'Doctor Strange 2' review: Jam-packed horror adventure with visual extravaganza
When Doctor Strange premiered in 2016, the narrative had complications and new characters to deal with but the movie was a remarkable visual spectacle. Now Doctor Stephen Strange is one of the most settled (and alive) Marvel Cinematic Universe characters, thus his sequel movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, came with expectations. So, how does it fare? Here's our detailed review.
Taking place after Spider-Man: No Way Home, Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) again finds himself babysitting another teenager here. This time, it's America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who is being chased by monsters for her ability to travel across multiverses. Naturally, a lot is left to uncover.
First things first, Doctor Strange 2 is one hell of a visual extravaganza. It's something Marvel almost always does well, so no guesses there. What takes us on a trip is the horror element that director Sam Raimi has imbibed. I internally shrieked in at least two-three places and the 3D show wasn't helping either. Marvel's growing involvement with the on-screen evil is interesting.
Speaking of the horror factor, Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch is at her best. Be it the emotional moments, the awe-inspiring action, or her menacingly steely gaze, Olsen is the highlight of this film. Cumberbatch (as Strange from multiple universes) is the link that binds us through the fast-moving narrative and is equally charming and strong as and when the action requires.
Benedict Wong (Wong), Rachel McAdams (Christine), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Mordo), and Michael Stühlbarg (Dr. Nicodemus West) make up the primary cast. But, none of them get any extra arc or backstory or digression. And, here we arrive at the drawback. The film is so occupied with the big "fight" that events keep piling on each other until everything gets resolved at the end too easily.
What it's worth, the Hollywood flick will fill you up with several wow moments. Be it surprise characters or surprise organizations, unraveling these in a hall full of Marvel fanatics is surely exciting. Also, do stay for the two post-credit scenes (winks). Verdict: 4/5 stars. Sadly, the teaser for Avatar: The Way of Water wasn't attached to Doctor Strange 2, at least not everywhere.
