“Doctor Strange”: MCU’s First Horror Film

Release Date：May/6/2022

Genre：Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Director：Sam Raimi

Cast：Benedict Cumberbatch、Elizabeth Olsen、Rachel McAdams、Chiwetel Ejiofor、Benedict Wong

Viola's Rating：7.2

Almost six years after Doctor Strange’s origin feature film was released, Marvel Studios decided to launch its very first film with horror elements. Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) led its audience into multiverse through “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” and things are going to get out of control once again in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” on May 6th, 2022.

Actually, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” isn’t a horror flick, but an adventurous fantasy action. Its main plot is about how a forbidden spell opens the doorway to the multiverse and what happens afterwards. Combining the Disney+ series “WandaVision” and “What If…?,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” features the combined forces of Strange, Wanda Maximoff and Wong.

Since most of the first-generation Avengers already left MCU, there aren’t many crossovers of characters moviegoers are familiar with in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” However, there are interesting cameos that can’t be revealed whom Marvel aficionados will be thrilled to see.

When Marvel meets scary elements, a director who are familiar with both are needed. Director Sam Raimi is famous for his horror works such as “Army of Darkness,” “Darkman” and “The Evil Dead,” but at the same time, he’s also the director of the classic “Spider-Man” series. Therefore, body gore and creepiness are what the audience will see in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” at least there’s the Zombie Strange shown in the trailer, and that’s the reason why the picture is PG-13.

Even if “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” has nothing to do with MCU’s latest Disney+ series “Moon Knight,” if you’ve seen it, you’ll find many familiar elements in the feature film.

Aside from the usual Marvel fan baits, the multiverse itself presents moviegoers with many different appearances and aspects of Doctor Strange. The jaw-dropping special visual effects even pushed “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” to the next level, making it a real visual feast.

However, despite amazing cameos and brilliant visual effects, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” lacks core values. We neither see character growth in the film nor take away any valuable virtues out of it. It’s just a flick made for fans.

All in all, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is a satisfying motion picture, but it can’t even rank in the first half of Marvel movies. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” doesn’t even bother to explain details to non-fan audience as if assuming all moviegoers have seen the Disney+ series “WandaVision” and “What If…?”

Picture Credit: IMDb