DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (2022) ***

Sam Raimi, who with 2002’s Spider-Man, set the tone for comic book movies in the new millennium returns to the genre with this sequel to the ho-hum Doctor Strange.  With the original Spider-Man trilogy, Raimi pretty much had carte blanche, and in turn, made three eye-popping spectacles that were brimming with his signature style, camerawork, and humor.  Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is much more of a product of the Marvel machine than an out-and-out Raimi picture.  (I’d say it’s about a 60-40 split between Marvel and Raimi.)  However, there are just enough of his trademark flourishes to make it worth a look for Raimi fans and Marvel die-hards alike.

Following the events of Spider-Man:  No Way Home, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) runs into a young girl named America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) who has the ability to drop through star-shaped rifts in the multiverse whenever she is frightened.  The grief-stricken Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) wants to exploit her powers so she can live in another dimension where her children are still alive.  Since that would ultimately kill America in the process, Strange says no dice, and the two hop from one plane of reality to another in order to keep her safe.  

Raimi gets points for wasting no time with the set-up.  He just dives right in and gets down to business, which is admirable, especially given the fact that the film has to make so many mentions, concessions, and references to so many other Marvel movies and TV shows before it finally finds its footing.  Once that happens (about halfway through), Raimi is able to conjure up some of that old time Raimi magic.  These moments, when they come, are a lot of fun.  I just wish he was able to really put the pedal to the metal in terms of the more horror-centric elements of the plot.  

Also, for a movie with such an awesome subtitle as “In the Multiverse of Madness”, the multiverse doesn’t seem all that… you know… mad.  Sure, there are some elements that are goofy, one or two horror movie moments, and a couple of neat visuals, but nothing that ever reaches the point of madness.  “In the Multiverse of Weirdness” is more like it.  

Benedict Cumberbatch does another fine job here, although the movie is so crammed with stuff that he never quite gets any big moments of bravado.  Rachel McAdams delivers another solid thankless performance, Benedict Wong has a few amusing moments as Strange’s sorcerer buddy, and Gomes is pretty good all things considered.  I guess the cast members you’ll really remember are the ones that pop up as cameos throughout the film.  Whether or not they’ll make more appearances in later MCU films remains to be seen, but I certainly hope they do.

So, in the end, In the Multiverse of Madness is a big step-up from the previous Strange solo outing, but kind of a big comedown from the awesome No Way Home.  There’s plenty of spectacle and superhero smashing here, and in that respect, it gets the job done.  However, I feel there might be a version of this somewhere in the multiverse in which Raimi was able to really knock it out of the park.

Marvel Cinematic Universe Scorecard: 

Spider-Man:  No Way Home:  ****

Avengers:  Age of Ultron:  ****

The Incredible Hulk:  ****

Iron Man:  ****

Thor:  Ragnarok:  ****

Avengers:  Endgame:  ****

Ant-Man and the Wasp:  ****

Spider-Man:  Homecoming:  ****

Iron Man 3:  ****

Captain America:  Civil War:  *** ½

Ant-Man:  *** ½

Guardians of the Galaxy:  *** ½

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2:  *** ½ 

Avengers:  Infinity War:  *** ½

Black Panther:  *** ½ 

The Avengers:  ***

Captain America:  The First Avenger:  ***

Captain America:  The Winter Soldier:  ***

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness:  ***

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings:  ***

Captain Marvel:  ***

Spider-Man:  Far from Home:  ***

Thor:  ***

Thor:  The Dark World:  ***

Iron Man 2:  ***

Doctor Strange:  ** ½ 

Black Widow:  ** ½  

Eternals:  * ½