“Doctor Strange” Lacks Madness

PHOTO: (Courtesy / Marvel Studios)

By Jihan Moon,

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) first foray into horror. Yet, the movie still feels like average, conventional MCU fare.

In order to protect universe-hopping America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) from a corrupted Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) must traverse the multiverse and face his own past mistakes, as well as the mistakes of his variants.

Directed by Sam Raimi, known for “Evil Dead” and “Spider-Man”, seemed like the perfect fit for melding horror and superheros. However, with this film, Raimi doesn’t attempt to intertwine the two genres, but instead opts to intersperse campy horror elements throughout.

The tonal changes are jarring; they feel forced into the film and don’t come about organically. This creates an overall bland watch.

This issue is exacerbated by the inconsistent performances by the cast.

Cumberbatch is a brilliant, versatile actor who is capable of making even the most staid characters interesting. In previous MCU projects, his Doctor Strange has been charismatic with one of the most visually interesting power sets.

However, in this, Cumberbatch is phoning it in. It is obvious that he is not putting in any substantial effort and just coasts on his persona.

Newcomer Gomez is best known for her work on “The Baby-Sitters Club” and Disney Channel. Her casting is befuddling.

She brings the same over-the-top, cutesy acting style seen on children’s sitcoms to this role, which does not translate well to the big screen.

Beyond that, she is completely different from the America Chavez from the comics. Not only is she lighter-skinned, she also lacks the tenaciousness of the comic book version.

The stand out of the cast and far and away the most arresting part of the film, Olsen gives a wild, intense performance. She is the only cast member to even attempt to match the horror tone with her performance.

Olsen’s performance is like a circus act. She is juggling the campy horror tone, the traditional MCU tone, and the grief and corruption her character is facing all while staying true to her previous performances as the Scarlet Witch.

For a movie called “Multiverse of Madness”, there is a distinct lack of multiverse and madness. The characters visit only a handful of different universes and each one isn’t all that different from one another. The lack of imagination is palpable.

As for the “madness”, there is only one scene that truly feels bonkers. But, ultimately, the movie plays it too safe to live up to it’s name.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is in theatres now.