Directed by:
Sam RaimiScreenplay:
Michael WaldronCinematography:
John MathiesonComposer:
Danny ElfmanCast:
Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Julian Hilliard, Jett Klyne, Sheila Atim, Adam Hugill (more)VOD (4)
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Journey in the unknown in Marvel Studio’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. When the MCU unlocks the Multiverse, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) must enlist help from old and new allies as he traverses mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities in order to confront a surprising adversary. Enter a new dimension of Strange in this supernatural adventure filled with plot twists and exhilarating action sequences. (Disney / Buena Vista)
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Reviews (11)
“The most horror Marvel movie” tag is about as meaningful as “the hottest ice-cream”. Sure, the second Doctor Strange isn't as funny as, say, the latest Thor or Guardians of the Galaxy, but it won’t make your stomach churn, so to speak. While there is a Sam Raimi feel to it at times, I personally was hoping for a wilder, bolder, and well, crazier ride with a film subtitled "in the multiverse of madness", but it sticks within the safe confines of harmless fun and classic Marvel template. And it's a shame, because the potential was immeasurable and for the first time in a while Marvel could have operated with a non-generic "new" villain (clearly the film's strongest point). On a scene-by-scene level, it's occasionally great (Raimi's directorial input), too bad it's not supported by a more polished script.
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The cup of patience has run over. In fact, I actually hesitate even to call this a film. I don't understand why no one else complains about how horribly the characters are keyed to those fake backgrounds, that no one minds that the framerate makes, say, the lab scene look like something out of Code Blue. I haven't seen something where everyone cares so much about everything in a long time. It has no beginning, no end, the actors aren't entertaining, the fictional worlds have no stakes of their own, and it's bathed in cliché. And the script's a real doozy, too. Sam Raimi is in a great position in Hollywood where whatever crap he makes, all he has to do is put a skeleton in it and a zoom shot to get people to cheer at how he references himself. I think The Last Children of Aporver would have been a better movie as a result.
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Definitely one of the most distinctive and auteur-driven films in the MCU. The central motif is slightly sixth-rate (as in, I'm just a caring mother and I care about my kids), but Elizabeth Olsen manages to pull it off remarkably well as an actor. Sam Raimi recycles himself here (the kitchen scene is very much a copy of Drag Me to Hell), but still manages to imbue the second Strange with at least some semblance of personality. The script is weaker and not very bold, but the whole thing somehow goes well and there are some (un)expected cameos and the introductions of the old (un)familiar. I was expecting more, but all things considered it was still great.[75%]
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A playful, but rather oversimplified sequel to the story about an arrogant surgeon who turned his hand to magic takes us to other worlds, but also into his subversive inner self. During the opening of the movie, Raimi came up with a surprise parallel on the west Russian conflict, and also with an ending involving a demonic resurrection and all-in-all inconsistent storytelling. The second Strange would have benefitted from about a half hour extra to give Raimi the chance to give the multiverse a good long cuddle and also give the sub-stories the chance to take off a bit. I don’t believe that Waldron’s screenplay was to blame; this is more like studio intervention to bring the running time down to a more sensible length. The guest appearances are fine as a whole, but I’m not at all thrilled about one choice by casting department, so that means minus one point. The horror make-up is awesome (eyeballs dropping out of sockets!), but rotting cadavers, impressive deaths and pieces of body dropping off indicate that Disney is willing to turn a blind eye occasionally and please orthodox fans with a bit of gore. But will it be enough? Are you happy?
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It’s quite... Well... Ordinary. The plot is fine, although if I had seen WandaVision I would have found my way to it faster and wouldn't have had to wait for the film to explain what it was all about. But that doesn't hide the biggest problem. Most of the new Doctor Strange felt “meh”. The new young character wasn't properly introduced, she was just there and everything started to revolve around her. Strange and Wong have abilities more like Green Lanterns than the mystics from the first movie, that semi-camp atmosphere that Sam Raimi had in his Spiderman movies doesn't suit Strange either in my opinion, every now and then something happens just because someone thought it was a good idea to make it happen, but it doesn't make much sense... And the horror, which sometimes really reigns supreme, is again – unfortunately – balanced by not very good jokes. And then there's the multiverse, which I had so many hopes for, but which is hardly used at all! The characters can theoretically jump from one world to another, but they spend most of the film in two, and the one in which the expected cameos take place (which are also no big deal) is quite boring and differs mainly because it switches to red. For example, Avengers: Endgame used time travel a hundred times more imaginatively. It’s a shame. I watched Strange's first film a few days before going to the cinema and liked it much better. PS: Danny Elfman didn't really pull it off either, because he uses Giacchino's great motif, but his own music is not very interesting. PPS: I don't think Strange has much to envy Black Widow's solo outing, and it's certainly no worse than the recent Morbius, so I'm quite curious to see how the critics will handle it :)
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