Marvel’s Doctor Strange revealed its mystical secrets to the general public for the first time when it premiered on Nov. 4. Nestled comfortably in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Doctor Strange, directed by Scott Derrickson, is another gem Marvel Studios can add to its ever-growing collection.
Benedict Cumberbatch plays Dr. Stephen Strange, a brilliant and arrogant neurosurgeon in New York City who lives a life of luxury and relative solitude. When Strange loses the use of his hands in a horrible car accident, he goes to extremes to heal them and regain his reputation as one of the world’s top surgeons. In a last-ditch effort, he travels to Nepal in search of nothing short of a miracle — and that’s exactly what he finds, though it’s more magical than he expected.
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The film opens in the same way that many superhero films do: the villain performing an act of exposition in a mini-action scene before we cut to the protagonist’s oblivious life. As a whole, the plot and structure of Doctor Strange differs very little from the average Marvel movie, following a thus far successful run of films.
The ways in which Doctor Strange does differ make it stronger. The third act in particular diverges from the stereotypical final battle in which a portal opens above a densely populated city and causes mass destruction, while the protagonist and antagonist face off in a several minute-long duel of skill. Doctor Strange has a slightly different take, which works in its favour without straying too far from the path of the films before it.
Unfortunately, another way in which Doctor Strange conforms to Marvel’s usual tropes is its lack of a memorable and compelling villain. Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelson) acts as the main antagonist for much of the film. His motivations are explained in one scene, but he lacks the depth and personality that would make him interesting. He does contribute to Marvel’s characteristic humour which permeates the film, but that humour fails to add to his development as a villain.
The visual effects are mind-bending. One scene is reminiscent of a kaleidoscope rolling down the streets of New York City. This is definitely a film worth seeing in 3D, because while there’s little that jumps out of the screen, the viewer will feel like they have jumped into it.
Tilda Swinton shines as The Ancient One, a powerful master of sorcery that teaches the magical arts to those worthy of learning them. There was some controversy over casting a Caucasian woman in the role of an Asian man from the comics, but Swinton plays her character convincingly and with intrigue.
Overall, the film was easy to follow and spectacular to watch, if predictable. It stands alone from the MCU easily enough. The magical elements were explained, though not thoroughly. But as The Ancient One says, “not everything makes sense; not everything has to.”
