MCU Good Parts

Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Current rank: 9 of 33

Before rewatch:

• Scenes I love: I found Wanda’s grief very powerful.  Some of the Illuminati stuff, the musical note fight.  Zombie Strange.  Though I like most of this stuff more than love.

• Expectations: I have this movie ranked surprisingly high.  Unlike most reviews, I find Wanda’s desperate need to return to her kids totally believable, even after the events of WandaVision.  I also like Sam Raimi’s horror-lite take on the MCU.  But will I still rate it so positively?  Not sure.

Rewatch stats:

• Time to process: 56:00

• Length of cut scenes: 9:42  

• Length of iffy scenes: 0:00

• Length of total movie: 2:06:15

• % with cut scenes: 92%

• % with iffy scenes: 92%

• Hero scenes kept: 100%

• Villain scenes kept: 100%

• Action scenes kept: 100%

• Time of scenes I love: 0:00

After rewatch: Wow, nothing cut, nothing loved.  Though to be fair, there are a bunch of scenes that I like an awful lot.  

Thor: Love and Thunder

Current rank: 13 of 33

Before rewatch:

• Scenes I love: Natalie Portman is a treasure in this, way more so than in her previous two appearances.  

• Expectations: Her relationship with Thor, their interactions, is probably the only reason this movie is as high as it is.  Something about it resonates with me.  Not sure if it’ll hold up, we’ll see…

Rewatch stats:

• Time to process: 1:20:00

• Length of cut scenes: 22:55

• Length of iffy scenes: 27:00

• Length of total movie: 1:58:27

• % with cut scenes: 81%

• % with iffy scenes: 58%

• Hero scenes kept: 62%

• Villain scenes kept: 67%

• Action scenes kept: 71%

• Time of scenes I love: 30:59

After rewatch: I would never have thought going into this movie that Korg would be the worst part.  And yet, there he is: Totally grating and almost never as funny as Taika Waititi thinks he is.

This movie is well in the bottom third in terms of cut/iffy scenes.  And yet it’s fifth in time of scenes I love!  What an insane juxtaposition of great and not-great scenes.  As predicted, I got sucked right back into the Jane/Thor love story.  So where does it rank this time around?

1. Avengers: Endgame

2. Captain America: Civil War

3. Captain America: Winter Soldier

4. Spider-Man: No Way Home

5. Avengers: Infinity War

6. Shang-Chi

7. Avengers: Age of Ultron

8. Ant-Man/Wasp

9. Avengers

10. Spider-Man: Homecoming

11. Captain America

12. Dr Strange 2

13. Thor: Love and Thunder

14. Spider-Man: Far From Home

15. Iron Man 2

16. Black Widow

17. Black Panther

18. Iron Man

19. Ant-Man

20. Dr Strange

21. Iron Man 3

22. Thor 3

23. Captain Marvel

24. Thor

25. Thor 2

26. Guardians of the Galaxy

27. Guardians of the Galaxy 2

28. Hulk

29. Eternals

Doctor Strange 2

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Things I liked:

• Scarlet Witch as the big bad.  As with Civil War, the best MCU antagonists are the ones where their backgrounds and motivations are fully formed.  At the root of it all, what parent wouldn’t do whatever it takes to be with their kids?  

• Sam Raimi produces some beautifully composed frames of film.  Gorgeous images.  (Wanda and Strange floating over Kamar-Taj, Flower Manhattan, the red mist in Wanda’s mind)

• The horror-lite aspects.  I’m a wuss when it comes to scary movies, but Raimi brings just the right amount with Wanda crawling out of the reflection, the zombie chase scene, the Illuminati fight, and the cloak of the damned.  

• I like the tragedy that Strange never ends up with Christine, in any universe.

• Steven’s a lot nicer to America than he was to Peter Parker.

• Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez.  Go Baby-Sitters Club alumni!

• Love the Illuminati cameos.  Hope they turn up again.  (The cartoon wheelchair and theme music!)

• Music dueling makes no sense, but it’s so fun to watch.

• “Know that they’ll be loved.”

Other comments:

• I hope Wanda’s not dead.  She deserves more.

• Why is everyone wearing gray in Flower Manhattan?

• For a place that leaves no survivors, Wong and Wanda get into Wundagore rather easily.

• The Illuminati ae ridiculously stupid when it comes to Wanda.

• Black Bolt’s costume sucks.  And Anson Mount is way better as Captain Pike.  

• So…dreamwalking in a dead body is too evil even for the book of evil spells?  

• Wanda never dreamed of Vision?

This holds up well even after a second viewing.  I really enjoyed this movie, MCU Phase 4 continues to do really well.

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: Yes (already did!)

Would buy on DVD: No (Just barely.  I might change my mind.)

Rating: Good

1. Avengers: Endgame

2. Captain America: Civil War

3. Captain America: Winter Soldier

4. Spider-Man: No Way Home

5. Ant Man/Wasp

6. Avengers: Infinity War

7. Shang-Chi

8. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

9. Black Panther

10. Captain America: First Avenger

11. Spider-Man: Homecoming

12. Avengers

13. Avengers: Age of Ultron

14. Spider-Man: Far From Home

15. Thor 3

16. Iron Man 2

17. Captain Marvel

18. Black Widow

19. Ant-Man

20. Iron Man 1

21. Iron Man 3

22. Doctor Strange

23. Guardians 1

24. Guardians 2

25. Eternals

26. Thor

27. Hulk

28. Thor 2