Has the time come for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to start adding a "Previously in the MCU" prologue to each of their movies? It's easy to imagine how bewildering Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness must be for a viewer not primed by recent, relevant Marvel adventures like Spider-Man: No Way Home, WandaVision and What If…? — as well as Scott Derrickson's first Doctor Strange, of course, released all the way back in 2016. But while this latest cinematic blast of superheroism is almost distractingly entangled in previously woven story threads, it's great to see that it is also very much a Sam Raimi movie.
Raimi wasn't the first choice of director for this sequel, having joined after Derrickson and Marvel amicably parted ways. But he's been allowed to make it all his own, with even freer rein, apparently, than he was given on his OG Spider-Man films. As our sorcerous hero gets tossed from crazy encounter to even crazier encounter, Raimi's camera spins and whirls with CGI-enhanced but still somehow old-school abandon. For Evil Dead die-hards especially, there are jump scares and creep-outs, not to mention a malevolent book (the Darkhold, rather than the Necronomicon) and a cameo from Bruce Campbell, in which the poor guy is once more subjected to amusing abuse. It's a treat to behold Raimi back in action.
There are surprises a-plenty, too, with a bunch of fan-pleasing guest appearances you'll just have to see to believe.
“Action” being the key word, here. The movie cold-opens in the midst of a climactic battle-from-another-universe, in which Another Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his dimension-hopping companion America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) tussle with a demon made of lava and bandages. Within minutes, there's a second monster fight, this time on the streets of New York, and very soon after we get an epic showdown at sorcerer stronghold Kamar-Taj, which again has all the spectacle of any other film's finale. After that, it barely lets up for the next 80 minutes or so.
It's almost exhausting, but there's enough inventiveness to hold your focus. In one magical duel, for example, Strange weaponises the notes from sheets of piano music, tossing them like glowing shuriken, which adds a fascinatingly whimsical touch to the conflict. There are surprises a-plenty, too, with a bunch of fan-pleasing guest appearances you'll just have to see to believe. And there is also a hell of a body count.
Thankfully, it's all anchored by another strong turn from Cumberbatch as Marvel's surviving arrogant-super-dude-with-impeccable-facial-hair, who still reckons with his decision to enable Thanos' snap in Infinity War, as well as letting the woman he loved (Rachel McAdams' Christine) slip through his fingers. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Olsen explores a scary new side to Wanda with tragically charged gusto, and newcomer Gomez brings impressive warmth and feeling to a character who might otherwise have been rendered a walking MacGuffin.
The Multiverse Of Madness is noisy, frantic and at times a little messy, but it's never less than entertaining. The MCU faithful will cheer its numerous call-backs; Raimi-heads will groove on its Raiminess; and we suspect even those bewildered, unprimed viewers will at least appreciate the way it 100 per cent lives up to its title.
