'Doctor Strange' Review

Image from Den of Geek

By Darian Scalamoni

            It seems like ages since we’ve seen a superhero film worth talking about but that might be due to the complete misfire that was Suicide Squad. Marvel continues its upward trend though with its newest theatrical release, Doctor Strange.

            Doctor Strange tells the story of Dr. Stephen Strange, a neurosurgeon who had a bit of a cocky flare to him, very similar to another Marvel hero we all know and love, Tony Stark. Unfortunately for Strange, he gets into a car accident that almost leaves him for dead. When he awakens from his coma, we see that he’s in particularly rough shape, but nothing is more damaged than his hands. This is a massive issue as his hands are the most important part of the body as he needs them to do surgical work. After multiple failed procedures in which he gets several different treatments and surgeries, he begins to believe there is no hope for him as a surgeon. That is, until one day where Strange goes through some old files and comes across an old patient that had severe spinal injuries which left him paralyzed, who now has the ability to walk. Upon approaching him, the man tells Strange how he recovered, by doing a spiritual practice in Nepal.

            Strange then heads there to uncover this special treatment that helped the patient and there, he meets The Ancient One (played wonderfully by Tilda Swinton), who becomes a teacher and spiritual guide to Dr. Strange and bring out abilities he had no idea he possessed within. The arrogant but charismatic doctor enlists for guidance but not without a few hiccups along the way. The willing and ready participant quickly learns the ways of these magical arts so to speak and he gets himself into a bit of trouble. The skepticism that Strange has towards the mystical arts presents an obstacle and he’s able to overcome it as he’s an incredibly intelligent man, but it leads him to some places that would be better suited if not messed around with.

            The egotistical, goatee sporting man that is Strange plays Devil’s advocate throughout the process and he believes that all he is seeing at first is nothing more than a magical smorgasbord that is particularly hard to explain to others. He constantly pokes fun at the fact that what he’s doing seems ridiculous but does realize that it is happening. The film adds a certain perspective within the Marvel Cinematic Universe that we, as an audience, have not seen yet and that’s what makes this movie so interesting and sets it apart from other Marvel movies of the past. The incredible visual effects within the film bring you to a mystic realm that we have not seen yet in the MCU, it’s completely separate from the imagery we’ve seen in movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and even Ant-Man in which we see some dimension traveling but this movie’s locale at points has a sort of, psychedelic feel to it. It is truly jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring and though I’m not a huge fan of 3D, I feel that it is essential to enjoy the movie in the way that it was meant to be seen.

            To continue along with the positives, the direction by Scott Derrickson (Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose) is superb within the film. His previous work in horror presents a freaky and surreal feeling to those outer body and outer world sequences in the film. With the character’s ability to reshape physical properties around them as well as take different body forms and enter different dimensions, the visual effects and explanation to which these things are done are a testament to how well Derrickson works as a writer/director to get these ideas on screen. Not only that, but they’re explained to an audience that for the most part, probably don’t know Strange as well as other heroes like a Batman or Spider-Man and you won’t leave the theater asking questions. Also, Benedict Cumberbatch is perfect in his leading role within the film. You can definitely see the similarities and essence of his portrayal as Sherlock Holmes in the show, Sherlock within the role and that’s what makes him so special. Joaquin Phoenix and Ethan Hawke were some of the other potential actors in contention for the titular role but I would not be able to see the same charisma from them as Cumberbatch encompasses. He’s a welcome addition to the MCU and I’m excited to see him interact with other heroes within the connected universe.

            The fight sequences are truly something to look at through a different eye. It’s quite similar to what Christopher Nolan did with Inception but it’s nowhere near a copy of the movie in terms of action. Chinese towns are turned into war zones and twisted buildings turn into obstacle courses for our heroes and villainous combatants throughout the movie but one sequence that is awesome and crazy is the fight between disembodied spirits in a hospital. It’s truly unlike anything we’ve seen Marvel do and they’re consistently pumping out something different with every release they have in their cinematic library.

            It is now time for the negatives of the film, and though there are not many, they are strenuous with how one thing stays consistently underwhelming about these superhero movies: the villain. Yes, Mads Mikkelsen was cast and he is a formidable actor if you look at his resume but Marvel continues to bring in these great actors to play parts with no substance. This has happened in the past with Corey Stoll, Daniel Bruhl and Lee Pace but Mikkelsen is an even more talented actor compared to them and he’s still not given much if anything at all. Unfortunately, Rachel McAdams also gets stuck with a less than significant role as she plays very much the generic love interest, similar to what Natalie Portman is stuck with in the Thor franchise. She’s an Oscar-nominated actress and she must be given more to work with. Swinton is fantastic in her role but McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen and even Chiwetel Ejiofor to a certain extent are pushed aside in this origin story of the Marvel hero.

            All in all, the second film within phase three of the MCU dazzles on screen and is one of the best movies of the year that I’ve seen thus far. Disney continues to knock it out of the park and Strange is a perfect example of how they change it up and continue to push the envelope with all their theatrical releases. Though there are developmental issues within certain characters and other spoiler-ish problems I have with the movie, it truly does continue Marvel’s great track record and provides a great look at a brand-new superhero with abilities unlike anyone else possesses within the MCU.

8.5/10