Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) Review

After a long wait, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has finally come to cinemas and today and I have watched it and here is my review for what was my most anticipated film of 2022. The premise of the film sees after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Stephen Strange has to deal with more misgivings with the Multiverse that could lead to major ramifications. 

Main Character

Benedict Cumberbatch is once again back as Dr Stephen Strange and he is fantastic in the role. The film does a really good job of expanding his character, as in the recent team up films we haven't had a huge chance to do that. This film continues his character journey from the original film and Cumberbatch absolutely nails it. 

Supporting Characters

After WandaVision I truly realised just how great Elisabeth Olsen is as Wanda Maximoff and she shines here. Her character is given real shine here and her development is probably my favourite part of the film and I am glad it is given the time and justice for the character and actress. Benedict Wong gets more screen time as Wong and he is actually one of the most underrated characters in the MCU and I love the dynamic between him and Cumberbatch as they have developed into one of my favourite partnerships and this is the most we have seen of it. Xochitl Gomez plays America Chavez and she is a fun character, I don't really know anything about her character in the comics but she was a well fleshed out character here. Again the dynamic between her and Strange is well realised and feels like a friendship that we can care about. Rachel McAdams is back as Christine Palmer and she is better realised here then she was in the previous film and I liked how her character was used throughout the film. 

Story 

The story is good, this film does plenty of good character work and the main characters progress nicely and it really helps with the plot. You understand where they are all coming from and how things progress feels fluid. But, this film doesn't hit all the points, there are things from the previous film that are seemingly ignored and I understand it couldn't quite fit here but I was disappointed that it was clearly ignored. Also one character's ending didn't quite work for me and I think it could have been handled a bit better. 

Script 

The script is really good, the mix of humour and drama is really well realised. This film actually feels quite unique considering it is in the MCU but the writing is still really clever and it just suits this film. 

Style 

The film looks amazing, he film doesn't jump all over the place with its aspect ratio this time which is great. The CGI looks amazing and the tone is so interesting. This is the closest the MCU will ever get to a horror film and these elements feel really unique to a Marvel film and that made it really stand out to me. It is actually paced really well, which I was a little worried about and despite a lot going on it manages to all link up well. 

Overall

Overall, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a fantastic film, you have to have watched the first Doctor Strange and WandaVision to truly appreciate it but this unique and entertaining film is definitely worth the watch. 

Rating - 9/10

Doctor Strange (2016) Review

I am off to see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in a few hours, so I decided to re-watch the original Doctor Strange film and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees an arrogant neurosurgeon get drawn into the mystical arts in order to try and cure himself. 

Main Character

Benedict Cumberbatch plays Doctor Stephen Strange and he is great in the role. He plays both the arrogant Doctor and the Sorcerer really well and he feels natural as both. He is quite funny and as the film progresses and you see his character develop and grow an understanding on what he has to do as the character of Doctor Strange. It is a great introduction to the character and would lead to him being a big addition to the MCU. 

Supporting Characters 

There was some controversy when Tilda Swinton was cast as The Ancient One but I thought she was really good and there is real depth to her performance. You go in expecting one thing and the film makes you thinking other things about her and this is big credit to the performance from Swinton. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Mordo and he is was a pretty cool character too, he takes up a mentor role for Strange but his character also gets time to develop and he progresses nicely with this new arrival totally changing his role as a sorcerer. Benedict Wong plays Wong and he is good in the smaller role he is given, the chemistry between him and Cumberbatch is good and it is a nice taster to what we would see in later film. Rachel McAdams plays Christine Palmer & Mads Mikkelsen plays Kaecilius, both are fine in there role and do nothing wrong it is a slight shame they weren't given more to do but they are both decent actors that try their best. 

Story

This is an effective origin story for Doctor Strange, it isn't the most unique one but it does a good job of building this character up and bringing this crazy wizarding world into play that was new to the MCU at this point. But some of the plot doesn't quite hold up, mainly the romance and villain plots, they just feel underdeveloped and like they were an afterthought which is a shame as it is a big part of the film. 

Script

The script is good, it is what is to be expected for a film in The MCU. There is a good blend of humour and drama and it pretty much all works. The characters are developed well and the plot is handled well enough for an introduction of a new character. 

Style 

The film looks amazing, the magic looks incredible and so unique. Seeing this on screen is mind blowing and there wasn't really much that could reach these levels. When it is in the IMAX shots it looks stunning and absolutely incredible. Unfortunately, the film transitions between the IMAX and normal Aspect Ratio way too much and it is really jarring, I wish they had stuck to one or the other as it really takes away from this amazing looking film. 

Overall  

Overall, Doctor Strange is a great origin film and does a really effective job in building this character for his debut and it is worth a watch for sure. 

Rating - 8/10

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Review

Finally, the biggest film Spider-Man: No Way Home has hit cinemas and I had to go see it as early as possible. Now I have watched it, here is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees Spider-Man's secret identity revealed, he tries to get Doctor Strange's help to fix things but this leads to some unwanted visitors from other universes to cause problems for both of them. 

Main Character 

Tom Holland has played Spider-Man for a while now and for me this is his best performance in the role. You really see how he has grown and this film shows real depth to the character and how he has kind of grown up into this crazy world. He doesn't have much rest in the film and it really pushes Holland to impress in the majority of his scenes and I thought he was great in really making Spider-Man a top hero in The MCU. 

Supporting Characters

Zendaya plays MJ and I was just really happy to see the dynamic between her and Peter in this film. Despite everything that goes on they are a pretty strong couple and it is just nice for a comic book film to have a relationship that feels natural without overpowering the main plot. Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as Doctor Strange and he is really good, I really like how despite being a hero he has a more mature and different viewpoint to Spider-Man. He adds some really interesting parts to the film and plays a unique role in the progress of the story and Spider-Man as a character. Jacob Batalon is back as Ned and he is much better then the role he played in Far From Home. He is just a fun character that supports Peter, he is way more involved with Spider-Man and that improves his character so much. Marisa Tomei is back as Aunt May and again she is more involved this time out and is just a really great person for Holland to bounce off and the dynamic just really works and makes their relationship feel very real. Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx reprise their roles as Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus and Electro. Dafoe and Molina are great and really flourish in their roles, but the surprise is Foxx as Max Dillon/Electro. He is so much better then he was in Amazing Spider-Man 2 and I am glad he got given this 2nd chance here. 

Story 

The story is really great, I was worried with all of the multiverse elements that the focus could have been taken off of a character arc for Spider-Man but it nails this element. Peter has a real arc and it develops incredibly well and for me was a real highlight. It is obviously great seeing the returning villains and they are treated with respect and their characters are further explored. The ending feels deserved and because you are so invested it feels really earnt. 

Script

MCU films often get criticised for their scripts including too much humour in them, but I actually think the balance is really handled well here. Yes there are funny moments here but for me they didn't outweigh the serious and darker parts of the film. 

Style 

The film looks great, the actions scenes are all really fun and seeing The MCU Spider-Man going against villains from the other franchises works very well and allows for some fun sequences. The pacing for the film is also really good, despite being 2 hours 30 mins it never felt too long and I honestly believe that there isn't really any filler here which is an impressive feat. 

Overall

Overall, Spider-Man: No Way Home is an epic film that really lives up to the hype. I am possibly still buzzing because I have just watched the film but I can't find too much fault and this is a Spider-Man fans dream film and anybody will find this film plenty of fun. 

Rating - 10/10