Doctor Strange Review

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton

Doctor Strange is the second movie in "Phase 3" of Marvel's Cinematic Universe, that started with Iron Man all the way back in 2008. Ever since 2012's The Avengers shattered records and re-invigorated comic book heroes like Hulk, Black Widow, and Thor, Marvel has been steadily expanding its brand. While first focusing on comic book royalty like Captain America, they recently dove into cult territory by adapting the Guardians of the Galaxy to screen. That effort proved ridiculously successful, so now we have Doctor Strange making his debut appearance. Doctor Strange uses magic, in a weird blend of Batman Begins and Harry Potter. In a year of underwhelming superhero movies (Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, even Civil War in my opinion) Doctor Strange hopes to be a breath of fresh air. I will agree, it's very refreshing. While so many movies are rushing team-ups and world-building, it's nice to just see an origin story, and a man become a hero onscreen. Stephen Strange is one of the best surgeons. The problem is that his ego controls his life. He believes he is infallible, until he gets in an accident that leaves him unable to perform. A hint leads him to Western Asia, where he studies with a monk known as The Ancient One to gain his power back, and power beyond his wildest dreams. For the most part, Doctor Strange is a success. I had a great time. As it started to sit with me, I began to realize that like Strange, it was not perfect.

The first thing I must praise is the casting. This is the most high-caliber cast of any Marvel movie I've seen. Oscar-nominees Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Rachel McAdams lead the film with Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton in a key supporting role. Add Mads Mikkelsen as a wicked villain, and you have a great cast of characters. While Cumberbatch grounds the role with his steady (no pun intended) performance, it is Swinton that makes the movie. Her performance as The Ancient One, an age-defying monk that opens Strange's eyes is some of the best acting I have seen in a superhero movie. Not only does she sell her monologues and presence, she probably has the best action sequences in the entire film. Her assistants are played by Wong and Ejiofor. Wong literally plays a character sharing his name, which is quite funny. It fits, because Wong is the comic relief. You would be surprised though, that Doctor Strange is actually hilarious. I laughed really hard throughout. Ejiofor's performance was less consistent, but I cannot deny the gravitas he brings to his performance. As for Mikkelsen, he was a good villain. Marvel has this problem where none of their villains make an impact. I call it "The Loki Complex", in that none of their villains can match their first one: Loki. Unlike Ultron or Malekith (bet you don't even know what movie he's from, that's my point) Mikkelsen's character does seem like an actual threat to Strange. While supervillains often feel threatening to humanity or the world, it is important to establish a personal connection with the hero. Marvel can't see that. The Joker is so terrifying because he scares Batman.

I have two big issues with Doctor Strange. It is too derivative, and too confusing. The scene I have pictured above is from a fight scene where realities are being combined. The effects are magnificent, and the gravity-bending action is awesome to watch. However, it is almost exactly like the scene from Inception where the city folds into itself, just with more action and less of a point. As Inception is one of my favorite movies, I take issue with the fact that this just seems like a rip-off, with nothing new added but a few more skylines. This may also sound random, but I could not stop thinking how much this resembled Kung Fu Panda. That underrated film is about an unteachable pupil, who seeks to learn from an all-knowing teacher, to one day be able to wield a magical artifact. Things get complicated as the teacher's defected former student, believed to be the Chosen One, wants to steal the artifact for himself. That description fits both Kung Fu Panda and Doctor Strange. It's nowhere near a crime, and is a great theme, but it is simply sloppy writing.

Then comes the confusion. I'm all for complexity. After all, Inception is one of my favorite movies. I honestly feel that the writers of Doctor Strange had no idea where it would end up. At the conclusion, instead of a feeling of triumph shared with the hero, I felt perplexed. What is Marvel thinking? Why are they going in this direction? When will someone explain what an Infinity Stone is? Isn't the MCU complicated enough without sorcery and magic? A viewer should not be left with that many questions. Questions are a great technique for franchise film. They leave the viewer wondering, and install anticipation for the sequel. Even films like Gone Girl make use of questions to add a sense of dread for the characters' futures. But a movie should never make you question what you just watched.

I think you should try out Doctor Strange because there is a lot it has to offer. It has great acting, great visuals, and a sense of wonder that is too rare at the movies. But if you do not fancy over-complicated plots and a general sense of confusion, it's probably not your movie. A warning to people on the fence about 3D. To me and the group I went with, we all found the 3D to be too much, and sickening at points.

Rating: