Following recent releases in the world of heroes and villains, is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a highly anticipated addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
From the imaginings of horror-background director Sam Raimi, the film interweaves numerous sub-genres from Sci-Fi to, well, horror in a way that could’ve been a complete mess.
However, thanks to the guides of relatively easy-to-follow plot lines, captivating cinematography, and the features of numerous characters from the Marvel universe (something the New Yorker frowned upon as a corporate slog and almost one big promotion for many side stories), the film was able to soar away from mess and into the world of wonder (and an admittedly sad romance).
Without including spoilers, In The Multiverse explores the theory that there are multiple universes that take on a variant of strikingly different, yet eerily similar life paths for the characters. Through the character of America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) who can jump to these different universes, Doctor Stephen Strange embarks on a journey where he meets different versions of himself over and over again in different lives.
Strange and Wong (Benedict Wong) dedicate their sorcery to helping the juvenile America, the most wanted girl in the universe (by the bad guys and monsters) for her unique abilities.
Heroes turn into villains in this telling, as the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) runs the show on trying to capture America so that she can live a life in another universe where she is a doting mother. Whether this plot line was a little too Disney-esque for Marvel is a matter of debate, but probably fitting given Disney’s ownership of Marvel.
However, I will make the argument, writes Cape {town} Etc’s Ashleigh Nefdt, that it does at the very least offer something of introspection into the other side of the story that we don’t often see in hero films – the villain’s side. Whether it justifies the Scarlet Witch’s killing spree is probably unlikely, but at least we aren’t given a completely one-sided narrative.
Then there’s the sad romance between Strange and Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams). It’s a big sigh for most of us after we begin this chapter of Strange’s story at Christine’s wedding… to someone else. However, there are many Stranges and their Palmer ‘romances’ that add to the woes of the film, palatable food for thought for anyone who’s ever had a relationship go wrong and wondered “maybe in a different universe.”
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has seen both roaring praises and some fair criticism, but if you’ve been looking for a superhero-genre-meets-magic-and-horror collaboration, it certainly fits the bill, and will truly have you journeying on a mind-bending experience, and is the perfect film if you can’t pick just one genre.
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Picture: Disney