Right after the phenomenon that was Spider-Man: No Way Home, the new most anticipated Marvel movie for most had to be Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness. It would be directed by Sam Raimi, the man behind the iconic Spider-Man trilogy and the Evil Dead movies, which gave some Marvel skeptics hope that this would be a fresh, original film distinct from the MCU. It would also serve as a continuation to the immensely beloved WandaVision as such fans were excited to see the next step for Wanda’s character. Plus, as a Doctor Strange sequel, the VFX would likely be wild and crazy. But even though the latest addition to the MCU is technically all of these things, it can’t help but feel underwhelming after all is said and done.

Now, on a technical level, this movie is fantastic. The visual effects, as expected, are outstanding and help bring many inventive sequences to life. The film’s color grading is great, and it does have a distinct look that separates it from most Marvel films. It’s especially noticeable whenever we’re in a new multiverse. The sound is also generally well-done (aside from a few clips that have gone viral on Twitter, and honestly, I don’t feel like nitpicking). Sam Raimi’s direction is also pretty great, and his influence absolutely shines in a few moments that are by far the best scenes in the movie. I do wish this film went “Sam Raimi” more often, as it was significantly more entertaining when it did. Nonetheless, the film is just lovely to look at, and absolutely benefits from a theatrical experience.

Unfortunately, where this film fails is with its writing. There were some contrivances that had me rolling my eyes since it was clear that the writers couldn’t come up with an organic way to make things happen. The dialogue is also noticeably weak with its plethora of unnatural lines. This took me out of the film as the characters (especially Wanda) say the most stilted things. The plot is fairly generic and left me fairly uninvested for a large chunk of the runtime. The characters and their dynamics are also not written well at all, save for Dr. Strange, his love interest Christine, and America Chavez. Dr. Strange himself isn’t terribly interesting (although Benedict Cumberbatch continues to excel in the role), his dynamics with Christine and America are. Christine was a nothing character in the first film, but they give her some more depth and stuff to do here. While, America has some truly terrible lines, her dynamic with Dr. Strange was genuinely touching. Aside from those three however, the characters are either paper thin or straight up butchered (in the case of Wanda).

Oh, Wanda. She was one of the most fascinating MCU characters after WandaVision, as the series gave her a lot of depth and showed how her grief affected her and her decisions. She was also a very morally ambiguous character. While Wanda didn’t mean any harm, she also didn’t really consider how her actions impacted people and she wound up ruining a lot of lives. Her character was left in a very interesting spot by the end of the show, so naturally, people were curious to see what would happen next with her. And to put it simply, even though Elizabeth Olsen gives the role her all, Wanda is written horridly in this film. It’s genuinely frustrating how such a well-written character’s arc got flushed down the toilet to create a significantly less compelling villain. Yes, there is an in-universe explanation for why this drastic change happens. But sorry, even if you explain away the terrible writing, at the end of the day, it’s still terrible writing. Wanda’s arc feels shaped to fit the movie, not her character. It’s what the movie needed, not what made sense as the next step for her.

Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness is a disappointing mess that suffers from a poor screenplay. Despite the best efforts of Sam Raimi and the cast, the poor dialogue and shoddy character writing of a certain red witch hold it back from being great.

5/10