Doctor Strange Review

Doctor Strange (2016)
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Written by: Scott Derrickson, Jon Saiphts and C. Robert Cargill/Characters created by: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tidel Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, etc.

"Doctor Strange" was a film that got people excited at finally the mystical aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe being explored.  Of course, we had similar elements explored with characters and films like "Thor", but we never got a full blown film dealing with magic, mysticism and wizardry with this film.  Doctor Strange, both character and film, once again does a fine job of introducing audiences to the wondrous and ever expanding MCU.  While I wouldn't say it's in my top 5 of MCU films though. That honor would go to 1) Captain America: Civil War 2) Black Panther 3) Marvel's The Avengers 4) The Winter Soldier 5) Thor Ragnarok.  Doctor Strange himself is a bizarre character to bring to life. One would even say a bit strange (Sorry, couldn't help myself!!! :P)  Then again, this is once again the same universe where we have a lawyer by day/ninja crimefighter by night with enhanced senses juxtaposed to a talking raccoon who flies around in space with other aliens, a talking talking tree and an obnoxious, sometimes overbearing human named Starlord.  Soooo who am I to say Doctor Strange wasn't a possibility in this cinematic universe. Anyway, I knew very little about Doctor Strange, the character and his comic history, going in.  I knew his backstory along with his Sorcerer Surpreme moniker as well as the Sanctum Sanatorium, where he lives and protects the Earth from other magical and mystical threats to Earth like Dormammu.  So luckily, I was pleasantly surprised how the film not only features a lot of his mythology but builds on it with some original takes on characters in the comics.

Our main hero, Doctor Stephen Strange, played by the sly arrogance by Benedict Cumberbatch, is a very rich and successful neurosurgeon working in New York.  The guy is a a cocky, overconfident jerk who saves lives on a daily basis but only does it for the fame and money.  His fellow colleague, Christine Palmer, played by Mean Girls and Notebook's Rachel McAdams, is also his love interest but clearly sees more in him than most people do.  I enjoyed Adams as Christine but she isn't really given much to do once Strange goes off on his solo adventure to heal his arms.  Also the accident scene was kind of laughable!!! LOL Who in the world could have survived an accident that devastating. Stephen should be lucky his hands were the only thing that got damaged in such a catastrophic car crash that should have decapitated him and killed him instantly.  It just was so unnecessarily brutal that it was borderline cartoonish and took me out of the film for a bit.  After the accident sequence though is when the film, for a few moments, feels real.  I loved seeing Stephen struggle to reclaim his glory as his hands' nerves were seriously damaged.  Benedict managed to capture the vulnerability and sometimes anger ridden frustration so well.  Even that heartbreaking scene where Stephen harshly pushes Christine got to me. Such strong acting there!!!

But let's get to the point of the story, after Stephen finds out about a man who miraculously recovered from paralysis.  He tracks him down; leading him to Kamar-Taj where he meets a sorcerer named Mordo, played with a brilliant elegance by Chiwetel Ejiofor.  I like Mordo.  A character originally Doctor Strange's prime enemy named Baron Mordo in the comics, I like how the writers make him out to be an unlikely ally who helps save Strange from a couple of thugs and introducing him to the Ancient One.  I also loved his journey from loyal disciple to a betrayed man eager to follow his own path when he learns of the Ancient One's secret.  I'm eager to see where a possible Doctor Strange 2 takes his character as he seems to be embracing his villainous comic origins by the end of the film. Now I gotta say the casting Tidel Swinton as the Ancient One was a ballsy move by the casting director as the Ancient One is suppose to be an elderly Asian man.  A lot of people though it was a bad choice and Hollywood, once again, whitewashing iconic Asian characters....but witnessing Tidel Swinto's performance, I don't mind the choice at all.  She has such a quiet strength and wise presence about her that she delivers so well.  Speaking with a soft confidence in her voice and relentless class in her demeanor.  I like her how relationship with Stephen evolved with her reluctantly recruiting him at first to seeing his growing potential to finally almost passing on the torch to him as the potentially new Sorcerer Supreme.  It was a same to see her die so brutally at the hands of her former student, but it was nice moment to her acceptance of death and believing Stephen could carry on without her by choosing the path of protecting Earth from magically evil threats.  Also, I can't forget about Doctor Strange's apprentice in the comics, Wong, played well by Benedict Wong.  I loved the dynamic between Strange and Wong; especially knowing their future together as a team.  He sees through Strange's arrogance as there can be potential even though he constantly detests when he breaks the rules for his own agenda.  Like his and Mordo's reaction to when Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto to control time for time.

Going on to our villain....well more villains really.  Kaecilius was another bust in the villain department for the MCU.  I get why he became evil, but maybe it was Mads Mikkelsen's dry, dull performance that really didn't capture me.  His plan to open up a portal to the Dark Dimension was typical "Portal in the sky" none-sense toward the end and I never felt like he was an actual threat.  Sure he killed the Ancient One, but that seemed like more luck than skill and precision.  Dormammu also, while impressive looking and massive, he was just your typical all powerful villain.  He served more as a plot device for the movie's best moment where Doctor Strange traps them in an endless time loop in the dark dimension.  This is the moment where the movie when from good to great for me.  This was Stephen Strange officially becoming the superhero we knew and love as well as him completely evolving from how he was before the accident.  He was willing to sacrifice himself over and over; suffering through death for eternity just to protect Earth and that was just beautiful writing there.

"Dormammu, I've come to bargain!" :)

Honestly, I got to say, visually, this movie's depiction of magic is some of the most inventive special effects I have ever seen in film. If the film's story, characters and dialogue get you hooked, than the CGI will leave you mouth on the floor often.  I loved the scenes of reality literally shifting as buildings, streets, sky, etc. morphs and reconstructs itself in such stunningly, imaginative ways.  I especially loved the opening fight sequence between the Ancient One and Kaecilius's Zealots.  Then there was the incredible chase sequence between Doctor Strange, Mordo, Kaecilius and his minions.  So much praise needs to be given to the SFX department as this makes Inception look like a lame high school software project at times.  But the film isn't all good as some of the humor is really forced.  The Beyonce joke in particular made me cringe! Yikes! O_O  But overall, by the end of the film, I was eager to see more from the world of Doctor Strange. We even got a mention of an Infinity Stone. Awesome!!!

"Introducing comic book fans and audiences to the live action adaption of the mystic arts' most powerful sorcerer, "Doctor Strange" is often times a thrilling journey with nice characters, dazzling special effects and a memorable moral message of rising beyond the confines of physical disability to become something far more!"

Final Film Score: B+