Doctor Strange Review
The latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is upon us! Doctor Strange has been largely anticipated ever since a Hydra Agent name dropped Stephen Strange a couple years ago. Doctor Strange isn’t quite a deepcut Marvel hero. He isn’t immediately recognized to casual viewers either. With Marvel’s track record bringing second, third, or further, tier characters into exciting life (Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy) hopes were high for Doctor Strange.
Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a rockstar of a neurosurgeon. He loves the celebrity and prestige that comes with his practice and isn’t afraid of showboating or telling “less interesting” cases off. For all his arrogance, Strange isn’t without skill. Just the opposite. His skill is extraordinary. It’s so extraordinary, he allows it to define him.
When a horrific car accident leaves Strange’s hands unusable for surgery the brilliant man becomes desperate. He spends his fortune on surgeries that come with increasing risk and decreasing potential results. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), Strange’s only real friend reaches out to the desperate man who explodes at her in rage, ostracizing himself from the world as a whole. When Strange hears of a crippled man (Benjamin Bratt) who defied all logic and odds to be able to walk again he embarks on an international trip that will take him far beyond the realm of the Earth as he knows it.
Guided by The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and some tough learning under Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor; who needed a bigger part) Strange learns that he wasn’t meant to be the greatest neurosurgeon on the planet, he was meant for something bigger.
Doctor Strange is a movie steeped in mysticism and magic. The first phase of Marvel’s cinematic universe was very much based in the real world, yes even with all the exceptional people and abilities. As the universe expands into alternate dimensions, portals, timelines, galaxies, and magic it could be incredibly easy for Marvel to lose their grip and lose audiences. They have been proving themselves time and again.
Forgive the pun but Strange is possibly the strangest movie Marvel has done so far. The combination of very real world settings and magic unmatched since JK Rowling first took us into the Wizarding World is as exciting as it is jarring. The reality bending scenes of city scapes folding in on themselves and the mirror dimension being a trippy close approximation to where we live was delightful to watch and keeps the audience’s brain spinning as they just barely hang on.
Visual effects blend so flawlessly with the characters it’s hard to tell where they end and where the animation begins. The effects are used so organically and so uniquely that they feel every part of the real world. Marvel has made massive leaps and bounds since the video gamey look of Age of Ultron and Doctor Strange was the perfect film to debut the more realistic take on totally unrealistic ideas.
The cast could not have been stronger. A lot of controversy swirled around on the Internet about whitewashing The Ancient One. Tilda Swinton is a phenomenal actress and this isn’t the first time she was picked to be somewhat ambiguous. Her race and gender were not character defining. Swinton had something of an innocence to her while (almost literally) her character was shouldering the weight of many worlds. A lot of The Ancient One’s dialogue is heavy in exposition, and even more of it could easily have been ridiculous. Thanks to the strength of the actress, the lines were graceful and interesting.
Benedict Cumberbatch is a sensation as of late. Bringing Sherlock Holmes into the 21st century, voicing the mighty Smaug, playing a phenomenal villain in Star Trek Into Darkness, the biopic Imitation Game, and the list goes on and on. Marvel/Disney wanted Cumberbatch so bad they moved the production schedule for Doctor Strange around so it would fit the actor. If you have ever read an article about how movies are made, or the Marvel/Disney machine specifically, this is absolutely staggering.
Cumberbatch absolutely nailed this version of Stephen Strange. Maybe long time comic fans had a different idea of how the role should have been played but Cumberbatch fits the role as well as Chris Evans embodies Steve Rogers or Chris Hemsworth becomes Thor, god of lightning.
A big problem in the Marvel movies, especially the origin stories, is the villains being dingy versions of the heroes. With Doctor Strange opening on a wider world or magic all the characters had the same core but their own ideals as well. Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) plays a strong sorcerer The Ancient One took in, similar to Strange, who lost his way. Kaecilius is given a bit more than just good sorcerer gone bad, he doesn’t see himself as a villain, which is always fantastic in storytelling. Even better, Mikkelsen is an actor who exudes power and his performances are always absolutely electric.
I hate to stop gushing over how amazing Doctor Strange is. I was excited for it for months and it still blew away my expectations. But not all of it worked. Doctor Strange works as a whole because it takes a ridiculously large premise of magic and alternate dimensions and takes it seriously. It needed to stick to that tone. Of course Marvel movies all have their own light-heartedness. The jokes in Doctor Strange take it too far. The comedy is cheesy at best, and painful to watch at least. Bad jokes are even repeated and these scenes play out like the bad sort of a child’s movie. With a few less one liners and some Three Stooges level physical bits cut the movie would be flawless.
The lousy comedy is a small dent in an otherwise phenomenal movie that is a proud addition to the impressive world Marvel has built. The acting may be the best in any Marvel film when looked at at a whole. The only actor more perfectly cast in their role is Robert Downey Jr. It’s so thrilling to think about Stephen Strange meeting the rest of the Avenger’s team going forward.
