Canal Winchester Messenger - May 15th, 2022

PAGE 4 - MESSENGER - May 15, 2022
There have been 28 films released within the
Marvel Cinematic Universe and I can no longer whip
up any sense of excitement over the prospect of watching
another. However, I admit to experiencing a slight
stirring of interest toward its latest, “Doctor Strange in
the Multiverse of Madness.”
This rare creation of a long-lost sensation had little
to do with a particular fondness for the title character
— despite wielding mystical powers, his personality
tends to run a bit dry — and more to do with a love of a
particular word within the title itself.
The multiverse, by definition, offers infinite possibilities
of infinite worlds beyond our own. In some theories,
a different version of us is inhabiting these
worlds — and we don’t always have to be human or
have traditional human parts (see the hot dog fingers
universe in the utterly fantastic “Everything
Everywhere All at Once”).
Exploring the multiverse can bring forth so much
creativity to books, television, and film. Upon watching
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” I can
say it has a style that sets itself apart from its predecessors,
but it also continues to lack in true character
development and character continuity through-lines.
Though still arrogant to a fault, Dr. Stephen
Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has been humbled
and haunted since we last saw him in a solo film; humbled
because his love Christine Palmer (Rachel
McAdams) has fallen for another, and haunted
because of the choices he made to allow half the population
to turn to dust for five years. He believes a side
effect of his guilt is the terrifying nightmares he has
been having of being chased and eaten by an otherworldly
octopus-like creature but he cannot shake the
sensation it may be real.
While attending a wedding reception shortly thereafter,
a ruckus outside gains his attention. During an
initial investigation of the cause, he sees a young girl
from his dreams being chased by the same otherworldly
octopus-like creature that was the cause of his
death. Fortunately for him, things do not go as they
were in dreamland, but he does find out that this girl,
America Chaves (Xochitl Gomez), has the ability to
leap into any multiverse with one caveat — it only happens
when she is scared.
She tells Stephen that another version of him did,
in fact, die via otherworldly octopus-like creature but
it is her that is being haunted and hunted — not him.
He has just been helping her try to discover who wants
to steal her powers, while sometimes betraying her
along the way.
Determined to not end up like his deceiving and
deceased multiverse counterpart, the sorcerer enlists
entertainment
the help of Wong (Benedict Wong),
now Sorcerer Supreme, and Wanda
Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), now
the Scarlet Witch, to help him find
a powerful book of magic that
would allow them to stop this
unknown adversary before the multiverse
is put into any danger.
But he soon discovers that sometimes
the enemy hides within
plain sight.
Though the film follows many
www.columbusmessenger.com
Latest Marvel film felt like a rough draft
Lithopolis Honeyfest
The Lithopolis Honeyfest will be held Sept. 9 from
3-7 p.m. and Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in downtown
Lithopolis. Free admission, parking, and shuttle
service.
The event features bee beards, beekeepers, art, live
music, honey bake-off, Ohio Honey Show, honey
extracting, hive inspection, junior beekeeping,
American Honey Princess, food trucks, photo contest,
honey, and honey tasting.
For information call 614-769-3824 or visit lithopolishoneyfest.com.
“Saving the planet, one honey bee at a time!”
The Reel Deal
Dedra
Cordle
of the familiar Marvel beats, “Doctor Strange in the
Multiverse of Madness” embraces darker themes in a
way its predecessors have not, and maybe could not.
There is a heavier feeling to this movie, a more sinister
vibe, and that is mostly due to its director, Sam Raimi.
Marvel has a reputation for reeling in some of the
individualistic flair of its directors, but they seemed to
have allowed Raimi to go a bit wild — to a certain
extent. While I think more could have been done to
establish off-beat multiverses (we get a glimpse of a
paint verse, but it features more Earth-like verses), his
focus is instead on adding touches of visual horror like
bloodied characters crawling out of mirrors, screaming
souls of the damned reaching out to choke the living,
and, on occasion, the snapping of a neck and a clothed
evisceration.
Watching this film was an amazing experience,
especially when we got to see the awesome power of
witchcraft and wizardry but listening to it was a different
experience altogether. Some of the dialogue, written
by “Loki” scribe Michael Waldron, was so bad that
it nearly took me out of the place of awe I felt while
watching the movie. It almost feels like the final script
was a rough draft, an unfinished product that needed
to pay more attention to character development, character
relationships, and character motivation.
While there are plenty of things to like about
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” such as
the horror-inspired visuals and the acting from
Cumberbatch and Olsen especially, there are also
plenty of things that could have been better to make
this a truly exciting cinematic experience.
Grade: C+
Dedra Cordle is a Messenger staff writer and columnist.
First ursday
The city of Groveport’s First Thursday summer festival
series will be held the first Thursday of the month
in June, July, and August from 4:30-7:30 p.m. in
Cruiser Park, 4677 Bixby Road. The event features
food trucks, more than 40 vendors, a petting zoo, kids’
craft tent and bounce house, a dog show in August, and
live music. The music schedule is: June 2 - Lee Gantt;
July 7 - Jack Middleton; and Aug. 4 - The Morning
Lumber Co. There will be giveaways to the first 200
attendees each date. Giveaways are: June 2 -
Groveport tote bag; July 7 - hand sanitizer; and Aug. 4
- travel bowl. For information call 614-836-3333.