The second installment in the Doctor Strange series, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, had a massive debut amassing $36 million in just one night. Doctor Strange 2 has much to offer for the future of the MCU, especially the first in-depth glimpse at what the multiverse looks like.
One of the most highly anticipated superhero movies has made its way to the big screen, and fan reactions span the spectrum of love and hate. Viewers have taken to Letterboxd to show their praise, disdain, or sometimes humorous reviews of the latest Marvel film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Raimi At The Wheel
Fans may have been skeptical of how much freedom Sam Raimi would have directing a Marvel movie of this caliber. Pairing his reputation for directing horror and his last superhero film being 15 years ago, reviews have been mixed on whether Raimi’s contribution to the MCU was satisfactory.
Letterboxd user Alex Leonce believes that Sam Raimi was free to make a “Sam Raimi” style movie. Alex writes that “for the most part, this is a pure Raimi movie, and it vastly shines when he gets to show off his trademarks.” Indeed, long-time fans of the Evil Dead director surprisingly saw elements of Raimi-style horror in a massive Marvel movie.
Marvel Does Raimi
Some fans saw through the Sam Raimi trademarks and claimed that the majority of the film was another film that fit the Marvel formula. Letterboxd user wootmovies argues that the film was “Marvel does Raimi, not the other way around. Watered down just enough to not scare off Feige and still authentic enough to keep his biggest fans happy.”
Almost all of Sam Raimi’s best movies are horror/thriller movies, barring Spider-Man 1 and 2. According to fans like wootmovies, this is a good movie to see but stylistic compromise solidified that it won’t land near his best work. Raimi may have had more freedom than most Marvel directors, but it wasn’t enough to make his next high-quality movie.
Multiverse of Midness
Doctor Strange 2 was a pivotal installment in the MCU Phase 4 timeline, and it offered many shocking scenes that people didn’t see coming. And yet, for all its revolutionary and lovable aspects, some still claim it didn’t satisfy their expectations.
Letterboxd user Declan Filtness shares an opinion on the film in a punny and humorous way, writing that the film is “more like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Midness.” In spite of the startling and often scary moments, it seems that fans couldn’t escape the mediocre portions of the film.
An Unbelievable Accomplishment
As fans entered theaters across the world, they likely had hopes that the latest Doctor Strange story would not disappoint. For Letterboxd user Hungkat, the work of Sam Raimi only seemed more impressive as the film progressed. Hungkat “couldn’t believe this was a real movie. It’s like I had dreamt it. Sam Raimi was insane for this. What he managed to accomplish” with a script this bad “is beyond what mere words could convey.”
Although the script lacked, it seems that Sam Raimi was still able to make a great film out of his resources for Doctor Strange 2. For some that aren’t particular fans of Marvel’s movie themes, this was an accomplishment unlike any other.
Top 5 Marvel Movie
Following his debut in 2016, Doctor Strange became a beloved character in the MCU. Benedict Cumberbatch starred in one of his best movies and gave Marvel fans a hint at what the multiverse would look like at the close of Phase 3. While it may not be considered one of the best Marvel movies in the wake of films like Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Captain America: Civil War, it is a well-respected addition to the height of the MCU.
Letterboxd user wes10 supposedly holds Doctor Strange 2 in high regards, writing that it is “one of my top 5 favorite Marvel movies!” This review is a bit humorous, as the rating for the film is a mere one and a half stars. If this is a top 5 Marvel movie, it is curious what other, non-top 5 films would be rated.
A Beautiful Mess
Even as a Marvel blockbuster film, Doctor Strange 2 has been criticized as incoherent and incomplete. With high expectations and hopes that the multiversal journey would culminate in cameos from various MCU characters, it may have been a letdown to see who Sam Raimi (and Marvel) decided to bring in for a surprise, ill-fated appearance.
This may be disappointing for Letterboxd user Sebas, but the Sam Raimi fan holds true to their conviction that there is still something positive about the film. Sebas writes, “it’s a mess but it’s a beautiful Sam Raimi mess.”
Better Than The First Doctor Strange
Whereas some movies in MCU series are more likable than others, the Doctor Strange series may be one of the harder ones to choose a favorite from. Not only are there only two installments to the series so far, they are wildly different in almost every way, except that they bring back many notable faces.
Letterboxd user kait makes note that they loved seeing Scarlet Witch as a villain. Secondly, kait notes that “the visuals in this were amazing, as they were in the first Doctor Strange movie, however this movie was actually good.” kait offers a low appraisal of the first Doctor Strange and apparently high approval for the second movie regarding story and visuals.
The Importance of Accepting Reality
Of all the madness that occurs throughout this two-hour multiversal ride, there are perceivable themes of morality that some fans noticed while watching. More obvious was the overall theme and conflict between the two magical books of good and evil in the film: the Darkhold and the Book of Vishanti.
Letterboxd user Darren points out that there are more nuanced moral themes in the movie, writing: “At its core, Multiverse of Madness is a story about the importance of accepting reality, and the danger when those in power pursue their nostalgic fantasy at any cost.” A well-written and insightful review, Darren points out the themes of “canon-immigrant-as-literal-immigrant” metaphors with Doctor Strange being a stranger in strange (and yet familiar) universes.
The New “I Love You 3,000”
Virtually every Marvel fan and many others may recognize one of the most popular and adorable lines from Avengers: Endgame, where Tony’s daughter Morgan tells her superhero dad, “I love you 3,000.”
Doctor Strange 2 has its own “I love you 3,000” moment. Letterboxd user kj points this out, claiming that “the real villain is the new “I love you 3,000″ variant that will take over the internet caption industry for the next few months.” This funny review is supposedly in reference to Doctor Strange’s confession of love to Christine Palmer (Earth-838), saying, “I love you in every universe.”
The Most Fun In A While
Everything in Doctor Strange 2, from promotional trailers and posters to the film itself, seems bleak. Apart from one peaceful scene in the trailer, the rest seems to be just what the title alludes to: madness. Perhaps a movie might be categorized as “fun” if it was a comedy or even light-hearted action, but this is an unlikely characteristic of Doctor Strange 2. Fans like James, however, found it extremely fun and perfect in many ways.
James writes that there was “amazing, AMAZING pacing and camera work, gay latin [representation], great performances especially from Elizabeth Olsen, I just loved this…Genuinely the most fun I’ve had in awhile [sic]!!”
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