Dr. Strange Receives Middling Reviews — MetaCritic in 50’s and 60’s

The review embargo for Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has lifted and as a result we’re getting an idea of how the movie is going to hold up for second and third weekends, as well as repeat viewings. One thing to consider when looking at reviews for a major blockbuster is that the headlines often don’t tell the tale. Headlines and scores are sometimes influenced in such a way to not make waves while the author’s authentic thoughts are buried in the text. To that end, I thought it would be a good idea to look at the things these reviewers really thought as I think it will give our readers here a better idea of what the market will do with Dr. Strange 2. Let’s have a look:

There’s a lot to love about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It has Raimi’s distinctive blend of horror and humor that really work for the Doctor Strange corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s brash and imaginative. There are some surprises I won’t spoil, and they rock. The magical combat is engaging… it’s a big ol’ bright red magical blast. That said, it is uneven, sometimes oddly paced, and a major central performance seems flat and possibly ill-cast. Altogether, it’s still an engaging, action-packed, and mostly well-performed outing, and certainly one MCU fans will love.

— Jeff Ewing, Forbes

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The best thing you can say about the moderately entertaining, if predictably excessive, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is that if you squint and concentrate really hard, you can tell it’s a Sam Raimi movie.

— Stephanie Zacherek, Time

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The film delivers on all fronts, including a terrific Danny Elfman score, and looks great even if the overwhelming amounts of CGI psychedelic imagery is a bit overdone. This thing rarely slows down to breathe in the 2+ hour running time. Fortunately it doesn’t wear out its welcome for fans, and they will inevitably be coming in droves when it opens Friday following Thursday evening previews.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline

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Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is a movie that was still being written as it was in production, and you sense it when taking in the entire experience. It’s a cool collection of characters assembled in a plot that creates excellent opportunities for surprises – but it lacks cohesive themes that would elevate the material to being more than a fun ride. It’s an exciting new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon, but not an exceptional one.

— Eric Eisenburg, Cinema Blend

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Raimi die-hards will enjoy his puckish sense of amusement at the liberties he’s allowed to take with ground rules and with gravity (not to mention his fleeting shout-outs to classic films like “Spellbound” and “The Defiant Ones”), and Marvel fans will come away thrilled with hints as to where this mega-franchise might go next (and who it might include as it does so). But there’s a level of human drama missing from “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”; the surface of this Everything Bagel is loaded with ingredients, but it lacks a certain flavor.

— Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

The takeaway for me is that Doctor Strange 2 seems to be a movie that is decent but not great. That’s both surprising and disappointing — Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is Disney’s best shot at a huge win for their Marvel movies in 2022. And even though much of this movie was being reworked as recently as February, if Sam Raimi doesn’t deliver an epic blockbuster, it will be a bit of a shock. All the pieces are there for this to be a major box office win but if the delivery doesn’t work, we could see a Marvel movie that falls a bit short of expectations.

However, what’s most important is that audiences don’t agree with Chris Gore when they leave theaters. If his assessment is closest to the general public, Top Gun may have a shot at take the top spot when it launches.

The magic is gone. #MultiverseOfMadness pic.twitter.com/ss0w1pOpV6

— Chris Gore (@ThatChrisGore) May 3, 2022

With most of the major reviewers already throwing their hat into the ring, the MetaCritic score has been hovering in the fifties and sixties. That would potentially put it very much on the lower end of Marvel movies should it release around that score. And then, of course, anyone who reads this website knows we will be far more concerned with the audience score once available.

As for our review, expect it Thursday evening. And, as always, keep checking back with That Park Place for all the latest news and reviews that should be fun. Drop a comment down below if you’re planning to see Dr. Strange during its first weekend!