Doctor Strange is yet another efficient cog in the Marvel Movie Machine. It successfully entertains and moderately thrills, but it never fully engages or enthralls. Much of its successes are in large part due to its stunning and inspired visuals as well as yet another excellent cast led by Benedict Cumberbatch. Its drawbacks are much the same as the other middle-of-the-run Marvel films: standard plotting, simplistic villain and an all-too-familiar story structure.
Doctor Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is one of the most prestigious neurosurgeons in New York City – probably the entire world. He takes pride in his steady hands as well as his unparalleled music trivia knowledge.
He’s also a pompous jackass.
And I’ll pause here for a moment to give Marvel Studios props for giving us a protagonist who is relatively unlikable for a good chunk of the film’s runtime. It’s a bold move and their willingness to mess with their tried and true formula is exactly why the studio has been so successful over the past decade. Dr. Strange regularly belittles his colleagues, takes for granted his one, true friend: fellow surgeon and ex-lover Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) and behaves in a generally selfish manner. His life is upended when a horrible car accident takes away the use of his hands. When modern medicine fails him, he delves into the world of the mystical and discovers possibilities and powers far beyond anything he could have imagined.
Doctor Strange works best when it focuses on its characters and its action sequences, the latter of which are some of the most bonkers Marvel Studios has pulled off to date. Buildings fold and bend, floors expand and contort, universes are passed through on a whim and energy is focused and honed to create magical weaponry. Director Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister) has a strong handle on the other-worldly material and the flashy visuals, but to his credit, he never forgets to pause every so often in order to give the characters some room to breathe.
As I’ve already said, Cumberbatch is excellent as Strange, lending a relatability and likability to a character who, for the most part, behaves rather deplorably. His character arc from selfish, entitled neurosurgeon to selfless, badass superhero feels earned and it’s largely due to Cumberbatch’s talents as a performer that we’re willing to stick with Strange through thick and thin. The supporting cast, featuring the likes of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, and Mads Mikkelsen, is strong, but none of their characters are as well-drawn as that of Strange’s. Thankfully, their talents overcome this drawback and they manage to charm regardless. The chemistry between them provides the film with some of its finest moments and biggest laughs.
The plotting is what really holds the film back from greatness. This was an excellent opportunity for Marvel to get a little weird and push the boundaries of their storytelling method. They opt instead to play it safe, perhaps to normalize the otherworldly visual onslaught for general audiences, or perhaps because they don’t want to mess with a solid formula. Probably both. Whatever the reason, it’s a shame they didn’t take more of a risk here, especially considering the absurd possibilities of the source material. (If you haven’t already, I highly recommend checking out Jason Aaron’s current run on the series. It’s spectacular) In an odd change of pace from Marvel’s standard formula, Doctor Strange’s climax ends up being one of its more inspired moments. I won’t spoil it for you here, but it was refreshing and creative in a way I was hoping the entire film would be.
While I couldn’t help wishing the storytelling had been as bold and awe-inspiring as the trippy effects, Doctor Strange is still a highly entertaining work from a studio that, even when it doesn’t hit one out of the park, manages a solid base hit. I’d rank it below Marvel Studios’ best cinematic outings (Iron Man, The Avengers, the latter two Captain America films), but it falls right in line with Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 3, Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man. More importantly, it introduces another excellent character into Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and holds the promise of more exciting things to come. I can’t wait to see how Doctor Strange fits in with the rest of the gang.
FINAL RATING: 3.5/5
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