"Doctor Strange" Review

Title: Doctor Strange

Directed by: Scott Derrickson

Written by: Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson, and C. Robert Cargill

Year: 2016


Fourteen movies in and Marvel is still going strong. Of those 14 films, Marvel has taken some major risks with such characters as Thor, The Guardians of the Galaxy, and Ant-Man. These are characters that not many know about and were major gambles for the studio. Doctor Strange fits within this category, as the general public is unfamiliar with him. Is this a spellbinding adventure, or too strange for its own good?

Doctor Stephen Strange is a renowned surgeon who experiences an accident that cripples his hands. Seeking a way to remedy this, Strange ventures to Nepal and stumbles upon a society of sorcerers that can help him. However, he finds himself in the midst of a battle that could truly reshape reality.

Benedict Cumberbatch has exploded in popularity over the past few years, and deservedly so. His incredible acting capabilities and signature voice have propelled him to global fame, and he brings this talent to the character of Doctor Strange. Cumberbatch is absolutely mesmerizing as this beloved character. His American accent is excellent and he perfectly captures the behavior necessary to make this film work. He steals every scene he is in, even from acting heavyweights like Tilda Swinton, who is superb as the Ancient One. She is not given a great range of emotions to work with, save for one scene, but she manages to overcome this hinderance with great line delivery.

Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Mordo, one of the sorcerers who trains Strange. Ejiofor works fantastically as a supporting character. His interactions with Strange are very engaging and often humorous, but I will touch on the comedic elements further on. Rachel McAdams is not featured too heavily, but she plays an interesting take on the love interest. Her character, Christine, has an odd friendship with Strange that I find hard to explain without giving anything away. I will just say that it is a refreshing approach to this type of character within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and McAdams sells it.

Mads Mikkelsen is the villain of the piece; a rogue sorcerer known as Kaecilius. Mikkelsen is as good as you would expect him to be. He excels at playing these villainous characters, and Kaecilius works to Mikkelsen's strengths, being a suave gentleman with a cold and dangerous interior. That being said, Marvel has made the same mistake once again with the villain; Kaecilius is a weakly structured antagonist. Marvel's approach to making their films is to keep the focus on the heroes. And while that has served them well, it does impede most of their pictures because the antagonists tend to fall to the wayside. There is barely any focus on his story, he lacks emotional depth, and his actions are mostly forgettable. Fourteen movies in and we are still encountering this issue. I find this to be an inexcusable error, and I really hope that Marvel changes their writing model soon.

Doctor Strange presents a solid story. Kaecilius has stolen some very dangerous spells from Kamar-Taj, which is essentially the headquarters for the sorcerers. Not long after, Strange is recruited as a sorcerer and must help the other magic-wielders find out what Kaecilius has planned and stop him from bending reality. One of the most admirable aspects of this movie is how it paces the storytelling. Doctor Strange is humble in its approach, taking its time to establish this new facet of this well-known world. There is a suitable amount of time devoted to Strange's backstory and his journey to Kamar-Taj, which allows the audience to latch onto Strange's egotistical personality.

Where the pacing begins to fall apart is during the final act, where it feels as if the film is in a hurry to wrap-up. The lead-up to the final confrontation is terribly rushed, giving the third act of the picture an uneven structure. But I will give credit where credit is due. The third act is unlike anything we have seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far. I dare not spoil the resolution here, but it does act as an anti-climax that works in the film's favor. It is a clever conclusion that breaks the mold and turns familiar beats on their heads.

Another issue with Doctor Strange is how familiar it all feels. The basic plot is that a rude and unlikable person undergoes a life-changing experience where he realizes his true purpose and turns out to be a hero. Does that sound familiar? It should; it is the exact same story that was employed in Iron Man, Thor, and Ant-Man. I can even take it a step further. Kaecilius used to be the Ancient One's student and has stolen something from her. In Iron Man, Obediah Stane steals Tony's first suit. In Ant-Man, Darren Cross used to have Hank Pym as a mentor and eventually steals his ideas. This repetition within the same universe is quickly growing old and tiresome. Even smaller scenes are riddled with clichés. How many times have you seen two characters walking in a circle around each other spouting melodramatic dialogue just before they fight? Well, if you watch this movie, you can add one more to the list.

Doctor Strange rehashes a familiar plot and disguises it with a different coat of paint. Having said that, the coat of paint used is breathtakingly singular. What truly sets this movie apart from others in the franchise is its aesthetics. The visual style incorporated is insanely inventive, especially during the more psychedelic sequences, which harken back to the experimental films of old. I am reminded of the 1943 short experimental picture Meshes in the Afternoon, as well as several others, while watching this movie. The use of visual effects is stunning and a feast for the eyes. The array of colors and blends is inspired, and the reality-bending set pieces are nothing short of spellbinding, putting even Inception to shame. It feels as if you are wearing kaleidoscopic glasses while experiencing this picture. While I refrain from calling Doctor Strange the greatest visual experience of the year, given what The Jungle Book was able to achieve, I can settle on its being a close second.

In concordance, the action scenes are spectacular. The use of magic as a combative tool is staggeringly creative. The vast inventory of weapons and spells is satisfying and the gravity defying fights are white-knuckled fun. Every sorcerer fights differently, with various mystical items and spells on their side. One of the coolest parts of the movie is the implementation of the astral plane. To be able to venture outside your own body without restrictions is a fascinating concept and used to its fullest potential in this film.

During the reshoots for this movie, writer Dan Harmon was brought on to add some additional humor for the final cut. For the most part, the comedy hits its mark and makes the adventure all the more enjoyable. The Cloak of Levitation is treated as an entity of its own, and when it does what it wants, it is quite hysterical. There are plenty of great one-liners and good physical humor, but the there are times where the gags get in the way of the emotions and tone. For instance, the Cloak of Levitation is funny too frequently, which detracts from the urgency of the situation. The character of Wong, coincidentally played by Benedict Wong (who does a good job by the way), is the perfect representation of this duality. There is a joke about music regarding his character that is executed perfectly and to great effect. But the running joke established about his demeanor has a very poor payoff. Most of the humor sticks, but at the same time there is a lot that falls flat.

*SPOILERS AHEAD* One of the worst things a writer can do to a villain is to introduce another antagonist that outranks him but has much less development. Unfortunately, Doctor Strange commits this practice. Going into this movie, I was praying that Dormammu, a well-known member of Strange's rogues gallery from the comics, would be absent from it, hoping that the filmmakers would save him for a later installment. But lo and behold, Dormammu makes an appearance as a giant face and the primary bad guy. Not only does he have minimal development and is introduced unfathomably late in the picture, but his design is pathetic. In the comic books, he has an imposing stature and a flaming head. Instead, we are given a giant head that resembles a cross between Thanos and Groot. While on the subject of spoilers, I might as well mention Mordo's half-assed turn to evil. At the end of the film, Mordo is understandably upset as his beliefs have been questioned and proven false. He leaves the sorcerers, now seeking a new purpose. It would have been fine had the film left it at that. But in one of the post credits scenes, we learn that Mordo is on a mission to extinguish all the sorcerers. This turn comes out of nowhere, with no room for progression or character development. This should have been saved for a sequel and not relegated to a minute-long scene.

*SPOLIER FREE* This review has come off far more negative than I had intended. Allow me to remedy this. Doctor Strange is yet another highly enjoyable and quality film from the Marvel library. The cast is amazing, with Cumberbatch stealing the movie; the use of magic is creative and not too outlandish; the action is thrilling; and the visuals and scenery are dripping off the screen. What works against this movie is a familiar story, yet another poor villain from this universe, and a rushed resolution. The humor is hit-and-miss, with more hits than misses. Doctor Strange fits well under the MCU belt and should not alienate fans of the character, the cinematic universe, or the uninitiated. The visuals alone warrant a ticket. With wonderful effects and the fun-factor cranked to maximum, I say go see it.

Grade: B+