Why is the multiverse so dang complicated? I’m late talking about this, but feel compelled to mention Dr. Strange. I thought it was good, not great. Haunting, not heroic. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it, but I missed the Marvel-ness of it.
Visually Dr. Strange is quite interesting. There are weird, chaotic and creative effects that I haven’t seen before. Too much time was spent defining and traveling the multiverse instead of building character motivations. A lost background actor steals one scene.
Xochitl Gómez as America Chavez is at times refreshing, but mostly distracting since everything else is so dark and she is quite a sparkle. Elizabeth Olsen is dripping with angst as Wanda Maximoff, but I could care less about that entire story arc. She seems to just scream agony and melancholy. Rachel McAdams is out of place, but I guess that’s because she’s on her way out as Dr. Strange’s love interest.
Fun visit from Mr. Fantastic who they can’t seem to get right, and other “heroes” brought in to play victims (or offering future spinoffs, we shall see). I would love to see more Wong sorcery and storyline.
I think the earlier rounds of the Dr. Strange story and his presence in other films was more invigorating and purposeful. There’s less of his “human” side at this point, so we’re going to have to just accept him as a wizard who travels through alternate universes. The fear of the end of the world is bigger than one’s own evolution or inability to reunite with the lost love of his life, who we will apparently soon meet.
This installment in the MCU left me more confused than satisfied. A visual stunner with incredible effects, heavy on the arrogance and intelligence, and lacking emotional connections for me.