Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Review – Sam Raimi works his magic

There’s a chase scene through a series of tunnels in the latter part of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that had me grinning like an idiot at the sheer genre ballsiness of it all. I had never before seen its like in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as this much-anticipated superhero sequel intentionally leaned into B-movie horror tropes with a manic recklessness that was a joy to behold. Like so many of the great scenes to be found in this movie, it was creepy, it was campy, it was a ton of fun. And I really can’t tell you anything about it.

Such is the problem when reviewing this latest Marvel Studios blockbuster offering – a film that has had a spell of secrecy worthy of Benedict Cumberbatch’s titular magical superhero cast over it. Trailers have teased only snippets, selectively curated to drive the MCU’s rabid fanbase to froth and fervor with their potential extended franchise ramifications, while not even showing who the central villain is.

I’m definitely not spoiling any of those reveals, so here’s what I will say: With the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home behind him, Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch) may have thought that he was done with multiversal calamity. That is until a mysterious young girl, America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), literally drops into his life being pursued by otherworldly nasties. These creatures have the flavor of witchcraft about them, prompting Strange to reach out to witchy fellow Avenger Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) – still dealing with the traumatic events in WandaVision – for help. And who/what is after America will determine nothing less than the fate of the entire multiverse.

Screenwriter Michael Waldron – fresh from actually launching the Marvel multiverse in Loki – doesn’t give us the most complex script here, even though there are definitely a few zigs when you expect zags. But even when those zags are somewhat anticipated thanks to investigative fanboy theorizing, they still land with a wallop when seen on screen. Some critics will deride these twists as being nothing more than gratuitous comic book fan service, but I am a comic book fan who wants to be serviced, damn it, and so I whooped in delight in the IMAX cinema.

However, as celebratory as these jaw-droppers may be, they’re not what surprised me most about this film. For most of the opening act of Multiverse of Madness, we get treated to a bout of Marvel Studios’ very well-oiled “house style” of filmmaking. It’s not bad by a long shot – quite enjoyable actually – it’s just… par for the course, as the action is shiny, big-budget spectacle with nary a pixel out of place, while characters alternate between cracking wise or staring worried into the face of danger. We’ve seen this before. The real twist here is director Sam Raimi.

Having ushered in the age of superhero cinema with his early-2000s Spider-Man trilogy, Raimi should be no secret weapon. When original director Scott Derrickson revealed he wouldn’t be returning for this sequel, it bummed out many fans as he had spearheaded the fractal psychedelic trippiness that made the first Doctor Strange film stand out so much. And while fans applauded a big name like Raimi as replacement, many thought the Hollywood filmmaking-by-committee approach would force him to conform to what came before and also what came next in the meticulously planned MCU.

That’s that not what happens here though. Instead, once Multiverse of Madness’ early establishing scenes are done, Raimi – much like Marvel directing compatriots James Gunn, Taika Waititi, and Chloe Zhao – gets to let his distinct voice shine through. And it’s not only the veteran’s previous superhero work that gets evoked here, but also the cult favourite horror stylings that first made his name, complete with a number of surprisingly gory and shocking kills.

Don’t worry, this isn’t a blood-soaked slasher-fest, but rather something more akin to Raimi’s schlocky Evil Dead franchise, as deliciously fun as it is dark. Zoom cuts, off-kilter framing, eerie close-ups and the like abound, as the filmmaker brings all his tools to bear, including a suitably unhinged score from Danny Elfman, to give Multiverse of Madness a deliciously kooky visual identity all its own.

The cast, for their part, make a meal of it. Cumberbatch, now a proper veteran in this gig, is just the right balance of Marvel-patented charm and snark. Perennial scene stealer Wong (Benedict Wong) is back to his dry-humour cinematic larceny, while Gomez’s spunky rendition of the fan-favourite America Chavez is an instant hit (and gets me even more hyped for the inevitable Young Avengers movie Marvel is almost certainly cooking up). Of course, it’s Olsen who is the real MVP here, continuing the powerhouse performance she gave us in WandaVision. She also gets to play the most in that genre wheelhouse Raimi has created, sinking her teeth into all sorts of horror tropes with gusto.

The result of all of this is a film that is very much COMIC BOOK in full capital letters, for better or worse. In the case of the latter, there’s not much in terms of subtle character work or layered storytelling, outside of a handful of instances. But in the case of the former, with Raimi’s gleeful horror approach, and the film’s big story beats and bombastic set-pieces, it felt like paging through a classic issue of Marvel’s Strange Tales and being hit with one wide-eyed splash page after another. Just how much the prospect of that sort of throwback comic book storytelling and Raimi’s early filmography appeals to you will inform a lot about whether you will enjoy this film or not. Personally, I’m mad about it.