Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Disney/Marvel, 2022)
Posted: Fri May 06, 2022 7:24 pm
Had no problem finding this already. In the scheme of Marvel movies, it's a much better watch than either Eternals or Shang-Chi, so that's an improvement. Much is being made of the level of violence and horror tropes in this movie, but with plot points like constantly skipping between alternative universes, various demonic foes, and a ton of magical powers being used, the CGI is really what's laid on the thickest.
For us on the forum, the interest lies in the female characters, of which there are exactly three of any great note.
Rachel MacAdams plays Christine Palmer, who is Strange's love foil throughout his film arc, and across all the possible universes.
Somehow, she doesn't have that much to do, but takes up a lot of screen time doing it. Out of the various outfits she wears in the film, the best one is the blue-green jumpsuit which she wears from the Earth-838 lab/prison scene onwards through the final battle sequence. You can see it here in this character photo.
The second is Xochitl (SO-CHEE) Gomez as one of Marvel's big-push diversity characters, America Chavez, the superbeing from another dimension who has two Moms (shown clearly in the movie for virtue points) and is somehow a Spanish-speaking Latina despite not being from Earth (she is not mentioned at all as being lesbian in the film - there'll probably be Twitter types complaining about that). When I heard that America was going to be in the movie, I had no idea how big a role she would play - she basically has almost as much screen time as Strange and Wanda, and is in fact the human "MacGuffin" around which the entire plot revolves. I don't really understand what they're going to do with Gomez in the future - she doesn't seem charismatic enough to headline a movie, so I imagine she'll probably hang out in team-up situations.
What's funny about that is although America Chavez is supposed to be one of the most intersectionally "empowered" Marvel characters in the comics, here she is mostly treated as a plot device, a sidekick, and a damsel in distress, whom Doctor Strange is trying to save. Take note: America is in a LOT of peril scenes in this movie, both near the beginning, and more at the end. Unfortunately, she endures all of this peril in her usual mundane jacket. T-shirt and jeans costume - nothing at all superheroic.
But the attire is true to the comics. It's the peril that isn't. Kind of interesting, no?
Last and greatest we have Elizabeth Olsen back as Wanda / Scarlet Witch. Not only was she a villain all the way through the Wandavision series, but here, she is even more of a villainous character for almost the entire film. And I have to say, that is extremely hot. Because, except for when she plays her alternate Earth-838 self, Wanda is in the Scarlet Witch costume almost
the entire time: fighting, meditating, flying around, standing like a powerful goddess. And I'm sure you'll agree it's downright sexy. Even if you can't really fully understand the obsessive motivation which makes her so fearsomely destructive and evil, nonetheless Olsen is the main attraction to watch this movie, and for that reason I say don't miss it, and be prepared to hit the pause button quite a few times.
I've seen a considerable rise in Scarlet Witch cosplay in the last couple of Comicons we attended, and I think that will increase.
Footnote about bannings:
- Movie is banned in China because of a couple of split-second shots during the initial battle against the tentacle monster (Gargantos) where an Epoch Times newspaper box is shown. I kid you not. The CCP hates the Falun Gong that much.
- Movie may or may not be playing in various Middle Eastern countries, especially in the Gulf States, because of the scene where
America Chavez talks about her memories of the two lesbian moms (who are shown briefly). I heard that Disney refused to cut that
scene out, but I'm not sure if they ultimately stuck to their guns - the scene is easy enough to remove.
For us on the forum, the interest lies in the female characters, of which there are exactly three of any great note.
Rachel MacAdams plays Christine Palmer, who is Strange's love foil throughout his film arc, and across all the possible universes.
Somehow, she doesn't have that much to do, but takes up a lot of screen time doing it. Out of the various outfits she wears in the film, the best one is the blue-green jumpsuit which she wears from the Earth-838 lab/prison scene onwards through the final battle sequence. You can see it here in this character photo.
- christine palmer.jpg (41.57 KiB) Viewed 3704 times
What's funny about that is although America Chavez is supposed to be one of the most intersectionally "empowered" Marvel characters in the comics, here she is mostly treated as a plot device, a sidekick, and a damsel in distress, whom Doctor Strange is trying to save. Take note: America is in a LOT of peril scenes in this movie, both near the beginning, and more at the end. Unfortunately, she endures all of this peril in her usual mundane jacket. T-shirt and jeans costume - nothing at all superheroic.
But the attire is true to the comics. It's the peril that isn't. Kind of interesting, no?
- america chavez.jpg (582.67 KiB) Viewed 3704 times
the entire time: fighting, meditating, flying around, standing like a powerful goddess. And I'm sure you'll agree it's downright sexy. Even if you can't really fully understand the obsessive motivation which makes her so fearsomely destructive and evil, nonetheless Olsen is the main attraction to watch this movie, and for that reason I say don't miss it, and be prepared to hit the pause button quite a few times.
I've seen a considerable rise in Scarlet Witch cosplay in the last couple of Comicons we attended, and I think that will increase.
- scarlet witch.jpg (30.35 KiB) Viewed 3704 times
- Movie is banned in China because of a couple of split-second shots during the initial battle against the tentacle monster (Gargantos) where an Epoch Times newspaper box is shown. I kid you not. The CCP hates the Falun Gong that much.
- Movie may or may not be playing in various Middle Eastern countries, especially in the Gulf States, because of the scene where
America Chavez talks about her memories of the two lesbian moms (who are shown briefly). I heard that Disney refused to cut that
scene out, but I'm not sure if they ultimately stuck to their guns - the scene is easy enough to remove.
), the doctor's favorite disciple and future wife.