Doctor Strange is Marvel’s most imaginative movie since Guardians of the Galaxy
After so many sequels, or at least one mega-sequel in Captain America: Civil War, Marvel’s Doctor Strange shows the studio getting back to basics, in a sense. It’s a straightforward origin story, like Ant-Man, but it has an imaginative scope to it, like Guardians of the Galaxy. Despite its many connections to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it’s also refreshingly uncomplicated in many ways. At under two hours, it doesn’t suffer from the long running times that some Marvel movies have, and its story finds simple but clever ways to approach superhero beginnings from a new perspective.
Doctor Strange tells the story of arrogant neurosurgeon Dr Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who explores increasingly experimental treatments after a high-speed car crash crushes his hands and stops him from being able to do his job. He’s a self-centred character, not unlike Tony Stark, and it’s unsurprising to see that this story is about how he comes to care for more than just himself. His journey to restore the use of his hands brings him to Kathmandu in Nepal, where he goes to a place called Kamar-Taj and meets the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). He learns about the existence of magic, and commits to study and master it. While he came to fix himself, he discovers the Ancient One and her followers use their powers for so much more, and that they are protecting the world from evil forces in alternate dimensions.
There are many other key characters. Dr Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) is Strange’s colleague at the hospital, and his ex-lover. After his car accident, she tries to help but he inevitably pushes her away. Then, once he arrives in Kathmandu, Strange also meets Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a successful student of the Ancient One. Many of the characters in the film are defined by their worldview, and Mordo is no different. He’s skilled with sorcery, but an absolutist and idealist at heart. There’s also the librarian Wong (Benedict Wong), the protector of the books at Kamar-Taj and, eventually, a friend to Strange.
The villain of the piece is more complex and more human than many of the other bad guys in the MCU too. Mads Mikkelsen plays Kaecilius, a powerful sorcerer and former student of the Ancient One who believes that time itself is the greatest enemy to human life. He is striving to hand the planet over to an inter-dimensional being who would allow humans some form of eternal life. There can be no doubting that Kaecilius is a zealot, but his logic very nearly makes sense to Strange, which makes the character work succesfully, and he’s also played terrifically by Mikkelsen.
Fittingly, the visuals in this film are one of its key selling points. The mind-blowing effects make it as bizarre as it is spectacular. Doctor Strange is a constant kaleidoscope of wonderment and confusion, as the sorcerers battle in the puzzling “mirror dimension”, by turning the world upside down, or by using astral projection to exist outside of their physical bodies. The visual effects are wild and incredible, and unlike anything I’ve seen in the MCU or elsewhere.
It’s more than just impressive in scope, it’s things we just haven’t seen onscreen before. There’s the smoothness with which characters defy the laws of physics, the world folding in on itself, or the maddening idea of sorcerers fighting each other while the rest of the world around them moves in reverse. This is some high-concept stuff. Still, while there’s a lot that demands your attention in any given scene, it’s to director Scott Derrickson’s credit that this is all coherent and engaging throughout.
Thematically, Doctor Strange isn’t exactly like your typical superhero origin. The existence of magic and the lack of scientific explanation makes it a bit more like The Matrix or Inception, especially when you consider the amazing look of the film. It’s also a lot more like a kung-fu movie than I had expected it would be. It follows some of the typical Marvel beats but does some things that are new and unique too. This is especially true in how it crafts a conclusion that upends the convention of CGI mayhem for something more intelligent and more relevant to the characters.
Michael Giacchino’s score is suitably weird when it needs to be, a jarring assortment of discordant but somehow fitting instruments like organs and electric guitars. It matches the tone really well, but it is striking how at least one of the pieces of music sounds a lot like Giacchino’s very recognisable Star Trek theme. In any case, Doctor Strange has a bold sound to go with its distinctive visuals, and it all works together very effectively.
The film also potentially has the strongest cast Marvel has assembled so far, with heavyweights Swinton and Cumberbatch selling the emotion and the dimensionality of their central characters fantastically. When you consider that truly great actors like Ejiofor, Mikkelsen and McAdams are essentially in supporting roles, you can see how much strength there is in the cast. An early scene that sees Strange verbally lash out at Christine in frustration is an example of just how much talented performers can push characters into more interesting places. That’s only amplified when Cumberbatch shares scenes with the other key members of the cast, especially during Strange’s training in sorcery. Tilda Swinton is amazing too, she’s as unsurprisingly captivating as ever, bringing wry charm and wisdom to her character.
While Doctor Strange is certainly an important part of the overall MCU, it doesn’t make that obvious. It doesn’t noticeably make you aware of anything other than its story and its characters, and it’s remarkably straightforward and accessible. It’s also a whole lot of fun, with a sharp sense of humour and entertaining dialogue throughout. Above all else, though, Marvel’s ability to deliver something different, but still connected and character-driven, shows an imaginative outlook that should pave the way for more great things in this cinematic multiverse.
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