Is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness worth the whole Hollywood movies in Pakistan fiasco?

The Hollywood movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has sparked a debate on international releases in Pakistan. The ‘local’ movies were ignored and being removed from theaters within 4 days was the reason for the whole fiasco. The filmmakers and celebrities challenged the Pakistani ministry saying that they had to face a huge financial loss. However, the local public has a different thought about it. They believe that in a time when people have access to Netflix and Prime, this issue is nothing but a complex movement. First Bollywood and now Hollywood they chant.

Even the actors and the hosts joined the bandwagon. Fahad Mustafa, I believe was the one that gave the most befitting answer to the controversy. Saying that Pakistan’s TV industry has a deep bond with the people but not the film industry. He further pointed out that “if I ask you to name 5 Pakistani films, you will not remember them. When talking about the songs of films, even the people in the singing industry will fail to name them. It means that we did not create something worth remembering.”

There were many movie releases on Eid 2022, some of them were Dum Mastam, Curtain Mein Rehne Si, and Chakkar. But Doctor Strange came and swept the entire floor, so it is only fair to review the movie that has sparked this big of a debate.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Reviewed

The movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has a different fan following credited to the Marvel Studios. However, this movie feels a bit rushed and I believe that it needed at least 30 more minutes for narration and to give the characters some depth. What we get however is a flood of visually stunning action set pieces, held together by stick-thin characters and motivations.

The main lead

Surprisingly, it’s not Doctor Strange who sticks out here as the name suggests. I wouldn’t go so far as to say he’s second fiddle to his film, but there’s a lot of focus on other characters for the majority of the film.

Most notably, that honour goes to Wanda, who quickly becomes a far more important character in Strange’s film than Strange himself. The trailers also feel like a major misrepresentation of what this film is about. While I don’t believe in giving spoilers here, it’s vital to know what you’re getting yourself into before going to the theatre.

A chase of characters

An out-of-context pursuit sequence through the multiverse kicks off the story. Doctor Strange, sporting a ponytail, is accompanied by America Chavez, a runaway teen with the ability to construct gateways into alternate dimensions. When her version of Strange dies, she leaps into our world, where she meets Doctor Strange. Thanks to a huge octopus that threatens to destroy the planet.

This octopus, it turns out, was hired as an extraterrestrial assassin by a far more powerful sorcerer. Who intends to channel America’s strength to take over the multiverse. Which is naturally bad news for everyone.

As a result, Doctor Strange enlists the aid of Wanda, the most powerful witch he knows. To help him preserve America and correct the universe’s trajectory. But he soon finds that not everything is as it seems.

Doctor Strange and America end up tumbling through many realms in search of answers to fight a larger menace that threatens to overturn the universe as we know it. The main antagonist, on the other hand, is shown quite early on somewhat around 30 minutes in. And the speed never slows down, making it difficult to tell how much time has passed. The jokes rarely land, and the language, at times inadequate.

The added shots

A camera lingers on a monument in the mid of the film, allowing the viewer to read what it says. The camera returns to Strange and America… who then repeat precisely what we’ve just read on the monument, word by word.

These small moments keep popping up. Maybe Raimi and the writers believe their audience requires everything to be spoon-fed or that the screenplay is simply poorly written. I’m betting on the latter.

There are numerous cameos, easter eggs, and allusions to the greater MCU universe along the way. Unlike No Method Home, though, the nostalgia bait is at best ineffective. I would rather say that it’s a cheap way to score points and get some claps.

I’m trying not to give a lot away, but given the multiverse’s implications and the hype relating to it in Pakistan, Marvel feels like they’ve painted themselves into a very tight position.

Elfman’s musical soundtrack

Elfman’s musical soundtrack is one of the more subdued aspects of the film that just doesn’t work. Now, Danny Elfman is known for his huge, epic orchestral scores I agree. However, the one he wrote for Multiverse of Madness feels strangely out of place.

This is exacerbated by the film’s tone, which alternates between spooky, dutch-tilt-a-thon jump-scare frenzy, quirky superhero action, and then mind-bending horror. Nonetheless, the soundtrack is a continuous distraction.

The Positives

The entire article looks like I am picking apart the film but I would have to agree, that despite the flaws there are some things worth mentioning. Multiverse of Madness’ cinematography and graphics are amazing. The psychedelic universe jumps, unique camera views, and hedonistic revolving shots make this one of the most aesthetically appealing MCU films since, well, Doctor Strange.

That film hinted at what this one has to offer, but Multiverse of Madness takes it a step further. Fade shots, hazy edits, fish-eye lens, reflections, overlapping views, and other effects included. The cinematography in this film is impressive. But my more cynical side believes it is a distraction from the actual story.

Nothing can summarize the review for me better than the quote by Alain De Botton,

“What we colloquially call ‘feeling bored’ is just the mind, acting out of a self-preserving reflex, ejecting information it has despaired of knowing where to place.”

I don’t know what the best analogy for how you’ll feel at the end of this film. But one thing is for sure, Marvel fans and creative YouTubers will have a field day dissecting this one.