Dr. Strange In The Multiverse of Madness

I find Marvel movies kind of baffling. Here is why--they are all linked these days and if you miss one, the chances that you will be hopelessly lost are high. Even higher if you are mostly just trying to keep up with them for the sake of being socially engaged and knowing what the heck your kids are talking about. This installment epitomizes this. The modern Marvel sequel is as multi-armed as Doctor Strange casting a spell. Think about how many properties are being sequel-ed in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” It’s a sequel to “Doctor Strange,” although just barely in that you probably need to have seen that film less than the Strange adventures that followed. It’s a sequel to “Avengers: Endgame” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” in that it references action in both films and extrapolates somewhat on the universe-saving decision that the title character made in the former. It’s very much a sequel to “WandaVision,” the show that expanded the Marvel Cinematic Universe into television--so do not jump right into this without watching that first! And here is the thing--I had seen all these and still felt slightly lost the whole move. The non-stop actiuon is dizzying and of course there are no all out wins here, because the battle of good and evil is both nuanced and never-ending.