A ‘Strange’ dimension: how Marvel’s approach to “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” has viewers clutching their arm chairs

Credit: Lucas Hoang

Disney is allowing us to experience yet another adventure in the Marvel universe. Although, it has been noted as “its scariest movie yet”, with Marvel seemingly taking a new approach to its genre.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is due to premiere in the United States, today, however earlier audiences have criticised the movie for its stomach-churning scenes.

Benedict Cumberbatch once again stars as the reputable neurosurgeon-turned-sorcerer, in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, its sequel to its 2016 debut, Doctor Strange.

IMDb states: “Dr. Stephen Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens the doorway to the multiverse, including alternate versions of himself, whose threat to humanity is too great for the combined forces of Strange, Wong and Wanda Maximoff.”

As exciting as that sounds, the trailer is quite surprising and fearful, as Marvel ventures into a genre they’ve never ventured into before.

The sequence begins with us entering into the world of Doctor Strange, as we experience his point of view, of a nightmare that is about to become a reality. Foretelling the horror, him, America Chavez and the Marvel world are yet to face, Strange awakens from the terrifying madness, staring into the broken lens of a watch as he tells the viewer how “the nightmare begins.”

From there, we divulge into a world wind of madness, as we suffer the consequences from the events of Spiderman-Man: No Way Home and the intensifying destructiveness of Scarlet WitchWanda Maximoff.

The trailer pans out, as we see multiple scenes: the terror of the people, Strange’s imprisonment by an outer terrestrial source, a quite evil and might I say, frightening “Strange” doppleganger, a power struggle between Wanda Maximoff and Doctor Strange, dimensions of the multiverse, other worldly creatures and the topping on the cake, Wanda’s version of a “Carrie” moment as she eerily stares into the camera as blood trickles down her forehead. Honestly, it’s quite ghastly and the sinister music doesn’t make it any better.

With an 89 percent audience score and a 77 percent rating on its “tomatometer”, critics and audiences alike give their unfiltered reviews of the PG-13 rated film on Rotten Tomatoes.

Critic Sara Michelle, from MovieFreak.com, posted: “It doesn’t happen immediately, but when it matters most, Raimi unleashes all of the crazy, comedically vaudevillian, blood-soaked, visually audacious tricks fans expect from him, and this sequel comes alive like no other MCU entry in recent memory.”

However, another critic, A.O Scott, from the New York Times said: “The story makes apocalyptic stakes — the fate of the multiverse; the struggle between good and evil — seem curiously trivial.”

Audiences also gave their opinions on the website.

Edwin P, posted: “This movie was a wild ride, filled with action and surprise. The horror elements were done really well and a refreshing new approach in the MCU. It felt the movie somewhat ignored Wanda’s story in WandaVision and retold Scarlet Witches arch in a slightly different way. Overall, a very enjoyable movie.”

Creamy S, said, however: “Crap, crap miserable crap, what is this? A mix of nonsense…disappointed in every single scene, it looks like a mix of Monster & C. and a grotesque horror movie that did not work well. Marvel is letting me down, only CGI, zero story, zero connection, zero everything. Unwatchable.”

Despite Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness incorporating more horror than the average superhero/fantasy genre Marvel mainly opts for, flaking its whimsical and fanciful approach, it still follows the Marvel recipe. Whilst horror hides around each corner, the excitement of the unexpected keeps its viewers intrigued.

Watch the new trailer o Dr Strange Multiverse of Madness below.

References: 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9419884/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/doctor_strange_in_the_multiverse_of_madness

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