Review // Doctor Strange

[projekktor id=’25957′]

Can you really have too much of a good thing? Every time a new Marvel Cinematic Universe film gets released, people start to wonder when the Marvel bubble will burst. And every time, Disney delivers another entertaining installment in the franchise. What helps keep things fresh is the introduction of new heroes with different stories and, more importantly, different worlds to explore. The Guardians went to space, Ant-Man went sub-atomic, and now Doctor Strange bends time and transports audiences to some of the most eye-popping locations the franchise has ever produced.

Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch and his American accent) is one of the world’s most renowned neurosurgeons, and like every genius in the Marvel universe (I’m looking at you Stark), he’s also an arrogant prick. En route to a speaking engagement, Strange is in a terrible car crash that mangles his hands and puts his career in serious jeopardy. Unable to accept the fact that he may never be able to operate on anyone again, Strange seeks out a sanctuary in Kathmandu called “Kamar-Taj” that has been rumoured to provide miraculous healing to those that seek it. There he meets the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), a Celtic sage who, along with her disciples Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Wong (Benedict Wong), teach Strange mystical arts like astral projection and time manipulation. He is soon thrust into battle against Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), one of the Ancient One’s fallen disciples who seeks to summon the evil being Dormammu from the Dark Dimension, a place where time doesn’t exist and life is eternal.

The plot and the its accompanying jargon might sound like a lot to take in, but you’ll be so enthralled by the visual feast that director Scott Derrickson presents that you won’t care. Steve Ditko, who created Doctor Strange in 1963, was known for his surreal and psychedelic artwork, and Derrickson succeeds in bringing these trippy scenes to life. He’s also managed to shoot some of the most creative action scenes in the Marvel franchise, and these alone are worth the extra price of admission to watch in 3D or on IMAX. (Doctor Strange is the first film to be presented in Cineplex’s new 4DX theatre featuring motion seats, weather effects, and more.)

If there was any sign that Marvel has really cemented itself as a box office force, it’s the fact that such an A-list cast signed up to be in a “superhero” movie. Cumberbatch, Ejiofor, and McAdams all have Oscar nominations; Swinton has an Oscar win. You would never have guessed, back when the MCU kicked off in 2008, that this caliber of talent would be playing comic book characters in summer blockbusters. However, great talent does not equal great characters, and while the cast do exceptional work with what they’re given, you don’t end up caring about anyone outside of Strange and maybe the Ancient One. I was really looking forward to watching Mikkelson chew the scenery as the film’s antagonist, but his villain is just as forgettable as Obadiah Stane or Malekith. (Remember them? Didn’t think so.)

In the end, Doctor Strange is just another film out of the Marvel Studios cookbook. Take one reluctant hero, sprinkle in the end of the world, a dash of action here, some comic relief there, bake it in some CGI and voila! But until this process produces a few bad eggs in a row, I’m always going to be excited to see what’s cooking in the MCU.

Reviewed by Kyle Miller.