Review: Doctor Strange
Jake Delaurier, staff writer
Marvel Studio’s dominance over the superhero genre cannot be denied. In just a little over eight years, Marvel has produced 14 films with at least eight more on the way, multiple TV series, and countless studio imitators trying to capture their success.
With the release of their latest film Doctor Strange, Marvel plans on continuing their string of success, and the result is easily one of their best films to date.
Benedict Cumberbatch stars in the leading role as Dr. Stephen Strange, a famous neurosurgeon with a perfect success record. Early on in the film, Strange is involved in a serious car accident that causes him to barely be able to use his hands.
After countless failed surgical attempts to fix his hands, Strange learns that Jonathan Pangborn (played by Benjamin Bratt), who was once a paraplegic, is mysteriously able to walk again. Pangborn tells Strange to go to Kamar-Taj.
Once there, Strange meets the Ancient One (played by Tilda Swinton), a sorcerer with power that overwhelms Strange. After Strange sees what the Ancient One can do, Strange seeks to learn how to be a sorcerer.
Doctor Strange is without Marvel’s best film since Guardians of the Galaxy. One of the reasons for this is thanks in part to the amazing visuals. One stand out scene takes place in New York City with the city itself bending back and forth and rotating like a Rubik Cube.
The film has more going for it then just its impressive visuals. The cast is another reason why Doctor Strange works so well. Benedict Cumberbatch is up there with Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Paul Rudd, and Tom Holland as one of the best casting decisions Marvel has ever made. He delivers the perfect level of charisma and arrogance to the role. The supporting cast is also great. Some of these include Benedict Wong as Wong, a master of the mystical arts, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Moro, who serves as Strange’s mentor.
Another great thing about Doctor Strange is how self contained it feels. Unlike most superhero movies nowadays, where studios try to set up the next five plus years of superhero movies for their cinematic universe, Doctor Strange never tries to do such a thing.
Similar to Deadpool from earlier on in the year, Doctor Strange never burdens the audience with blatant advertisements for future movies.
Despite being one of Marvel’s best films, Doctor Strange does have a few problems. You might have noticed that I have yet to mention the film’s villain Kaecilius (played by Mads Mikkelsen).
Like every other Marvel villain not named Loki or Ultron, Kaecilius is yet another forgettable Marvel villain. Marvel has had a problem with weak villians for almost a decade, so there is no reason why they have not fixed it yet.
Another problem is that some of the comedic moments never really land. Unlike other Marvel films, like Guardians of the Galaxy , Doctor Strange sometimes struggles to be funny. There are a couple of jokes, for example, that involve Beyoncé of all people, which comes across as out of place in a film that is about sorcery.
Despite some of the films problems, Doctor Strange is still an amazing film. In a year that was filled with superhero movies that ranged from the cinematic atrocity, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, to the much better crowd pleaser Captain America Civil War, Doctor Strange easily stands out as 2016’s best superhero film.
