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When Dr. Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) finds himself caught up with a young girl (Xochitl Gomez) from his dreams, theories and mysteries of the Multiverse start to expand and reveal themselves. Deciphering what’s coming his way will require help from not only from his own universe but from the multiverse as well– A mind bending journey that will require the lightest and darkest of magic to survive, keeping one’s sanity and purity may not be possible.Written By Michael Waldron and Directed by Sam Raimi, this dark turn into the Marvel world runs like a Coney Island rollercoaster with the brake lines cut. Which is to say, it’s almost total chaos with just the hint or suggestion of control to arrive the viewer through a spectacle that can only be described as Raimi vision, and, it’s a blast. Smattered with signature cinematography and creative guts, Raimi has been granted a lot of license to create a film that accurately blends the worlds of Horror, Fantasy, and Comic book schtick into a messy but cohesive picture. All points of the ensemble sit nicely in picture including Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. And, score from Danny Elfman puts the finer point on things to polish this ride into its frenzied peak and release. Worth seeing on the big screen, this compact by today’s standards (2 hours and 6 minutes of runtime) moves at a swift clip from start to finish. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is rated PG-13.

Nicholas Cage (self), is an actor in Hollywood well known for his work ethic and inability to say “no” to a role. But, when living the semi-rock-n-roll lifestyle catches up with him and the check comes due, Nicholas is forced to take an “appearance” gig at a remote estate in Spain belonging to Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal), super fan and mafia kingpin. When Nicholas shows up in Spain, the C.I.A. take notice. Before long it’s noises off, and Cage will have to act his way out of the situation to see another day and save his family; an unbearable weight for a massive talent, will this be the role of a lifetime or his last role?Written by Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten, and Directed by Gormican this tour de force celebrating the entire catalog of Nicholas Cage, pokes unique fun at the artist raising question to the Venn Diagram of Nicholas Cage, where does the man finish and the portrayal begin? It’s hard to say. But with certainty one can say there are plenty of well placed yuks and easter eggs for fans of Cage and his body of work. And, while the gambit style plotline is easily predicted, the witnessing of art imitating life imitating art is still a fun gag none the less. Looking for deeper meaning and rich subtext, look elsewhere. With a runtime of an hour and forty seven minutes, welcomes are not overstayed and this simple escapism achieves its goal, no harm done. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is rated R.

Upon his father’s execution, Viking prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), tours the earth with a three fold mission and purpose in mind. Avenge his father (Ethan Hawke), save his mother (Nicole Kidman), and kill his uncle (Claes Bang). Praying at the alter of Odin and sharpening his blade for many years Amleth’s purpose eventually comes to focus on the island of Iceland where a grizzly crossing of fates takes place. But who will ultimately ride to the gates of Valhalla? Written by Sjón and Robert Eggers, and Directed by Eggers, this window into the time of Vikings and spirit lore is perhaps the most linear film Eggers has produced yet, less canted in language and cryptic dialogue but still focused on beautiful visuals creating a transportive work of art. This is clearly Eggers largest budget film to date with a polished look and feel that still maintains his distinct artistry and unflinching sense of period appropriate horror and pathos. From a cast perspective all players sit nicely within frame, in fact, it would appear Eggers is starting to find regulars for his troupe with additional characters played by Willem Dafoe and Anya Taylor-Joy. Bottom line this is another gem that will sit with you long after viewing, worth the watch at roughly two hours and sixteen minutes runtime, The Northman is rated R.