Doctor Strange

This review may contain spoilers!

Substance over style is a lesson that I hope Marvel learns after this film. I would give Doctor Strange a 6/10.

As far as the story goes there's a decent tale about an arrogant, selfish man becoming a hero; and while that's nothing we haven't seen before the element of magic and Cumberbatch's stellar performance keeps it interesting. Everything that makes this film any good is the special effects, the mirror dimension or magical implements just look stunning and unlike anything Marvel has ever done before. The cinematography complements the effects well, massive cityscape establishing shots blend into brilliant wide shots for dialogue scenes or sudden intense close ups. The score for Doctor Strange certainly has a more ethereal feel to it while maintaining the intensity demanded of a blockbuster film.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played Mordo, has the stern demeanour of a devout mystic follower in this film; as hidden secrets are revealed it's Ejiofor's moments of passion and feelings of betrayal that really make these scenes resonate. Benedict Wong, who played Wong, really delivered some amazing stoic deadpan humour; I think Wong brings a character who not only feels experienced but willing to die for his cause. Tilda Swinton, who played The Ancient One, really had the gravitas needed for a role like this; Swinton feels powerful without ever really needing the aid of visual effects which is a big part of what makes this role so good.

However the best performance came from Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Dr. Stephen Strange. Cumberbatch has established himself firmly by now as an accomplished actor who can carry a film or series with ease. It's really no surprise that even with a messy script like this one that Cumberbatch holds the whole thing together as a compelling lead. Even as the egotistical and snarky neurosurgeon at the start of the film there's a charm to him. However as the film progresses we see this role grapple with the idea of being self-serving or being selfless which all results in a satisfying conclusion. Yet I can't help but mention that it is without a doubt Cumberbatch's portrayal of Strange's pain after becoming disabled that really stood out.

Magic is hard to do well, in fact fantasy films are struggling to make their mark on the box office these days, so it's no real shock when Marvel's attempt at sorcery feels a bit inflated and confusing. The magic world needs constant exposition throughout, they have to explain how magic exists, the multiverse, the mirror universe, the dark dimension, relics and a plethora of other magical mumbo jumbo that made the movie a slow going beast. As far as the narrative the structure is quite jarring, Strange's life as a neurosurgeon is jammed together quickly without making the audience ever really care for him or his love interest. As the film progresses there's a lot of training (mostly exposition) and then a lot of battles with bad guys who want to end the world for very flimsy and two-dimensional reasons. The characters are never explored at great length beyond strange, in fact Strange seems so determined to be a solo hero that we never come to feel for or relate to the supporting cast. This all concludes with a disappointing final battle in which Strange rewinds time so the world never ends and then he quite literally annoys the main antagonist into submission; the fact the tools to succeeding come so easily to Strange removes a lot of tension or suspense from moments that could have otherwise been great.

Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Dormammu, might have been a good protagonist but he let the film down as the main antagonist; his voice work was simple and we got an extra-dimensional threat that was about as intimidating as Krang from the TMNT2 film this year. Rachel McAdams, who played Christine Palmer, really had next to no purpose being in this film; she was shunted into a love interest role and had no agency outside of that. Mads Mikkelsen, who played Kaecilius, gave the most two-dimensional performance of his career; Mikkelsen created a villain that wasn't threatening and lacked motive quite noticeably. Michael Stuhlbarg, who played Dr. Nicodemus West, was a pretty pithy side role; Stuhlbarg doesn't match up to Cumberbatch nor does he have the presence to stand out. Benjamin Bratt, who played Jonathan Pangborn, is an actor I feel bad for; the crappy exposition he had to deliver could not have been done well by anyone. Topo Wresniwiro, who played Hamir, is a reminder that Marvel is fickle; we were never going to get a performer like Wresniworo to play The Ancient One which is a real indicator that Marvel clearly has to work a bit harder on it's casting.