By

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness

This can’t have been easy

Capable of putting in a poor performance (no matter how hard he tries). The special effects, especially in the spaces between the numerous universes the title implies, are high-energy and original, not an easy thing to do in this age of CGI overload. Elizabeth Olsen shines as a possessed supervillain. 

Minuses: It’s a Marvel Comics Universe picture, and although Raimi wisely keeps things centered on Doc S’s story, MCU flicks usually require a bunch of Avengers to show up at some point and fight among themselves before getting down to any serious villain-bashing. Check. And while the concept of multiple universes certainly allows greater imaginative craziness, it also diminishes the importance of events in any given universe. Like deaths. 

Bottom line, a professionally made superhero movie that hits all its marks and will please MCU fans. But the best of this dumb genre have always stressed a human element, and that’s lacking here.  (126 min)