Doctor Strange takes us to the Next Dimension

          Marvel doing a Doctor Strange movie shows a heap of confidence. They’ve already got a universe full of superheroes, intergalactic civilizations and anomalies, and even Norse gods. Now they’re throwing magic into the mix. That’s a lot of sci-fi concepts to juggle. Is this new addition to the Cinematic Universe too alienating?
          Doctor Stephen Strange is a brilliant neurosurgeon who delights in taking on challenging medical procedures to satiate his enormous ego. But after he is injured in a car accident and loses the use of his hands he desperately searches for a way to heal himself. His search eventually brings him to Kathmandu and a mystic known as the Ancient One who opens his eyes to the powers of the astral plane, multiple dimensions, and the magical properties of the universe in which she trains him alongside her senior student Mordo. But of course, there’s an evil sorcerer called Kaecilius on the loose who must be stopped before he permanently destroys time as we know it.
          Though it’s title may suggest otherwise, the basic story of Doctor Strange is nothing out of the ordinary. It’s the hero’s journey without much variation. The style it’s attempting to capture is likely Christopher Nolan. There are shades of Batman Begins in Strange’s tutelage with this mysterious cult as well as Inception (especially in the visuals) with a touch of humour that proves often welcome and fun -you can thank consultant Dan Harmon for that.
          Benedict Cumberbatch is very good as Doctor Strange. He starts off as quite an unlikeable physician, very similar to Gregory House (Cumberbatch seems to be going for a Hugh Laurie kind of American accent too and it’s not very convincing). He’s rude, egotistical, and incredibly arrogant which I like. Even Tony Stark had some redeeming qualities before he became Iron Man, but this guy really doesn’t. Of course he matures as the film goes on, not only looking the part fantastically but it struck me late into the film that this is unlike any performance I’ve seen from Cumberbatch. And accent aside he pulls it off fairly flawlessly. His 12 Years a Slave reunion with Chiwetel Ejiofor is great too. Their chemistry is so terrific. And it helps that Ejiofor is such an amazing talent. You buy the comradery between Strange and Mordo as well as Mordo’s intense dedication to his craft. Tilda Swinton despite the controversy surrounding her casting is very good as the Ancient One looking a lot like Aang from Avatar the Last Airbender. But she conveys a sense of timeless wisdom very well. And if you want to see another great performance from Swinton as an immortal figure, I recommend checking out Orlando. A surprising stand-out among the cast though is Benedict Wong as the protector of the magic books. His deadpan performance is really fun and he makes for more than a decent foil for Strange. However once again we have a great actor, in this case Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen, playing a very uninteresting villain. With more focus Kaecilius could have felt like a genuine threat, but his entire characterization screams “minor comic character”. Also, Rachel McAdams serves no purpose but as a really forced love interest for Strange. Their relationship is in no way compelling, and the movie probably wouldn’t have fared any better or worse without her.
          The grandest star of Doctor Strange though is the special effects. This is by far Marvel’s most visually impressive movie to date! The constant bending of reality is expressed through stellar surreal imagery, patterns, and tricks of the eye. It’s massively creative what they’re able to do by twisting conventional settings. There’s one extended scene where Strange is first being exposed to this grander dimensional plane and it’s like the vortex sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey if Dave the astronaut had taken acid beforehand. The effects on other aspects of the film are pretty good too, like Strange’s signature cape and the astral forms that various characters have to take on in certain moments, but the visual extravaganza of what the magic in this world is capable of is a pure marvel. Pun intended.
          This film is certainly an outsider when it comes to Marvel which I appreciate all the more. There are naturally a few references to other movies, but very much like Guardians of the Galaxy and to a lesser extent Ant-Man, it’s trying to be it’s own unique film and it really succeeds in that. The performances, but especially the astonishing visuals unmatched by anything in Marvel, make this a movie that accurately represents its title. Doctor Strange is absolutely bizarre, but in a really good way.