This Review is brought to you by Kathy Kaiser
“You break the rules and become a hero. I do it and I become the enemy. That doesn’t seem fair…”
Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Rated PG-13 – 2h 6m
Directed by: Sam Raim
Written by: Michael Waldron
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Rachel McAdmas, and Patrick Stewart
As we venture back into the world of Marvel, post our last Dr. Strange sighting in Spiderman: No Way Home, the Universes are still dividing, making this new trip rather mind-bending. When Dr. Strange finds himself in the midst of total chaos, trying to save his new friend America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), it seems that all the Dr. Stephen Strange’s, both past and present, are about to collide, making this latest Marvel creation a rather discombobulated and rather dysfunctional ride…
Enter a favorite female Marvel hero, Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), as she struggles to find some semblance of peace in her own multi-dimensional existance, as even her encounters with Wong (Benedict Wong) seem really rather off, and very out of character, for this blazen telekinetic master…
Now, as Dr. Strange finds himself rather unstable, regardless of which dimension he’s venturing through, it seems he’s not only going to need his cloak, but some mental steadiness every step of the way too, if he’s going to be able to venture at will, into the next Marvel adventure that is about to unfold…
I give Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – 3 out of 5 stars: Madness isn’t the half of it, as you travel through time, and space, never really sure where you are headed, what’s happening next, or which Dr. Stephen Strange you’re going to get! Cumberbatch is enjoyable to view, regardless of which alter-dimension we are going through. The appearance of Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda turns dark really quick, as the Scarlet Witch consumes every inch of her psyche, and how! Young Xochitl Gomez, playing America Chavez is a perfect new addition to this film too, as her storyline is the much needed element to make this storyline come to fruition. Although I must say that I would have loved it if Wong (Benedict Wong), Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), and Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) would have had more screen time along the way, just as I hoped for a better understanding of the additional new characters that seemed to be popping up, around almost every corner. Say what you will, but I would enjoy these films more, if I had grown up reading more comics over my years, as it seems that both Marvel and DC are choosing to bring us closer to the lives that these Heroes and Villains inhabited amongst the pages of their comic book interactions, so I’ve been told by my dear friends, who live for these films. I must share too at this time that a couple of the new additions that ventured along with Dr. Strange in this film, ended up being a couple of actors that I totally love, so when things started getting redundant throughout all the many dimensions, I just fixated on the fact that some of my favorites were chosen to make this one! It’s also important to note that this latest installment is much darker than Dr. Strange’s previous adventures…so please don’t take the little ones to see it, as it’s rating of PG-13 is dead on with who should be venturing to the theater, and who shouldn’t. If you are a true Marvel fan, then of course you are heading out to see this film this weekend, but if you aren’t stoked every time a new Marvel film hits the big screen, then might I suggest you wait and catch this one on DVD or streaming, when it ventures in those dimensions instead…
3 out of 5
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 