Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review says it’s both darker and lighter than most other Marvel offerings, with special effects that can still thrill and chill.

We all knew going in that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would not be like any other film in the Marvel Universe. Taking a cue from its 2016 predecessor and going two steps further and darker, it’s one big gyrating, twirling kaleidoscope of a movie, sure to dazzle some and doze others.

The plot, like the production design, is complicated. In the beginning, when we’re first introduced to young teenager America Chavez (game newcomer Xochitl Gomez), it feels a bit like a kids’ movie. An all too saccharine sweet alternate universe seems to confirm that.

But the dark threads throughout make it a little too scary for the  young, and a little more interesting for the sophisticated. Director Sam Raimi (The Grudge, Evil Dead, Drag Me to Hell and Spiderman 2 and 3) gives it such an edge that some are calling it the first horror movie in the Marvel Universe.

In essence, Dr. Strange, (a typically debonaire but conflicted Benedict Cumberbatch) must hurl through the metaverse with America in order to thwart the dark plans of the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), that threaten the very existence of everyone, everywhere.

Dr. Strange’s magical martial arts mentor Wong (Benedict Wong) and his rival Mordo (Chewitel Ejiofor) join in the cause, and lost love Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) is also a hindrance and a help, depending on the universe she’s inhabiting at the time.

Speaking of alternate universes, the mad dash through dozens at the beginning is thrilling, crazy and wild, but once the characters start prolonged visits to them, you’ll find there are a few too many. They start to lose their wonder and intrigue after awhile, and you find yourself saying, “Oh no! Not another one! Can we just get on with it?”

Dedicated Marvel fans will doubtless see this film en masse, but if you’re not an avid Marvel geek with a photographic memory, I’d suggest you rewatch the 2016 Doctor  Strange and take in Wanda Vision on Disney+ in order not to be lost.

And you certainly won’t have the time or inclination to watch the last three Avengers movies, but at least look them up on Wikipedia to see what role Dr. Strange played in all that. That should keep you from losing yourself in the many worlds of this film.

Rated PG-12

2 Hours 6 Minutes

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Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review says it’s both darker and lighter than most other Marvel offerings, with special effects that can still thrill and chill.