In the 14th installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel dives into its more mystical side with “Doctor Strange.”
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Dr. Stephen Strange, a world-renowned neurosurgeon with an ego rivaling that of Tony Stark. After a car accident leaves his hands, and career, in shambles, Dr. Strange travels to Kamar-Taj seeking out a healer.
There he meets The Ancient One, played by Tilda Swinton, who teaches him of other dimensions, such as the astral plane and mirror dimensions. Thus Dr. Strange begins his journey of becoming a sorcerer.
While talk of other dimensions, alternate timelines and ancient space gods sounds like a dense subject, “Strange” merely glosses over explanation, instead expecting the audience to take these concepts as truths and favor action over exposition.
This works because the action sequences of “Strange” display some of the most visually pleasing effects I’ve ever seen. The kaleidoscopic action sequences fall somewhere between “Harry Potter,” “Inception” and “The Matrix.”
The awe-inspiring visuals beg to be seen on the largest and highest-resolution screen possible, and while I personally am not a fan of 3D, “Strange” is a movie I want to see again so I can experience it in 3D.
While most of the movie is flawless in its CGI execution, one scene’s visuals felt cheesy, resembling something closer to ’90s green screen. Lacking grace, the action itself was not as polished as we have seen in other MCU movies. While I wish I could mark this up as a stylistic choice to mirror Dr. Strange learning his powers, this extends to the more experienced characters.
Embodying the typical origin-story Marvel has become an expert in, the storyline lacks imagination with its action sequences. However, since “Strange” is the second entry in Phase 3 of the MCU, we are all getting bored of the same basic story.
What I do like about “Strange,” though, is that besides the opening’s establishing shot, an offhand comment midway through the film and the mid and post-credit scenes, “Strange” is isolated from The Avengers and rest of the MCU.
The largest problem with the story is its struggle to find an identity and tone. While Marvel is known for its quippy humor, we have seen movies like “Captain America: Civil War” take on a serious tone while “Deadpool” offers a polar opposite. “Strange” wants to play both sides but grapples with its comedic timing, most notably in the transition scene between Acts Two and Three, when our hero accepts his responsibilities, the scene is capped off by a cheap joke, deflating what the entire scene had been built up to.
The climatic battle between Dr. Strange and the galactic villain is less of a battle and more of a clever trick. While this is supposed to be a humorous detour from the usual big — budget fight scene we’ve come to love in the MCU, many viewers will not appreciate its novelty.
“Strange” also underutilized its cast. Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, Dr. Strange’s love interest and our anchor to humanity, serves as more of a comic relief as an observer of the supernatural occurances around her than a dynamic character. McAdams’ limited screen time gives her no time to shine in her role.
Cumberbatch and Swinton only get one or two scenes to truly utilize their dramatic talents, which could’ve been special in their mentor-pupil relationship.
All of that said, “Strange” is still a solid entry into the MCU. The problems plaguing “Strange” are mostly ones we’ve come to accept in a Marvel movie. Meaning, we all know this is going to be an origin movie which will try to establish a groundwork for sequels and entries into the larger MCU framework.
I will forgive the worn-out storyline lacking imagination for the amazing visual work. Doctor Strange is well worth the price of admission.