Mad at All the Multiverses

 

Doctor Strange, The Multiverse of Madness came out...

a while ago, apparently.

This is the problem with getting way ahead on posts. Sure I sleep better, but the timeliness is a bit compromised. On the positive side, I feel less guilty about spoilers.

We've had heist films and other different genres showing up in the MCU before.

However, this is the first time we have a 100% Sam Raimi horror offering in the mix.

Demonic possession, revived corpses, body horror, a powerful evil book, and Bruce Campbell!

Plus all of the horrific stuff rendered on a budget orders of magnitude above what they would have dreamed of in the Evil Dead days.

What a ride!

I think my fandom of this kind of film let me overlook issues that would normally bug me.

My daughter on the other hand...

Marvel movies do often follow the path of their comics where we get the (as Anabelle puts it complete with the same ballet choreography she uses to point out when I repeat myself)

"Oh woe, I am but a poor woman who cannot control my emotions and therefore my powers are out of control too."

While this happening to Wanda in comics was responsible for one of my many cross company "I'm only going to by comics from the other one from now on." 

This time is different.

1) Both Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and this movie showed that, regardless of gender, anyone who uses the Darkhold too much, even if they have initially good intentions and a moral goal, will be corrupted.

and 

2) The Scarlett Witch didn't have out of control, emotionally triggered powers. She was a straight on, focused, determined and unstoppable force of destruction.

3) She wasn't stopped by a man telling her, "Now just rein yourself in there, little missy."  It was seeing an alternate, unpossessed version of herself showing how far she'd fallen from her original, noble goal.

Plus it's Marvel. In the comics, half the Avengers roster are usually former villains. 

She can get redeemed as easily as anyone else.

Did you see a body? 

No you didn't. 

She's fine.

Plus Billy and Tommy need to come back so the MCU can finish building the Young Avengers.

As for another issue, it came via the introduction and destruction of everyone Anabelle likes as members of the Illuminati (Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer was her first theatrical film, we watched the whole X-men Animated series on disc when she was little, she's been a fan of Photon since she knew of her existence in one of the first comics I read her: Secret Wars, she loved the Agent Carter series and may be the world's only fan of the Inhumans series)

This rapid fire destruction didn't bother me, partially because it was an element of the horror film this movie was, 

partially because it wasn't the main universe (meaning they all could come back), 

and mostly because I know Sam Raimi loves to occasionally flip off the fans.

Anabelle did point out that Reed Richards giving away Black Bolt's power before he used it was completely in character, due to his ability to be: "The smartest man on the planet and simultaneously dumb as a post."

She certainly knows her characters.

That's my girl!

All around, it was a fun, spooky ride. America Chavez is a great new addition to the MCU that will allow both multiverse visits, and also her own arcs of growth and exploration.

Wong was awesome as always. It is hugely important that we have someone practical around at this power level.

And the Christines of many universes demonstrated far more logic than most characters in these films by avoiding any romantic entanglements with Stephen.

Doctor Strange may be the master of the mystic arts and the most powerful sorcerer of our dimension...

But, (again true to the comics) he is also a buffoon.

He will inevitably tap into the darkest and most dangerous sources to deal with problems that could have been handled more easily, often by completely non magical means.

There will be consequences of his actions in this film...and they will make fantastic new, horror filled stories.

Bonus points for continuing the Marvel tradition of opening with an epic battle that many other films would use for the climax, and then building.

Extra bonus points for the greatest end credit scene in the history of film.

(Yes, Anabelle I know it made you storm out of the theater.

I often wonder how much of your reactions to certain things are genuine and how much are to drive me crazy. I'm guessing an even balance.)