My problem with Doctor Strange as a character in a film is that because he can seemingly do just about anything at any time, I struggle really to see how you can eke much drama out of him. His second outing with his name on the poster attempts to solve this problem by pitting him against Wanda, the Scarlet Witch, who can seemingly also do just about anything at any time. Great drama this truly does not make, so to make up for the lack of any compelling plot we head into the Multiverse, which allows the studio to provide some moments where people can scream out “hey, there’s that character I recognise from that other thing!” and derive unlimited pleasure as a result. Sam Raimi is the director and we do get treated to some unmistakable Sam Raimi moments, but the film struggles to find any particular identity. Wanda’s arc is identical to the one we’ve already seen in her tv show, which makes me wonder what the point of the tv show was; Strange himself is now presented as a wisecracking Tony Stark substitute, and Benedict Cumberbatch – fine actor though he undoubtedly is – isn’t particularly suited to that. As my friend – I’ll protect his anonymity by calling him Mr X, though his real name is John – said, all these things have a bit of a Lethal Weapon 4 vibe these days, with all the characters joking around with each other and the stakes always seeming to be there only as a vehicle to set up another jape.