DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS

Strange In Loads Of Strange Lands

- Dave Golder

4/5

RELEASED OUT NOW!

12A 126 minutes

Director Sam Raimi

Cast Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Xochitl Gomez, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong

Strange, you say? You want really strange? You got it, though it's not immediately apparent. Anyone expecting something a little different from original Spider-Man trilogy director Sam Raimi on his return to the Marvelverse may initially be a little disappointed to see how far he's prepared to play by the MCU rules with this Doctor Strange sequel. But then it all goes a bit Looney Tunes - quite literally at one point.

Don't get too excited, though. In many clearly obvious ways this is still very much a carefully-managed, quip-fillled MCU "product". Raimi, though, has fun seeing how far he can push things. And the more Raimi the movie becomes, the more interesting it becomes. Especially in terms of the horror. Horror? Oh yes. Don't be fooled by that 12A certificate. There may not be much actual gore on show, but conceptually there are some particularly gut-churning images, especially a couple of inventively icky deaths. There are even homages to Carrie and The Ring. And a zombie...