“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”: a visual marvel with pacing problems | REVIEW WITHOUT SPOILERS

Many are the expectations that fall on “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”), film of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) which is not only presented as the continuation of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and the “WandaVision” series, but marks the return of sam raimi to the superhero movie after “Spider-Man 3″ (2007). Happily for fans of this genre, despite some issues with the film’s pacing, it manages to largely deliver on its promise and deliver an impressive and entertaining visual journey.

It’s only been a few months since we last saw Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) side by side with Peter Parker (Tom Holland), but the mystical arts master’s midlife crisis has been interrupted again with the arrival of of young America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), whose power to open portals between universes is coveted by a mysterious force. Thus, Strange will have to ask for the help of the Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong) and the avenging Wanda Maximoff to achieve a solution to this crisis.

The story may seem relatively simple at first, but the film falls into a complicated balancing act by not only having to advance Phase 4 of the MCU, but also continuing the narrative threads left by “WandaVision”, a Disney+ series that is a necessary complement to understand in depth the events of “Doctor Strange 2″.

This abundance of plot means that the film’s two-hour runtime doesn’t seem like enough to resolve the plot, causing pacing issues where the first half feels slow because of all the data exposure. It is not the only sin of the film that, without going into too many details, also falls into the indulgence of ‘fanservice’ already characteristic of films of the genre; although without the necessary justifications to accept their presence.

out of these stumbles, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is perhaps the most fascinating Marvel film I’ve seen in recent years. There is also the excellent soundtrack composed by Danny Elfman, to whom the film gives him a particular moment to shine in an unexpected way.

“The abundance of plot makes the movie’s two-hour runtime not seem like enough to resolve the movie’s plot.”

Meanwhile, Sam Raimi’s influence is strongly felt throughout the film, not only in his now-iconic camera moves, but also in his trademark blend of humor and horror that is reminiscent of movies like “Army of Darkness” ( 1992).

In terms of performances, Benedict Cumberbatch looks increasingly comfortable in his sixth appearance as the sorcerer, managing to show the complicated person behind the hero. For his part, Xochitl Gomez has a strong debut in the Marvel saga as América Chávez, where he generates sympathy and intrigues about the future of his character. But who stands out the most is Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, whose story is the column around which all the events of the film revolve, a burden that the actress manages to bear with apparent ease thanks to a performance rich in subtleties that hide her torment. .

This return to directing superheroes by Sam Raimi, who has more of “Spider-Man 3″ than “Spider-Man 2″, is still a nice addition to the Marvel Studios catalogue. Despite his problems, it is full of brilliant scenes where the filmmaker reaches into the deepest wells of his creativity to show us the madness promised by the film’s title.