A REVIEW By Kyle Trull

   Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness was an eight out of ten on my scale. 

There were many great cinematic moments as well as new and returning characters. Somehow, though, I felt like the old Marvel feeling was lacking.

  In this latest addition to the MCU, Doctor Strange finally shows us why he is one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe. Before this movie, he wasn’t a very strong hero, and even though his powers were very fascinating, I didn’t think he could compete with Thor or Iron Man. 

  This movie, however, proved all of that wrong. In all of the fighting scenes, Strange was a person not to mess with. The spells, as well as the split-second decisions he made, made it fun to watch, and the action scenes were profound.

  One thing I loved, but hated, was the character of Wanda. It is a talent and a director's job for the characters to invoke multiple emotions in the audience, and this is the perfect example. Every time she appeared on the screen, I wanted to get up and leave. It made me sick. Some of this passionate reaction to Wanda comes from the surprise at her role as the villain. Before going in, I thought she would help Strange and fix what she had done in the Disney+ show Wandavison. But boy was I wrong. She somehow became one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel Universe. She played this amazing role well, but it was not the role I wanted.

  A critique I have is there was so much going on in the movie. Don’t get me wrong, the different shots, fight scenes, and scenery of the different parts of the multiverse in the movie were great, but it was missing the classic Marvel feeling. Every other Marvel movie brings back old mementos from earlier movies. In this one, however, it just seemed like they wanted the movie to look new. It also seemed sad to not have a Stan Lee appearance, a classic moment that made this one feel less like a Marvel classic. I also really didn’t like how they bounced from multiverse to multiverse. This mythology and movement can just get very confusing and added an element that took away from the enjoyment that usually comes from the Avengers. The Avengers are the Earth's mightiest heroes, and it should be kept that way, not the multiverse’s mightiest heroes.   

  Marvel movies continue to expand when it comes to ethnicity and inclusivity. It is great that they are branching out and making everyone feel included, allowing young fans to see themselves as these heroes most kids look up to. America, one of the main characters, was the first Hispanic superhero, and not only that, but one of the few young female superheroes in the franchise, and one sporting a pride flag and a story of her two mothers. It's great to see and is something that makes Marvel different from the rest.

  Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness started a new chapter of Marvel movies. Even if it had some elements that could have been stronger, there were many amazing parts as well. It was a good start to a new age of superheroes, and I am excited to see the direction Marvel is going in next.