Doctor Strange - movie review

Doctor Strange

Plot: A former neurosurgeon embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts.
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams
Director: Scott Derrickson
Rating: 12A (moderate fantasy violence, injury detail)
Runtime: 1hr 55 mins
Release Date: Tuesday 25th October 2016

Can you remember when comic book films were so limited with only one being released every year? Me neither. Doctor Strange is the fifth comic book film out this year and the fourteenth entry into the MCU. It's shocking to think that in two years time, it will be ten years since Robert Downey Jr introduced us to Iron Man. Damn. That makes me feel so old. It seem like we're saying this every year now but for Marvel to make a Doctor Strange film, it was a huge risk for them. They succeeded in making a walking talking tree friends with a raccoon and a man that can shrink to the size of an ant. But Doctor Strange was certainly a film that could make or break their impeccable reputation. After seeing this film on opening day in IMAX 3D, Doctor Strange really is the oddest, most unique film Marvel has ever produced. It's also one of their best.

It was only going to be a matter of time before Benedict Cumberbatch would appear in a Marvel film. When an actor is as popular as he, the Marvel agents are just lurking for a free space in the schedule to snap them up. I wouldn't be surprised that when we come to celebrate the MCU's 20th birthday, at least 75% of actors will have appeared in a Marvel film of some sorts. As Strange, Cumberbatch is just perfect casting. When we meet him as Stephen Strange, the arrogant yet brilliant doctor, we get a familiar feeling of seeing Tony Stark, just in a hospital gown. He's got a brilliant mind and he knows he does. However, that confidence is immediately removed soon after Strange is involved in a devastating car crash. With the aid of seeing this in IMAX, this has to be one of the most impressive yet horrifying car crashes ever put to film. They don't hide away from the damage caused to Strange and by having multiple surgeries on his nerves in his hands, Strange can no longer hold his own as a surgeon. This is when Cumberbatch takes it to another level providing some of the best acting that the MCU has seen. For a while, we bare witness to this man crumble and lose everything he worked for. Benedict Cumberbatch has had various fan-loved roles (Sherlock, Khan) but his defining moment in his career so far, is Doctor Strange. From the point where he encounters the Ancient One, shown magic and alternate realities and slowly becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, Cumberbatch is flat out incredible. And then, finally, the moment when he dons the cape and becomes Doctor Strange, is a moment that will send glorious comic book shivers down any fan's spine. Accompanying Strange on his origin is Mordo, a fellow magician played by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Going into the film, Ejiofor's character was the one that I was most intrigued about. Firstly, for those that know the comics, Mordo becomes Baron Mordo who is a enemy of Strange so to see him battle alongside Strange in the trailers had me a little confused. Fortunately, the confusion is nowhere to be found as Scott Derrickson and his fantastic team of writers reinvent the character of Mordo but are still able to please the fans. Ejiofor, as always, is fantastic in the role and is a welcome addition to this universe. In an ideal world, I would have liked to see Mordo do a bit more but then look at the title of the film. It's not Mordo's movie. 

Someone else whose role isn't as lengthy or detailed as I would have liked it was Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, a colleague of Strange when he was a surgeon. McAdams does have some great moments especially when she is giving her all to try and get Strange out of his rut. Apart from that, she has decent chemistry with Cumberbatch and I like that they make use of her in a way to advance the story rather than the 'obligatory love interest that gets in trouble'. Probably one of the nicest surprises and perhaps even fan favourite from this film is Benedict Wong as Wong. In the comics, Wong was a manservant for Strange but again, with artistic modifications, Wong is now a librarian in the temple where Strange trains as well as having his fair share of fighting. Wong gives Wong (this is going to get confusing) a really dry sense of humour and both him and Strange have a running joke about his one and only name that culminates in a very funny moment between the two. Unfortunately, Marvel are once again tripped at the final hurdle. Their achilles heel is the disappointing and average villains that never live up to the potential nor the greatness of the film. At this point, this heel isn't just aching from all the unsuccessful villains but actually broken to smithereens. To make matters that little bit more painful, this is a unfortunate misuse of Mads Mikkelsen. He plays Kaecilius, a past pupil of The Ancient One who becomes tempted by a darker power. He basically forms a group that practice the same beliefs just more violently. Think of them like the Sith, if Darth Vader could make a church become a kaleidoscope or flip New York City on it's head and fold buildings in half. 

The problem with Kaecilius is that he's a villain that Marvel themselves have done before and other films have countless times. He's angry about how he's treated and begins down a dark path leading him to battle the newbie who took his place. With films ranging from Star Wars to Kung Fu Panda, this story for a villain is quite frankly, lowest common denominator for villainous backstories. Marvel have a library of fantastic antagonists and always assemble brilliant minds to write their scripts but why oh why can they never show us a true villain other than Loki? This isn't to say that Mikkelsen is bad in the role because he's anything but, however, when you cast LeChiffre and Hannibal Lecter as your villain, how can you not deliver? Finally, in what was quite a controversial casting announcement, Tilda Swinton is playing The Ancient One. Now, do I think that The Ancient One should have been played by an Asian actor/actress? For the most part, yes. Considering that there isn't a huge surplus of Asian characters in Marvel comics, The Ancient One is certainly a sought after character. That being said, as long as whomever is cast in the role can do a damn good job, that's all that matters. Thankfully, Swinton is superb as The Ancient One and really makes the character her own putting all the naysayers to the side. She's a perfect fit for this universe and Strange's lore in general. If you look at her previous work, Swinton isn't the most orthodox of actresses so her strangeness blends brilliantly with the film's.

FACT: Cumberbatch was not the only actor in contention for the role. Rumoured to star as the Sorcerer Supreme were; Tom Hardy, Oscar Isaac, Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey, Keanu Reeves, Johnny Depp and Joaquin Phoenix.

Let's not beat around the bush here; by removing the magic, multiple realities and dimension bending, Doctor Strange really is a by the numbers origin story. This isn't the largest problem but with so many comic book properties now having a cinematic adaptation, origin stories are becoming very tedious. Thor, Ant-Man and Captain America all had very good opening films but the one that really cracked how to do an origin story within the MCU was Iron Man. Until now. Doctor Strange is probably equal with Iron Man on how well it sets up a character we have yet to see. The film goes through the basic motions like the horrific incident that drives our character to develop their untapped potential to face a villain of similar abilities. On one hand, the fact that this is a Doctor Strange movie, the focus is 100% on Stephen Strange with everyone else being just a supporting character. Personally, it would have been nice to see other characters like Mordo and Kaecilius get their spotlight moment but Strange stole their thunder most of the time. Also, due to the setup for this very complex world, a hefty amount of time is spent on the exposition of key people, how magic works and the transformation Strange goes through that as for plot twists, reveals and overall story, it is kind of formulaic. That isn't really a problem because it's executed fantastically well allowing us to overlook this fact but nevertheless, the story isn't the most original of films made. However, what IS original is the look and style. I'll cover the visual effects in due course but the way that Doctor Strange is shot with great cinematography is just beautiful. It has to be the best looking Marvel movie ever made alongside Guardians Of The Galaxy. As is common practice with all Marvel films, Doctor Strange has a nice dose of well-rounded humour. It isn't a comedy but laughs are sprinkled in throughout to stop it from getting depressing or too confusing. Trust me, I know the Doctor Strange lore but when characters are mentioning words like Eye of Agamoto, Kamar-Taj and Astral Planes, humour is a welcome relief. And of course, as you'd expect, we are treated to not one but two after credits scenes. They're both well worth staying for and help set up future films in a great way.

To get straight to the point, Doctor Strange has the best visuals I've seen in any superhero film and is in contention for the best in film. When you have seen a building fold and twist in two on an IMAX screen in 3D, then you have reached the pinnacle of what can be done nowadays. They are simply nothing short of phenomenal. Opening with a great fight scene that only gives us a taste of what can be done in their world, the rest of the film never holds back. That's one of the most impressive parts to Doctor Strange. Because it's such a risk and a fairly unknown property compared to other heroes, Marvel could have played it safe by giving an introductory lesson to Strange and his world to ease the general public into it. Nope. This is one trippy film and that's brilliant. It's possible that it might be overwhelming for some but I honestly cannot see anyone leaving Doctor Strange thinking it was a bad film because of how close they stick to the comics. As for all you sweaty comic book fans, you are going to be very pleased at what they achieve here. The spells that the sorcerers can conjure, sling rings allowing transportation, manipulating time, mirror dimensions allowing reality to bend to whomever's will and a cloak of levitation that straight up RKO's a dude. Everything is included and it's joyous. 

Back to the visuals, it has drawn comparisons to Inception. In all honesty, Doctor Strange is Inception times 100. Inception has roads bending upwards but Doctor Strange looks at that chuckles as NYC folds in on itself whilst the Chrysler Building ripples and splits in half. The car crash is brutal to watch, the final sequence is brilliant fun but that New York scene is nothing like I've ever seen before. Plus, a scene in which The Ancient One makes Strange her bitch by subjecting him to various realities and alternate dimensions is some of my favourite things in film. Seeing as my favourite film is Interstellar (prepare for hate) the concept of alternate dimensions and realities is my bread and butter. The sequence with Strange travelling through those realities is jaw dropping as to how accurate it is to Steve Ditko's artwork. In all fairness, I cannot decide who will win the Oscar for best Visual Effects between this and The Jungle Book. As for fan service, there's a shit ton. Like I said, Eye of Agamoto, Kamar-Taj and many more, comic book fans' seats will end up like a single middle aged lady watching Fifty Shades Of Grey. However, one slight niggling issue with the fan service also relates to a spoiler so I'll be sure to tiptoe carefully around it. Let's just say something is introduced near the end and the overall conclusion to that thing and how it looks is underwhelming and reminds me of another villain whom I care to forget. That being said, it's not a large moment and when the inevitable Doctor Strange 2 rolls around, I'm sure things will be fixed. Also, we finally have a great score. Apart from mediocre villains, Marvel also do not have very memorable scores. Guardians had a great soundtrack and the only score I can really remember is The Avengers but that's only because I've seen it more times than I care to count. How do they fix that? Only get Michael Giacchino to compose. With the mind behind the new Star Trek and the upcoming Rogue One, Giacchino is the new John Williams. It's an unorthodox score but I can at least pick out or hum the tunes from key scenes.

Despite another generic villain (please fix this Marvel. Stop being a cocktease for Thanos) and it being a typical origin story, Doctor Strange contains some of the best moments in MCU history. Cumberbatch is glorious as the Sorcerer as are many of the other cast members. Scott Derrickson has crafted a fantastic film and Marvel still retain an untarnished track record. Prepare for a very odd, wacky and above all else, Strange (Oh come on, the pun had to appear somewhere) film.

My Verdict: 9/10

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