Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022) - Heart Fuelled Chaos! (SPOILER FREE)

After the fan service filled excitement of last year's Spider-Man: No Way Home, the anticipation for MARVEL's latest offering has been off the scale. With more fan theories and cameo rumours than it's possible to list, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness has had a lot to live up to. And in the eyes of some fans and critics, it doesn't accomplish this. However, I was actually really pleased with what we ultimately got. And it's actually because it didn't give me what the rumour mill was promising. I was given something unexpected, and I'm all here for it!

So many people have gone into this film expecting it to be two hours of fan servicing cameos, not helped by the highly overblown fan theories and rumour mills that have taken these ideas to the point of it being laughable. And while you will ultimately get some fun cameos, it's not the main purpose of this story. Nor should it be. I don't go to MARVEL films to have fan service shoved down my throat. I go because I am invested in their characters and the overarching stories they tell. The fan service is definitely fun, and can really benefit a story, as we saw in No Way Home, but this Doctor Strange sequel isn't about cramming in a million cameos. It's giving you what the title suggests. An adventure crossing the multiverse with Doctor Strange! And as simple as that sounds, the beautifully chaotic mind of director, Sam Rami makes this fiasco turn out beautifully! Sam's origins in the horror genre are crystal clear in this film, providing a well needed breathe of fresh air in this long-running series. I would personally prefer this over his work on the original Spider-Man films from 2002 to 2007, due to how this narrative feels more suitable for his style of film-making. You still get the campiness seen in those early Spider flicks, but it feels far more dark, wild and serious than before.

This film feels energetic, vibrant and lively, something that recent MCU instalments not featuring a man with spider powers have severely lacked. The colours pop off the screen in all scenes, and the imagery is just spell bounding. After so many of their films being stuck in that flat, diluted look of digital cinema, it was beautiful to see a modern MARVEL film actually have it's colours stand out scene to scene. I was also really impressed by the way these wild ideas stretched into the fight choreography. Yes, you've got standard MCU punches and kicks. But the character pairings and in some cases, uses of items around them continue to spice things up for their loyal audiences. Be sure to watch out for a scene involving sheet music, as that has been one of two stand-out moments for me. It's weird, campy and so out of left field in this film, but that's why I love it! The music over this scene entitled Lethal Symphonies is so enthralling to listen to, as is the rest of composer, Danny Elfman's score. He brings a layer of chaotic mystery to an all ready visually manic film, and shows that modern action films don't need to rely on generic copy and paste music that has sadly become the norm. It's a comic book film about multiverse hoping, embrace the madness! It's nice to see visuals and audio being on the same page when it comes to conveying the film's wild ideas. When you're watching a film called Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, this is the kind of madness you want!

Amazing direction, spell bounding imagery and top class visual effects might be key factors to a film, but so are the performances, and Multiverse Of Madness is getting Oscar worthy performances out of it's leading players. Benedict Cumberbatch continues to be an amazing leading actor, continuing the pompous attitude seen prior, while also giving an insight into Doctor Strange's layers of character. We see areas of the character that those around him never get to see or hear. He is quickly becoming the main driving force for the MCU going forward, and I'm excited to see what he does next. I also have to give praise to MARVEL for how it treated it's leading ladies, who each get time to expand into their roles, with stellar performances accompanying them. These well defined women feel so natural to this story, and can hold their own in a rather male dominated film series. I was really impressed by the development given to Rachel McAdam's character, who in the first Doctor Strange was a generic MCU love interest, but here she actually gets time to flourish as an individual, as well as the relationship between her and Cumberbatch's characters. Xochitl Gomez has established a really interesting new hero for the forth coming MARVEL adventures, with her role as America Chavez quickly becoming one of the character highlights in this film, and a crucial point of focus in the future of the MCU timeline.

Ultimately though, the MVP in this film has to go to Elizabeth Olsen, who gives the performance of her career as Wanda Maximoff. Having started out as a secondary Avengers character, she has developed under the radar into a well fleshed out and dynamic character, backed up by an understated and far reaching performance by Olsen. She can switch between sweet and funny to threatening and psychotic in the blink of an eye. It's so tense and entertaining to watch. Some might not agree with the direction of Wanda's character here, but for me, I loved it, and can see the journey this character has taken. And Olsen really sells this character journey. Wanda's journey is understandable and completely justified. And even though we may not agree with her actions, we can understand her point of view considering her past, and the way the world has looked upon her. I really look forward to seeing what Olsen can provide in the future. I want to see her in more dramatic roles. She's got so much talent to give the world, so give her the chance to show it!

After being rather indifferent to the first Doctor Strange film, with its generic MCU origin plot base and ugly colour pallet, I was all set for this sequel to be more of that, or to just be cameo central. But no! MARVEL knocked it out of the park with a blend of elements that's sure to please everyone. Masterclass performances, eye popping visuals, fan service in moderation, and a multiverse hoping story which builds up the prospects of more crazy adventures going forward. I really hope MARVEL gives Sam Rami more projects to work on. His style is so fun to watch, and will be of huge benefit to the sometimes formulaic MCU. If you go into this film ignoring the rumour mill, and setting your expectations at a realistic level, you'll be delighted by a spell bounding roller coaster of a film. If MARVEL's films are going to have the level of fun that this and No Way Home have provided, then the MCU is set to maintain it's monstrous success! Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is looking to be the start of a wild time for MARVEL fans. I think it's safe to say; things just got a bit out of hand... And I am all ready for it!!

SCORES

Story - 4/5

Characters - 4/5

Production - 5/5

Acting - 5/5

Music - 4/5

TOTAL - 8.8/10