As a huge fan of Sam Raimi, I was beyond excited for the release of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. I had high expectations for the film, especially after seeing the impact Raimi had on the Spider-Man franchise and the incredible work he has done in other movies like The Evil Dead, The Gift, Drag Me to Hell, and even The Quick and the Dead.
To my surprise, the IMDB synopsis was misleading and not at all reflective of the movie I watched. Since this is a spoiler review, I won’t go too deep into the details, but I will say that if you’ve seen the film, you can check out my spoiler review which I will be posting soon.
As a filmmaker, Raimi has always held a special place in my heart, and I was eager to see what he would do with a Doctor Strange film. And I must say, he delivered in every aspect that I could have hoped for. The visuals and feel of the film were incredible, and I loved how it looked and sounded. The movie had a unique, singular feel, and it didn’t feel like just another MCU film.
Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch was a standout for me, and I thought she was the best she’s ever been in a Marvel movie (I’m not counting WandaVision as that was a TV show). Benedict Cumberbatch as Strange was also great, but for me, Scarlet Witch definitely outshined him in the film. I was also happy to see Raimi’s signature style of horror and gore throughout the movie. The fight with the octopus was a highlight for me, and the third act was a true horror movie experience with zombies, blood, and arms bursting out of walls.
However, while the first and third acts worked for me, there were portions of the second act that felt like it was part of a different movie. I have come to realize that these portions may have been forced reshoots and not part of the original draft.
I don’t have any factual evidence to back this up, but it’s very easy to see that the script may have been messy, and the characters and dialogue may have suffered as a result. I can only speculate that after the success of No Way Home, Marvel may have felt the pressure to put in some more “cool stuff” into Doctor Strange.
Sam Raimi has spoken about being satisfied with his experience on the film, but I can’t help but feel that a studio interfered with his vision, much like what happened in Spider-Man 3. As a fan, it makes me sad to see a director who is so passionate and wears his heart on his sleeve, be restricted in his creative expression.
Overall, I really enjoyed Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and I had a good time watching it. Despite the bumps along the way, the first and third acts, as well as some portions of the second act, really worked for me. I would still recommend the movie, but I do feel bad for Sam Raimi and the fact that this is the second Marvel movie in which a studio has interfered with his vision.
