So I love this movie. But I do have some problems with it.

1) Wanda's character development 

This movie completely undid Wanda's character development from WandaVision. I read that the director of this film purposely didn't watch WandaVision so he could do whatever he wanted with her character.

This was a bad move. If you're going to make Wanda villainous, at least make her an anti-hero without undoing her character development from previous MCU material. 

Also, wanting to have her boys back, but not Vision makes no sense. Vision was the love of her life.

2) Strange uses the Darkhold to defeat Wanda

I have a big problem with this. They presented the Book of Vishanti, which is a book of white magic, as a way to defeat Wanda. But they had to toss that avenue out the window at the last second. And so, towards the end of the movie, Strange uses dark magic to defeat darkness.

The reason I take issue with this is it reveals the attitude that you can do something intrinsically immoral as long as you do it with good intentions. Basically, the ends justify the means.

 Impressionable children are watching this movie. And that's part of the reason I have a problem with Strange using the Darkhold to defeat Wanda. My faith teaches that children should learn that ends don't justify the means.

Now, are there gray areas in morality? Absolutely.

My Church recognizes that and allows for some nuance, because she knows human nature is complicated.

In fact, I'll give an example when "the ends don't justify the means" isn't always absolute. 

The Catholic Church has what's called the Just War doctrine. It lays out criteria for waging a just war.

World War II was a just war for the Allies because it was a case of legitimate self-defense on their part and Nazi Germany's persecution of the Jews had to be stopped. The defense of innocent lives is usually a just cause for war. 

In addition to the Just War doctrine, the use of force, even lethal force, is permissible in cases of legitimate self-defense or the defense of others. But the method cannot be harsh or excessive. So for instance, torture is not permissible. So killing someone in self-defense or the defense of others is morally permissible and even morally right.

3) Actual Occult Terms

Again, this ties into the fact that kids are watching this film. 

Up until this movie, Marvel Studios was good about keeping magic based on fictional concepts of magic rather than real-life occult practices and not making magic terms sound overly esoteric. 

Now, kids who understand that this is just a made-up story will have a better time not letting their curiosity get the better of them.

It's the more impressionable kids and those with truama or other mental health-related issues that I'm concerned about.

For instance, Zachary King, a Catholic convert, had a lot of truama during his childhood. King was raised Baptist. But he was also fascinated with magick. Eventually, he became a theistic Satanist and a high wizard. And in order to get Satan's attention, he had to help take the most innocent of human life. And the way to do that was to magically assist in abortion procedures.

But as I said, King is a Catholic convert. So he turned away from Satanism and the use of Magick. 

Now, occult practices work. Or they don't. It depends. At least, that's what I've heard. Either way, children dabbling in the occult concerns me. Children being fascinated by occult practices concerns me. 

Now, positive depictions of occult practices in movies don't pose a temptation to me. I follow the Bible's prohibition against using magick. And I just don't see the appeal in using magick because I have a God who loves me with the love of a father and a spouse. A God who loves me to the point that He suffered and died on the cross to redeem me and save my soul. And it's better than what any occult practice could offer me. 

My issues with the movie aside, let me talk about what I do like.

The thing I like most in this movie is a line delivered by Professor X:  "Just because someone stumbles and loses their way, doesn't mean they are lost forever,"

He says this about Wanda and Strange.

The second thing I like is Sara's selfless sacrifice.

And the third and final thing I like is Stephen's profession of love to Christine: "I love you in every universe."

He loves her in every universe, but he will respect her free will and not cause an Incursion in an attempt to be with her.