MOVIE: Six characters to watch out for in Marvel's new blockbuster Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness

"Where are you? The movie kicks off at exactly 8pm. It's 10 minutes to kick off. You better take a bike," Marie Muhiu, Head of Business Development at Vesen Digital, tells me matter-of-factly on the phone.

My Uber guy couldn't care less. Not with the utterly insipid Rhumba music he was blasting in the little, crammy and musty Suzuki he was saddling along Thika Road.

I would have forgiven his woeful speed until a garbage truck zoomed past us. I immediately knew how many stars I'd give him at the end of the trip.

Two minutes to kick off at my Uber driver, who is now chewing crackly gum and fidgeting with his phone, attempts to look back at me and says, "Ni kama hii map haifanyi. Unajua directions vizuri nizime tu data?"

And then I remember Murphy's epigram - what will go wrong will surely go wrong. 

Long story short, we arrive at Diamond Plaza, I hurriedly hop off the Uber, streak past security, wriggle myself through a ridiculously thick crowd of Asians, swoosh towards the 'Lift' area, haul myself into the next available elevator and, in seconds, I'm marching across the 11th floor.

A kind Asian lady offers me some hot samosas, chicken and beef thingies, a nice (but very tiny) glass of cocktail and a wide smile.

After settling down, and going through the compulsory movie-theatre stipulations, it's time to watch this thing.

3D glasses? Check. Beer in hand? Check. Popcorn? Check. Phone on silent? Sure.

Let's rooooll.

The movie, which runs for a little over two exhilarating hours, is a gripping odyssey through horror, spells, magic, eye-popping wizardry and tens of unexpected plot twists.

Here is my breakdown of the six top protagonists.

Wanda Maximoff 

From the word go, Wanda Maximoff's schadenfreude will be unmistakable - she's made to conquer, destroy, annihilate and cause as much incontrovertible horror as she can. Like a zeppelin, she hovers in the air, unleashing unfathomably powerful fire balls that shake up the town, wreck rocks, split buildings, cause immediate fatalities, wrack nature and turn the skies red.

In hot pursuit the equally-hot blooded America Chavez, Wanda's valorous exploits are spine-tingling. The entire movie sees her face off with Dr. Strange in a breathtaking hours-long masterful tussle that sees none of the two willing to give up even after bloody - and visibly painful - supernatural blitzkriegs are launched by either parties from air, land and water.

With a maddening rage of demonic proportions, Wanda remains fixated on her mission - to annex America's powers and achieve her dream of living the idyllic life; in the forbidden Metaverse. An implacable satanic witch.

Dr. Stephen Strange 

Dr. Stephen Strange, a character that Benedict Cumberbatch pulls off with sheer expertise, is one snarky devil. He's grumpy, soulless, chilling, and unstoppably monstrous. Dr. Strange provides a riveting unhinged ride as he casts a dangerous spell that transports him into the Metaverse where he has to wage herculean wars with alternate versions of himself.

Brutally skilled and with immense powers, Dr. Strange leaves no blue sky unscathed, no soil undisturbed, no water unruffled and no flesh untorn. Employing huge deals of telekinesis and chaos magic, Dr. Strange is unmess-with-able. Strange, all in a bid to protect America, gets to face off with gigantic gremlins, a powerful Necronomicon and countless other hurdles to keep Wanda from the Metaverse. What happens next is cataclysmic. And you won't leave the gripping edge of your seat. Especially when his magic cloak whoozes past you.

America Chavez 

America Chavez, played by newcomer and now-Marvel darling Xochitl Gomez, has left audiences across the world gobsmacked. Charming, confident and swathed with witty humor, America is actually a member of the LGBTQ in real life - something that has made countries like Saudi Arabia ban the movie. That aside, this Metaverse-travelling teen is the true marvel (no pun intended) of the whole movie.

America, quite stupefyingly, can physically move from one universe to another via star-shaped portals that she casts in the air. Having travelled 73 timelines, no other universe has a variant of her. And Wanda is desperate to get this girl.

For her powers, her non-sleeping abilities, her inability to dream. Despite Wanda's relentless pursuits, America prevails. Gallantly, America faces down Gargantos, the screaming mono-eyed squid monster and, at Dr. Strange's side, survives all of Wanda's unstoppable attacks. Her masterful performance is worth your every devilish minute.

Benedict Wong 

Bendeict Wong's character is the true Supreme Sorcerer. Dr. Strange might carry the movie but Wong's expertise at his craft, and the incredibly wondrous performance he puts on Dr. Strange has left movie buffs piling praises on the charismatic Briton. Wong is the counterbalance to the arrogant - and helplessly rash - Dr. Strange.

He commands the troops with sheer ferociousness, tenacity and a brazen fearlessness as he faces the wickedness of Wanda, head-on, flame balls ready to fly. Wong has little time for prattle, and is all work, all action, all eyes, all dread. His tenacity, skill and unmatched dexterity helps lead to the inevitable götterdämmerung.

Karl Mordo

The introduction of the Illuminati brings in a little humor and plot twist to this otherwise breathy and densely action-packed CGI horror flick and British film mahatma Chiwetel Ejiofor brings out the villainous role of Karl Mordo with pure enigma and thrill. Mordo unleashes his own thrilling rounds of fury upon Dr. Strange and his companions as he clearly - and unquestionably - knows his way around the Multiverse.

Karl Mordo spectacularly stands out in Sam Raimi's mind-bending spectacle that is Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness who once again plays Dr. Strange’s mysterious and vengeful former mentor and close confidant who has a bone to pick with the Master of the Mystic Arts. Mordo unleashes orders, spits fire and snares Dr. Strange as part of the Illuminati's unprecedented take on the Multiverse as Professor X watches closely, his infinite powers - and wisdom - bringing scene after scene into a crushing crescendo. Hold tight to the popcorn... Because the plot just got thicker.

I'm not a certified movie critic, I did the best to break down the characters (after some rigorous self-education on the Marvel marvel).

Head over to the nearest cinema and knock your mystical self out.