Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

I don't know, man. The movie felt like a 126 minutes long teaser for... something. They should've let Sam Raimi do his thing and release the actual cut of the film. Raimi himself said his version was around 160 minutes, which is necessary for a movie of this scope.

This is why I think the MCU should've hit the brakes after Avengers: Endgame. I know it was a bit disappointing, but was an ending nonetheless. Not every single Marvel comic book out there has be filmed.

After months of hype, we are left with a mess of a story that is mostly just CGI blobs, some light shows and some boring dialogue. I loved the first Strange movie, it's my second favorite after Captain America Winter Soldier. So this was extra disappointing.

Firstly, you're not going to have any idea what's going on with the main antagonist unless you watched the Disney+ show Wandavision. Even though I did watch it, it had been months, and I didn't remember all the details, so her whole backstory fell flat. This movie was less about Strange and more about her.

There's also a subplot involving Strange's old flame, but since we only saw them as exes in the previous film, it Didn't really feel that impactful.

There's also an obligatory teen sidekick, which I guess is now standard in the Phase IV fully Disneyized MCU. She might have been interesting, but she's just there as a macguffiin and has no real personality.

There's also random cameos from other Marvel properties, I'm beginning to see these bits of crossover fan service are the sole purpose of having a multiverse.

Seriously, I don't know why I keep giving my money to this franchise. Black Widow, Eternals, Shang Chi and now Dr Strange 2, have all been dull, uninspired CGI crap fests, that rely entirely on cameos and fan service to keep people coming back. Let's just face it, Hollywood milked all they could from Marvel. It's time to give the franchise ( and maybe all superhero movies)a good 10-15 year rest and reboot it after audiences grow nostalgic.

Sam Raimi definitely put a splash of horror in this action film. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is darker & more violent than any previous MCU movie, which could be considered a strength. However, I felt like there was not enough multiverse and maybe too much madness. Despite the entertaining visuals, the plot is fairly chaotic, and the acting & dialogue are inconsistent. This movie is an entertaining ride, but it's a little too messy to stand on its own.

While this film has a more grim tone than its predecessors it's still a Marvel film at heart. Of course it would take Sam Raimi to find the perfect blend of comic-book-movie, horror, fantasy and slapstick. He might be working with a massive budget now, but the man stays true to his roots and sticking with what he knows pays off.

The pacing may seem disjointed or fragmented at times, but I feel that only reflects the complex nature of the multiverse within the film. Maybe it's not like other groundbreaking MCU films, but ultimately this is an entertaining feature.

The overall pacing is relentless and the sequel shows its hand a lot earlier than you'd expect. There's been endless speculation from fans about the villain, which i won't spoil here, but it's revealed surprisingly quickly.

You can't help that feel somewhere in the multiverse, there's a better version of this movie that exists.