Doctor Strange 2 Illuminati Confirmed & Other Dark Elements

Doctor Strange 2 is a thrilling exploration deeper into the boundless multiverse. It introduced a new Marvel character while simultaneously revealing an even darker side to Wanda and the MCU than previously thought possible. If you enjoy Sam Raimi’s filmography then Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the movie for you.

Doctor Strange 2 (less briefly known as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) follows Doctor Strange as he's tasked with saving the universe jumping teen, America Sanchez, from an evil force that is trying to steal her power.

** Heads Up –There WILL be spoilers in this review. **

These parts of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stuck out to me the most: the main characters, the inclusion of the Illuminati, and the strong horror vibes.

Doctor Strange 2 Illuminati Confirmed & Other Dark Elements

Wanda, Dr. Strange & America

I think Wanda is right behind Thanos, climbing up to the number one spot as my favorite MCU villain. She is such a complex individual and her motivations are both good and evil at the same time which makes it so much more difficult to hate her outright.

And can we just give Elizabeth Olsen her flowers because the way she summons up the intensity of Scarlett Witch in her eyes is just PHENOMENAL.

Just pure praise for all that makes Wanda who she is. The writers behind her, the actress (Elizabeth Olsen) behind her, and all the cinematic effects that give her her powers. Just – chef’s kiss.

Moving on to Doctor Strange, when did Benedict Cumberbatch get so fine?!

I just was so drawn to him, his well-sculpted goatee, and his suave moves. When he jumped off the balcony at the wedding and swooped his Dr. Strange cape over his shoulders at the same time — Smoooooth.

And finally, America. I definitely expect to see her in future Marvel projects but I do feel as though her character introduction was kinda dry. If I see her in another project I’ll just be like, yea, I remember that face from Doctor Strange. Not — YAY! America! I’m so excited to see you again! — if you know what I mean. It’s like seeing a face you recognize rather than seeing someone you know.

The Illuminati

I found it kinda sus that this movie took a concept that is known to be a dark demonic secret society and used that same name to represent morally upright superheroes of another universe. My biggest question is: Why not use a different name?

There is no Illuminati in the MCU’s regular universe as far as I know (there actually is, I insert my research below) and they already have all these different made-up organizations like SWORD, SHIELD, and HYDRA. If you want to use a superhero group name that’s the antithesis of another universe’s villains, name the superhero group HYDRA.

To me, it felt as though they were trying to dilute something known as evil, reinforce the Illuminati as something fake and imaginative, and portray something commonly known as evil as something good, especially in the face of a younger demographic.

This is all speculative and can of course be completely wrong, especially considering that the Illuminati is a huge conspiracy but it definitely comes off as suspicious and makes me question the motive of the creators behind this movie.

Ok – I’ve done my research. This Illuminati term for superheroes dates back to 2005. So it is part of the comics but it’s still quite strange to me that they included it as is in the film. A name change would be fitting and less controversial.

And a side note – it’s so strange to see Jim (AKA: John Krasinski) as a superhero. Something about it doesn’t fit…

Horror Vibes

Zombies, witches, demon possession, and third eyes – I was not expecting this movie to jump into full-on horror vibes.

Somehow though, it was not scary enough to evoke any nightmares. None of the scary moments really spooked me that badly. In fact, I had to look up the scary moments because I hardly remembered them all.

The thing is though that Doctor Strange has never really had a horror vibe so this territory was new and unexpected for a non-comic-book-reader like me. I didn’t hate it, it was definitely thrilling and engaging, but again, it put me back in the mindset of thinking, “Who wrote these narratives and why did they choose to go down such a dark path?”

Artistic Choices

Oh my goodness my eyes were in la la land viewing this movie. The exploration of the different universes, as well as the mirror dimension that Doctor Strange creates always mesmerizes me. How do they do that?! It’s so incredibly impressive; a treat for the mind, a puzzle for the brain. Good stuff.

I also adore Tobey Maguire’s Spiderman and was so excited to the director of that movie, Sam Raimi, directing this film as well. He puts this magic into movies that make them so captivating. Raimi is also well known for his horror films as well so I guess this movie was the love child of two of his most successful genres.

In Conclusion…

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a thrilling movie that successfully genre-bends as seamlessly as it leaps through universes. We see how Dr. Strange takes on darker energy as Wanda reaches unmatchable levels of power and America, well, she’s a part of the MCU now. Overall, super magnetizing movie, just be sure to bathe in holy water afterward.

Rating 8/10

What do you think? Was Dr. Strange strangely a bit too dark? Let me know in the comments below!

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Peace, love, and lots of popcorn,

IMO

This review was made with the Guided Movie Review Generator. Try it Out!