'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' spoiler-free review: What do critics think?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe just got Raimi-ed.
That's the general consensus driving reviews of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, directed by Spider-Man, The Evil Dead, and Drag Me To Hell director Sam Raimi. Raimi's propensity for horror and strangeness is in full display in Marvel's latest, which sees Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) hopping through the multiverse in order to protect the powerful yet untrained America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez).
According to critics, Multiverse of Madness has a lot going for it: a (mostly) distinct style, some of Marvel's most gonzo fight scenes yet, and fan service with a cheeky twist. It certainly isn't perfect, suffering from clunky exposition, MacGuffins galore, and the ever-present need to slot neatly into the MCU's master plan. But overall, critics praised the film (and Raimi) for trying its best to think outside the box.
Here's what critics are saying about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Sam Raimi brings his signature style to the MCU
Does Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness deliver sky fights, superhero spectacle, fan service cameos, and a soaring score? You betcha. But it does all this through a Raimi lens that is more violent, more cornball, and much, much grosser than the MCU has dared go before. This is Raimi’s most Raimi superhero movie yet, playing like Spider-Man versus The Evil Dead 2.
Raimi and all of his campy, cheesy quirks can't help but pop to the surface. The result is a horror-tinged trip that is as macabre and gnarly as Marvel has ever been, and as muted as Raimi has ever been. But even at his most muted, Raimi gives us one hell of a ride.
Raimi starts transforming this super-sized episode of What If? into a carnival of souls complete with legitimate (if gentle) jump-scares, a wild take on the house of mirrors, flourishes of unsettling body horror, Benedict Wong kicking all sorts of ass, and a camera that is ready to be attached to anything at any time so long as it’s moving really fast.
Raimi’s full range of weirdness and spookiness is on full display from start to finish here. Whether it’s through the creatures, Raimi-specific cameos, or just the vibe, fans familiar with his filmography are going to be able to call out plenty of moments bearing Raimi’s signature.
Multiverse of Madness is deliciously violent (thanks, Raimi)
What Raimi brings to the table is unabashed grossness. Forget the glossiness of Cosmic Marvel. From the first monster to attack on Manhattan, there is glop in this movie. Tentacles dripping with ooze is just the beginning. There will be blood. There will be gore. There will be so much of it that you might well wonder how Marvel Entertainment managed to get a PG-13 rating from the MPAA.
The way that Raimi's influence most obviously exerts itself is in the surprising brutality of Multiverse of Madness. Marvel has often cut away from violence in favor of a more sanitized view of superheroes, but Multiverse of Madness flirts with horror in a manner that gives us some of our goriest deaths yet.
All hail Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch
Olsen runs away with the film in her tortured, grief-stricken depiction of Wanda's downward spiral as she's driven to terrible deeds in the name of her children.
Los Angeles Times, Justin Chang
Building on the stealth emotionalism of her WandaVision arc, Olsen does possibly her most impressive work since her stellar debut in the 2011 independent drama Martha Marcy May Marlene.
Olsen’s performance generates an operatic fire even as she’s styled like a barefoot mom soaked in Carrie White’s blood.
A fun mess hampered by multiverse exhaustion
Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is a ride, a head trip, a CGI horror jam, a what-is-reality Marvel brainteaser and, at moments, a bit of an ordeal. It’s a somewhat engaging mess, but a mess all the same.
The Hollywood Reporter, John Defore
Three of Marvel’s biggest recent features (including one of its best, Into the Spider-Verse) are built entirely upon hopping between parallel universes; throw in similar ideas like time machines that cause splintering timelines, and the conceit starts to look like a franchise-sustaining crutch.
The Verge, Charles Pulliam-Moore
Unlike No Way Home, though, where the multiverse was framed as being more like part of the landscape its heroes had to navigate, Multiverse of Madness treats the concept like a plot device meant to move its story forward.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is in theaters May 6.