Weekend Watch - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where, this week, I’m gonna give you the rundown on whether or not you should go see Marvel’s latest film – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This is the second multiversal film that the Weekend Watch has covered, which means the multiverse is here for the foreseeable future in entertainment. Doctor Strange builds on the ideas of the Marvel multiverse introduced in the Disney+ Loki show last summer and expanded upon in Spider-Man: No Way Home last December.
Letter Grade: A-, pretty solid; one of the most fun Marvel movies of Phase 4
Should you Watch This Film? Obviously, Marvel fans should watch this film; Sam Raimi fans should watch this film; fans of creative action sequences should watch this film; if you are looking for entertainment, you should definitely watch this film.
Why?
Firstly, for Marvel fans, Multiverse of Madness feels like it’s setting up the direction of the next ten years of Marvel content. Yes, the film explores the concept of the Multiverse a little bit more, but it also sets up some exciting new properties to be explored in films in the next cycle, some of which we knew about and some we only had assumptions about. This film is a reset and tone-setter for the next few phases of Marvel content beyond just Dr. Strange and Wanda/Scarlet Witch. Some Marvel fans may be disappointed because there are not enough cameos or there’s not enough Multiverse action, but I felt like it worked for me, and I had a great time. For Raimi fans, this Marvel film allowed him to exhibit his brand of horror pretty fully. I’ve seen multiple reviews talking about the gore and horror in this film, which for a Marvel movie was definitely high. Director Sam Raimi was fully allowed to play in the space that he was given, creating what I hope most Raimi fans will agree is both a solid Raimi film and solid Marvel film. Finally, if you don’t fit into either of the above categories, I think this film still works as a pure entertainment piece. The action and character connections in this film are really fun! Each major character has a moment to shine and showcase their superhero abilities in new and incredibly satisfying ways. One fight in particular is definitely the most original fight scene in the MCU, and I’d put it up against most other famous fight scenes in terms of entertainment value and originality. Overall, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a reminder of how fun superhero films can be, an excellent addition to the Raimi catalogue of films, and a solid tone-setter for the future of the MCU. It’s definitely worth going to see while it’s out in theaters.