Thankfully, the Multiverse of Madness is in the hands of director Sam Raimi, who excels at the genre - especially adding humor in the mix, always a crucial element in a Marvel movie.
The story almost defies description (at least when you're trying to be careful not to spoil anything), but here goes.
It revolves around young America Chavez, (the lovely Xochitl Gomez) a teen from an alternate universe who discovers she has the ability to travel between realities in the multiverse - and a sinister force is trying to take that power from her, at the cost of her life.
She's trying to escape from a terrifying monster Shuma Gorath when Doctor Strange (an always magnetic Benedict Cumberbatch) and Sorcerer Supreme Wong (the delightful Benedict Wong) rush to her rescue - and then they try to protect her from the force that's pursuing her.
Strange decides to recruit help from fellow Avenger Wanda Maximoff / the Scarlet Witch (another amazing, heartfelt performance by Elizabeth Olsen). The ensuing story takes the cast to alternate realities, a delight of cameos with the Illuminati (hey, the commercials already spoiled that one) - two of the members of that group got the biggest crowd reaction in our sold-out theatre.
There are massive battles (including a delightful music-based one), some heart strings to pluck at as Strange encounters past love Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), some horrific moments (usually accompanied by a laugh of delight at the cleverness involved), and some startling revelations about some other Doctor Stranges out there in the Multiverse.
This movie covers a lot of ground, but I have to admit, I enjoyed it throughout. The challenge of Stephen Strange is similar to that of Tony Stark - how do you make someone who's not always the most lovable guy around into a hero you can root for? The answer is by giving him challenges to overcome (with smart, clever solutions), and having him do the right thing even when it isn't easy - the true mark of a hero.
I loved this film, and certainly hope they keep this cast (and Sam Raimi) busy far into the future!
------------------
Grade: A
No comments:
Post a Comment