Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 14, 2022

Doctor Strange has become one of the key figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ("MCU") landscape, a landscape which was once dominated by the likes of Iron Man and Captain America; the reigns of MCU centrality seem to be drifting towards Strange, who has rightly become a fascinating character of emotional depth, physical power, and entanglement in some of the biggest MCU storylines of this generation (or "phase"). Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness builds the character's legacy by reaching well beyond his own self and into something farther away yet still familiar at the core. It does quite a bit of character story building amidst some frenzied action and a surprisingly dark narrative that courses through a number of dimensions, literal and metaphorical dimensions alike.

Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is saddened that the girl of his dreams, Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), is marrying another man, and he is also shocked to discover that the other girl of his dreams is, in fact, reality. His haunting nightmares are, in fact, visions of an alternate universe in which he has tried to save a young girl he comes to know as America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who has the ability to travel at will through the multiverse. Strange approaches Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) for help, only to learn that she is, actually, behind the attacks, and that she, as the powerful Scarlet Witch, will stop at nothing to secure Chavez's power.

The plot basics are relatively simple, but the film is certainly awash in tightly interwoven content that only the dedicated and diehard MCU fans will appreciate in all its sprawling grandeur. There are practically uncountable layers piled throughout the film, as well as tentacles reaching across the MCU universe; those who are best versed in all of it will be the most rewarded, but the film is also open and accessible to relative newcomers as well, finding a way to chart its essential course without the need for full understanding or appreciation of the larger content maelstrom that permeates practically every inch of screen real estate. The juggling act makes for a fine Marvel film in totality, not one without some weakness in secondary characterization, visual effects that don't break any new ground (not that they really need to in this stage of the MCU), and action that feels familiarly staged. At this point most of the externals and ancillary components have been seen in some form or fashion before, so the film is rightly more concerned with the character beats than it is the physical prowess, which is of course still up to par for the MCU.

Genre veteran Sam Raimi (the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films) directs with all of the care, precision, depth, and intensity this film demands and the MCU requires, a job well done particularly considering the plethora of precisely moving parts within the film. Raimi builds a picture that is at once both classic MCU fare but also a picture with a darker side, clinging to some serious Horror overtones (another genre with which Raimi is intimately familiar) as the film eventually becomes a classic pursuit film where the unstoppable force relentlessly stalks its prey. The film features a few nifty cameos and some interesting multiverse reality bending that will please fans who will enjoy seeing some different faces in familiar roles.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrives on the UHD format with a 2160p/HDR transfer. The image is very clean and glossy, and aggressively so. The image looks polished to a fine sheen, offering a higher detail yield compared to the 1080p Blu-ray. However, it is so smooth it can almost look flat and unrealistic at times, but the overall clarity boost and detail increases certainly offer the rawest visual complexity of the two formats. The HDR color spectrum offers more vivid oranges, more intense reds, more luxurious natural greens, and more stable urban tones compared to the Blu-ray. The image is rendered a good bit darker overall compared to the Blu-ray, but black levels depth is excellent, whites pop, and skin tones are healthy. Like the Blu-ray, there are no major encoding or source issues of concern.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dolby Atmos track compares favorably to the Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack in terms of dynamics. The track is not muted or devoid of bass, as have been some of Disney's previous efforts. While the low-end extension is nowhere near so dominant as one might expect of a movie of this style and stature, there's enough depth to the most prominent action effects, and to score alike, to at least offer a sense of realism and intensity to both elements. The track is perfectly free to flow around the listener with incredible depth and precision, with involved action, soaring score, and nuanced environmental elements all taking full advantage of every speaker in the configuration. The overheads are not used with frequent discreteness, but they do help to create a more involved and sonically saturated listening environment, which is a plus. Dialogue is clear and commanding from its well prioritized front-center home.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This UHD release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness contains no extras, but the bundled Blu-ray includes a standard suite of bonus content: three featurettes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and an audio commentary track. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. this release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Constructing the Multiverse (1080p, 11:10): This piece looks at the process of creating new worlds, the film's villain, mid-film surprises, the fun of exploring the multiverse, visual effects, and more.
• Introducing America Chavez (1080p, 3:29): Bringing this relatively new Marvel character to the MCU. It looks at her power and Xochitl Gomez's work.
• Method to the Madness (1080p, 5:02): A look at Sam Raimi's work on the film.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 2:28): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 3:06 total runtime): Included are A Great Team, It's Not Permanent, and Pizza Poppa.
• Audio Commentary: Sam Raimi, Richie Palmer, and Michael Waldron chat up the film.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As long as Marvel keeps cranking out generally solid movies like this, then it would seem that there may be no end in sight for the MCU. One must wonder when the time might finally come when some measurably worthwhile hiatus between movies might arrive, because it seems there's always an MCU film in theaters or new to home video these days. The hunger seems to be dissipating a little, especially as the complexity becomes ever more, well, complex, and that might be the defining characteristic of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a film that plays well enough on its own but also all but demands its audience be familiar with an extremely large amount of related and interconnected content to fully enjoy. It's getting very big and very crowded in the MCU. It'll be interesting to see when a pause, or even a reset, might be in order. Disney's UHD delivers good but aggressively glossy video, an unexpectedly "better than usual" Atmos soundtrack, and a fair array of extras. Recommended.