Are You Happy? 4 / 5
Released in UK Cinemas: 5th May 2022
Directed by Sam Raimi.
Doctor Strange, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
After No Way Home and Loki, Marvel delves further into the multiverse with the latest Doctor Strange installment which lives up to its titular madness.
Sam Raimi takes the directorial reins and it was exhilarating to see him bring his visual flair to the screen infusing his horror roots and dynamic camera work into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although I was surprised by how dark they managed to take this narrative, there were a few moments where the 12A/PG-13 rating held it back from reaching its full potential.
Benedict Cumberbatch leads playing multiple variants of Doctor Strange and I loved Xochitl Gomez's America Chavez, though I am excited to see her character branched out further than a glorified plot device. But it's Elizabeth Olsen that steals the show putting in a daring performance exploring what the Scarlet Witch is truly capable of.
There's much in Multiverse of Madness that should be discovered on the big screen and I felt very fortunate to dodge many of the spoilers and hints that the internet and the marketing threw the audience's way, especially in the weeks leading up to the release. As admittedly exhilarating it is in the moment, I hope this phase of bottled nostalgia and potential cameos calms down soon as it's a habit that is increasingly distracting from the film itself.
The excitement surrounding a new Marvel release is always intoxicating but Raimi helps to elevate a thematically heavy film that lives up to its mind-bending predecessor while setting up for an equally eye-opening future.
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