My biggest fear was that Marvel wouldn't let Sam Raimi do his thing. Thankfully, that's not the case at all. Sam Raimi goes ham on this movie.
A script like this would not have worked in the hands of any other director. Raimi turns what could've been an incomprehensible mess into a visually inventive and occasionally gruesome adventure. The flaws in the script are still there, but the fantastic direction always makes sure you're not thinking too hard about them. This is easily the best directed movie in the MCU.
The movie has fanservice for both Marvel and Sam Raimi fans. There are moments that are clearly direct references to the Evil Dead movies, and a number of comic book characters make suprise appearances.
These moments surprisingly never distracted me from the story, which while often too chaotic for its own good, finds a strong anchor point in the emotional journeys of Stephen Strange and Wanda Maximoff.
I have no idea how this movie will hold up on a rewatch, since it definitely has flaws, but right now, I'm just extremely happy to have an MCU film not afraid to let its director put every bit of themselves on screen.
A script like this would not have worked in the hands of any other director. Raimi turns what could've been an incomprehensible mess into a visually inventive and occasionally gruesome adventure. The flaws in the script are still there, but the fantastic direction always makes sure you're not thinking too hard about them. This is easily the best directed movie in the MCU.
The movie has fanservice for both Marvel and Sam Raimi fans. There are moments that are clearly direct references to the Evil Dead movies, and a number of comic book characters make suprise appearances.
These moments surprisingly never distracted me from the story, which while often too chaotic for its own good, finds a strong anchor point in the emotional journeys of Stephen Strange and Wanda Maximoff.
I have no idea how this movie will hold up on a rewatch, since it definitely has flaws, but right now, I'm just extremely happy to have an MCU film not afraid to let its director put every bit of themselves on screen.