Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

                             

Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has enough of Raimi's manic glee and energy poking through its comic book shell to be passable entertainment. Raimi excels at the choreographed fight scenes that are de rigueur for a Marvel movie and sprinkles enough personal touches (the 2003 Detroit Tigers, Bruce Campbell) to distinguish this film from the usual assembly line MCU product. Still, even if one is hip to the backstories of the various comic icons, Dr. Strange 2 lacks thematic resonance. The film is an impeccably designed mechanism, but has little to impart besides old bromides like there's no place like home or with great power comes great responsibility.  Raimi's gifts are suited to this type of film, but I wish he would make something along the lines of A Simple Plan again before he enters his dotage.