Doctor Strange (2016) Review

My knowledge in Doctor Strange is only limited to his appearances in Spider-Man: The Animated Series and the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. With that said, I was fascinated with him: a sorcerer in the Marvel universe. Whatever was introduced in those appearances I mentioned, I was drawn into it. When news broke out that there was going to be a Doctor Strange movie, I was curious and excited.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has shown us not just our world, but also Asgard (Thor) and the cosmos (Guardians of the Galaxy). What about the purely supernatural side: one that does not rely on sci-fi or a combination of sci-fi and fantasy elements? That is where this movie comes in and it does a great job at it.

Doctor Strange does not break any ground at all. It follows the usual origin story formula that we've seen in all the other MCU movies: the main character gets into some situation, learns how to use his abilities or go through a change, and tests himself by fighting a forgettable big bad. It's not a bad thing at all. I think it succeeds in executing this formula well and only furthers my interest in the character.

The film centers around, of course, Stephen Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch). The excellent neurosurgeon gets himself in a career-ending car accident that ruins his hands. Wanting to heal them, he travels to Nepal and finds himself training in the mystical arts under the Ancient One (played by Tilda Swinton).

Benedict Cumberbatch is amazing in the role. He is not too different from what we see in Tony Stark, as he comes off as a charming, but arrogant and egotistical man. He is also great at expressing confusion on these things that he, along with the audience, is experiencing for the first time. We want to learn more about this strange (no pun intended) side of this universe. Little by little, we see him learn the mystical arts by trying, failing, and succeeding. I was invested in his training and his trying to tap into the potential of his new powers.

On an additional note, Cumberbatch is also up there with Hugh Laurie and Alfred Molina in which he, a British actor, can pull off a convincing American accent. His soothing baritone voice is still there, but I was still convinced that he is playing a character. It's something I wanted to point out, that's all.

I enjoyed some of the other performances. Rachel McAdams was great as the on-and-off love interest who Strange asks for help a couple of times. While not the most interesting character, I enjoyed her interactions with him. I also dug Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, who is, as one character describes her, "merciless but kind." I also thought Benedict Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor were excellent as Wong and Mordo, respectively.

Quite possibly the best thing about this movie are the visuals. My eyes widened in amazement as my eyes laid on the psychedelic and kaleidoscopic sequences. Seeing the environment around the characters change... will inevitably draw comparisons to The Matrix and Inception. In the case of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, however, Doctor Strange has visuals to call its own, making it one of the more unique installments.

Honestly, seeing those characters defying gravity in these situations reminds me a whole lot of Gravity Rush. In fact, it makes me wish this was applied in a Gravity Rush game. Imagine how crazy some of the missions would be.

With all these praises, though, I do have some gripes with this movie. First off, there are some scenes that are a little too heavy on exposition. It's good to know some stuff on how this world works, but it could have been applied better. Film is a visual medium, and these exposition scenes defy that a bit.

I also thought that some of the humor was hit-or-miss. There were some funny moments, like anything involving Strange's signature Cloak of Levitation. I'm not kidding, it's like the Carpet from Aladdin: it has a personality of its own. However, there were some jokes that didn't stick their landing, some of which I question to be humor. For example, without spoiling anything, someone overcomes a horrifying experience. Instead of making this an emotional moment, it has the gall to use a scare chord. Whose idea was that?

As usual for an MCU movie, the villain is largely forgettable. By this time, though, I've been expecting it. I loved Mads Mikkelsen in Casino Royale, but I felt his performance and presence here was wasted. I know his character is the antithesis of Doctor Strange, but that's all we know through the exposition we were provided. It's a step backwards from having a compelling villain in Captain America: Civil War earlier this year.

Overall, I enjoyed Doctor Strange. Its story is a little formulaic, but mostly executed well. I liked Benedict Cumberbatch in the role, as well as the rest of the cast (minus Mads Mikkelsen) and I thought the visuals were spectacular. However, the not-so-well-placed exposition, hit-or-miss humor, and forgettable villain keep it from being one of the stronger installments of the MCU. Still, I think it's a great film to experience on the big screen and the...

GOOD OUTWEIGH THE BAD