Is it just me (probably) or over the last few years, have Marvel movies developed into an annual self-competition? Ever since the MCU adopted more of a regular two-films-a-year timetable, we seemed to have developed a need to christen one of them with that year’s “good one”. Whether they like it or not, things inevitably turn into a head-to-head comparison: Iron Man 3 Vs Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: Winter Soldier Vs Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron Vs Ant-Man. Maybe it spawned from their lack of competition. As much as we all want to see these DC films succeed, it’s more than fair to say that they’ve yet to reach Marvel’s level, and although Fox have delivered Deadpool and X-Men: Days of Future Past, they’re still consistently sub MCU in quality. Having such self-competition isn’t a bad thing until it effects how people perceive the films; when love for one drives you to poke holes in the other, leaving us an entirely different Civil War. Doctor Strange steps into this annual clash of titans with a Captain America offering that many consider being Marvel’s greatest effort to date. Unfortunately, the pieces are in place for a Sorcerer Supreme slamming... or are they? This magician might just have pulled some sleight of hand to remove it from the fight altogether. Why? Because Doctor Strange is a Marvel film unlike any you’ve seen before, and regardless of how you perceive its quality, it's a unique superhero film experience that feels pointless to compare to its peers. If you’ve been frustrated about Marvel films playing similar beats, then this will put a spell on you.
After a car crash, the brilliant but arrogant surgeon Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch – Sherlock, everything else) looses dexterity in his hands. His endless search for a cure leads him to Nepal and the reclusive Ancient One (Tilda Swinton – Chronicles of Narnia, white washing rants) from whom he learns the ways of the mystic arts to save himself and ultimately his reality from an ancient threat.
We begin with beginnings to be clear that this is another origin story but it stands apart from the many others not just by its content but its telling. Doctor Strange almost has a roulette wheel tone, frequently switching from one end of the wheel to the other but without ruining the game. Our introduction to the titular character is an extra snide Tony Stark as the self-assured surgeon supreme performs feats of wonder on the table. Yet following the aforementioned crash, the film immediately lifts the needle of the upbeat record for some of the darkest material any Marvel film has ever produced in exploring Strange’s personal despair. Although to a lesser degree, this pattern continues throughout the film as it frequently flips between humour and taking itself seriously, and it’s the variety, and to some extent, unpredictability that makes it so watchable.
Speaking of the humour, there’s a lot more than many would expect going in to similar levels that you’d expect from a Thor or Iron Man movie though it’s a lot more subtle, which is what makes it effective. The best source comes from Strange’s sentient red cape that steals a few scenes to almost become this film’s Groot. The story also navigates its required MCU elements well. In that respect, it's best compared to Guardians. Just as that awesome mix was the gateway to galactic/space based stories, Strange must open our eyes alternative dimensions (aka multiverse) and a more expansive take on magic than the Thor films or Scarlett Witch’s abilities. This all comes across very well and creates substantial grounding for many future possibilities.
Then, there are the visuals which are beautiful and on a number of occasions mind-bendingly engrossing. The basics of magical conjuring and battles are defined well with Chinesse Dashuga-style spark effects but the real ace up the sleeve is the reality-bending effects that caught many eyes in the trailers. They're just as wonderfully imaginative as you were hoping they’d be. Right from their feature in the film’s opening action sequence, they literally out-of-this-world, allowing the various confrontations and set pieces to very easily feel unique in same way Ant-Man utilised its shrinking USP. Then when the sleeves finally do get rolled up, the result is Inception’s city morphing through a kaleidoscope on LSD inside the brain of Escher. While there are the occasional moment where too much is going on to take in and enjoy it all, the overall spectacle value of the film is.... well spectacular and definitely worth the 3D upgrade.
In terms of miss-cast spells, there are a few offenders. Using my mental abilities you now know the first..... that’s right, Doctor Strange is a Marvel film with yet another uninspiring disposable villain in Mads Mikkelsen’s (Hannibal) Kaecilius. Despite having a doctor-on-board, writer and director Scott Derrickson (Sinister) can’t spot the symptoms. As with so many origin story villains, Kaecellius gets pushed out of vast story sections to focus on the rising hero: that’s expected and understandable. The trouble is he doesn’t make enough of an impact when he shows up. They’ve gone for a cold menacing approach with him but he comes across with no recognizable personality in this life or the next. Neither is he given real distinctive qualities as villain other than some funky eye makeup. Then there is the ending, which is more of a fizzle than a prestige. Now I don’t want to get too hard on this because thankfully, the film doesn’t develop into yet another mass airborne climax despite Strange’s cloak of levitation, and that is good thing. Nevertheless, the ending we get doesn’t overly satisfy for concentrating too much on material for future films rather than being true to itself. Most of the film is refreshingly self-contained only to go overboard on being a team player in the last 10 minutes. Finally and rather frustratingl, Tilda Swinton just doesn’t work as The Ancient One; or rather, this film’s interpretation of the character does not. Points for trying something different but at no times does she feel like the wise being of centuries we’re meant to buy into.
Yet above all else, the biggest thing Doctor Strange has going for it is Benedict Cumberbatch himself. Yes, some of you may grow weary of seeing him everywhere but this is a role he was meant to play. He’s perfectly cast and produces such range in his performance as his character goes through different stages of being destroyed and rebuilt. You’ll walk out wanting to see more....and if you stay for the credits, you’ll know when to expect it. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s contributions should not be understated as Karl Mordo. In Swinton’s failings, he becomes the relatable mentor figure and is the only person besides Cumberbatch that delivers a believable emotional character arc. The pair has lost none of their chemistry for 12 Years A Slave either. Many will be aware that in the comics, Mordo is one of Strange’s biggest villain. Ejiofor’s performance in this “friends first” prelude to their rivalry not only is great investment for their future conflict but it doesn’t sacrifice his enjoyment in this film. Rachel McAdams does well enough as a love interest Christine but she’s little more than a Jane Foster re-work with a fraction of the screen time.
So Strange soars to the stars when giving us something different but falls back down to Earth when retreating to more familiar elements. It is definitely worth seeing and its qualities as a visual spectacle make it much more welcoming to those generally on the fence about superhero films. Look out for a War Machine Easter Egg in Strange’s driving phone call and a decent Stan Lee cameo. Doctor Strange is certainly is a kinda magic.
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