Doctor Strange

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, Michael Stuhlberg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins, Chris Hemsworth (uncredited)
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: After a brutal car accident, Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) travels to Asian to search for a mythical cure for his injuries.

Review:

Tim: The 14th film in the now-massive Marvel Cinematic Universe is certainly a bit of an oddity. That's a good thing, though. It's easy to try and say these MCU movies are all the same, or that after 14 films, the series is getting stale. Fortunately, neither of those things are true. Marvel continues to take creative risks, and Doctor Strange is certainly another of those. This movie introduces magic and the mystical realm to the MCU. Most of the other films are at least somewhat rooted in technology. This film asks the audience to depart from the norm in ways few films in this series have. Luckily, the Marvel brand is on full display here, delivering yet another solid, entertaining effort.

I was eager to see this film and how it would change the MCU. Director Scott Derrickson delivers a solid, entertaining film that easily introduces one of the most interesting, unique characters we've seen yet. The origin story of Doctor Strange is an especially interesting one and I enjoyed its portrayal on screen. The arrogant surgeon, the life-altering accident, the fruitless search for a medical cure. His origin story feels different than many we've seen and I thoroughly appreciated that. The whole film feels fresh and unique and different from everything we've see before it. That is where the greatest strengths of this film lie.

Getting an actor like Benedict Cumberbatch to play Strange was such a big win. The guy is a talented actor. While I can't claim he hit a home run with his performance, he makes Strange believable and likeable, even though he's arrogant and selfish. It's not an easy role to play and Cumberbatch was the right man for the job. Tilda Swinton was obviously a controversial choice to play The Ancient One. I'm not going to weigh in because I don't really care. I understand why the change was made. The fear of being culturally insensitive was a real one here. It was kind of a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't kind of thing. Chiwetel Ejiofor was a wonderful addition and it feels like his character arc will be one of the most impressive and memorable in the MCU. I'm excited to see him in future film. Rachel McAdams really didn't have much to do, but she was fine in her role. Mads Mikkelsen might have been slightly better than the average MCU villain, but he certainly doesn't solve their villain problem. Ultimately, he was far too forgettable. Still, as a whole, this film continues the tradition of very strong MCU casts.

This whole film just feels different and that's a good thing. From the training sequences at Kamar-Taj to the more intellectual feel of the entire film, this movie just gives us a different vibe. The whole sequence with Dormammu at the end is so different than everything we've come to expect. It was very refreshing to see such a different film.

Now, while I'm lavishing praise on this film, that's not to say this movie is perfect. Indeed, it suffers some of the same problems that Ant-Man faced a few years ago. The building of the MCU was unforgettable- we got to learn about Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America, and see them all come together in the MCU's crown jewel, The Avengers. That had never been done before and it was stunning to watch unfold. Since then, the MCU has grown and has introduced new characters. And yet, none of the introductions have come close to the stunning awesomeness of those early films. Guardians of the Galaxy got closest. While Doctor Strange is a very good movie, it feels like another episode, another addition, rather than brilliantly pushing the boundaries of the series. It succeeds because we now know and care about Stephen Strange, but the journey wasn't quite as mind-blowing as it should have been. Some of this is the MCU's own fault because it has set the bar so high, so repeatedly. And yet, in the larger context of the MCU, this film is only very good. It misses out on greatness. It's fun and different, but it's not nearly memorable enough. There's always going to be amazing films that add to the MCU, but to some extent, I worry that we will start to see diminished returns. This is a very good movie and there's nothing wrong with that. However, is this continuing a slight downward trend? Great success breeds great challenges and I'm so curious to see how Marvel handles that.

Look, Doctor Strange isn't in the top half of MCU films, but this is still a unique, thoroughly enjoyable blockbuster. You shouldn't leave this film feeling disappointed because this movie is still better than any of the first three DCEU films (Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad). For the 14th film of a series to be better than the first three of a rival one is a massive accomplishment. So Marvel should celebrate here. Just a word of caution- as audiences get more and more comfortable with Marvel's high bar, it's going to be increasingly difficult to surpass expectations.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers, Thor, Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Age of Ultron