson Mount as BlackBolt, Lashana Lynch as Captain Marvel, and even Ultron (Although James Spader as the voice is sorely missed.) Wanda wipes the floor with them effortlessly, while it displays her power scale, it also underwhelmingly portrays this powerful group dubbed the Illuminati.
The encounter should have been more fleshed out. For example, when Black Bolt loses his mouth, he should have been portrayed in a panic which leads him to blow his brain from the inside. But its confusing to think that after countless battles he can’t maintain his composure, worst yet, he’s completely useless without his mouth? An alternate take would have seen him acknowledge his mouth was gone and proceeding to attack Wanda with his fists. In the brief scuffle, he forgets his mouth is gone and decides to use his voice only for it to backfire, which would have been a more satisfying end to his inclusion.
If this team had worked as one, it would have led to a more compelling and satisfying sequence. Seeing Mr. Fantastic turn into spaghetti, Captain Carter cut in half by her own shield, Captain Marvel crushed by a statue, and Professor X not only overpowered but his neck snapped, were all disappointing. Maybe the script could have seen The Illuminati succeed at first. Pushing the Scarlet Witch to pull other Wandas from other timelines (The 7 versions teased in the poster). As those Wanda’s die at the hands of the Illuminati, she is figuring out the team’s dynamics. Once she finally figures them out, she is able to overcome and defeat them. It would have made for a more satisfying encounter, one paying respect to the power the members of that team wield. In that effort of desperation, however, she was leaving her children from other timelines as orphans. An epiphany she could have learned about in the aftermath. Even if we learned to hate her in the process, there could be another event that could redeem her and get her back on the lunchbox.
It’s surprising to see that Raimi was allowed to flex his horror sensibilities, but it speaks to the rapport Feige and Raimi have. It does make me curious as to how Derrickson would have used his own horror sensibilities to tell the same story.
Ultimately, Sam Raimi’s return to Marvel isn’t as glorious as I thought it would be. While there are sequences that deliver, and there is no denying the camera is used masterfully, the movie is sorely lacking heart, which we’ve come to know Raimi for.
