Avengers, Iron Man 3, Age of Ultron, Thor Ragnarok, Guardians 1 & 2. Of twenty-seven MCU films, these six are the only ones I feel have a distinctive directing style.
It’s hugely pleasing to be able to add Multiverse of Madness to that list. To bring in someone like Sam Raimi and then not lean into their style would have been criminal! Fortunately Marvel have let Raimi be Raimi, resulting in an MCU entry that – perhaps pleasingly – isn’t suitable for the youngest fans.
For most the style of MoM will purely look cool, but fans of Raimi will immediately recognise the wacky mixture of camera movement, horror, and slapstick. I’m still thinking about it days later; something I can’t say about most of Phase 4 so far (Does Phase 4 even know what it’s doing?).
Strange has already had a sizeable impact on the MCU, and he’s feeling pretty good about his abilities, to the point of laziness. MoM gives him a lesson in humility, through the many interactions he has with newcomer America Chavez, various members of the multiverse, and Wanda, last seen in WandaVision.
Whilst I found Strange and Wanda to be both exhilarating and horrifying, Chavez gets the short end of the stick. She’s mainly treated as a plot device; I hope she’ll get the chance to grow and lean into her Latin-American LGBT background.
Will the story hold up under repeat viewings? Maybe not, but I also don’t particularly care. The aesthetic, pacing, and one battle in particular have left a strong impression.
Every few years I feel as though cinema has raised the bar and fully grasped comic book movies. A mature MCU, a comic literate audience, and a fearless leap into Raimi’s style has raised that bar once again. Multiverse of Madness may lack the punch to put it in the top echelon but it’s massive fun.
Be the first to comment