Given how much I loved the first Doctor Strange outing, it would take an extraordinary misfire for his next eponymous feature not to be worth my while. This one is only moderately popular, probably below average for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (that term seems inadequate now), but hey, that didn't stop me from liking X-Men: Apocalypse.
Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has been having a glum but quiet time in New York when he and Wong (Benedict Wong) suddenly have to fight a giant demon targeting teen America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who can open portals between alternate universes but manages to do so only when terrified. Noting signs that a witch summoned the demon, Strange seeks support from his old comrade-in-arms, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), now finally going by "the Scarlet Witch." Alas, she's the summoner. She wants to absorb Chavez's power through a method that would kill Chavez, just to try to be happy in a more promising universe with the option of moving again as needed. Strange can't abide that, but Maximoff is too powerful for him to take on alone. The answer may lie in another universe....
Avengers fighting each other is nothing new to the MCU, but they're usually about even in virtue when that happens, a berserk Hulk notwithstanding. Maximoff is willing to kill any number of innocents, including formerly allied heroes -- even an alternate version of herself -- for no greater good than her own feelings. This darkness did not come out of left field. She was a villain when we first met her, and after a series of personal traumas, not least at the hands of Thanos, she's had trouble finding contentment through ethical means. Throw in a corruptive, forbidden magic tome called the Darkhold and voila.
Mind you, a recurring theme is people's fear that Strange could turn out just as deleterious if granted a power upgrade to face her. Other versions of him already have. And like I said, he's not exactly satisfied with his life at present. His crush (Rachel McAdams) married someone else, and thanks to his forced five-year absence, he lost the Sorcerer Supreme position to Wong. No way is he not tempted to go a route similar to Maximoff's. (Too bad Spider-Man isn't here this time to deliver his "With great power..." catchphrase.)
As relatively simple as this movie's plot is, I definitely benefited from having seen all episodes of WandaVision first. There are also shout-outs to What If...? among other Marvel properties, but knowing them is just a bonus, not an aid in understanding. The other movies I couldn't help thinking of were ones by the same director, Sam Raimi, especially Army of Darkness. So of course there's a Bruce Campbell cameo.
Yes, the subseries has gotten a little more gothic. And more violent. If certain attacks weren't partly off screen, I imagine a PG-13 wouldn't suffice. Yet I won't swear it's scarier than its predecessor, which got freakier in some ways.
The sorcery still gets colorful and generally fun, and I appreciate Wong having more to do even than in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. But I feel like something's missing from before. Some of the new creative elements seem less vindicated in context. That may point to weaker writing overall; I did think a few lines could stand to have been tweaked. And there is some predictability by the resolution.
I don't care if I never see Chavez again, but the final message of "Dr. Strange will return" is quite welcome. He's no less interesting to me at this point.
No comments:
Post a Comment