3 majestic-medleys-of-sight-and-sound out of 4
Doctor Strange as a character and Doctor Strange as a film are entities that stand in stark contrast to the so-called norms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a character, the cosmic doctor distinguishes himself from the majority of his colourful counterparts by drawing his power and strength not from science or technology, but from a more mystical, cosmic place. As a film, Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange is a movie that distinguishes itself by utilizing cold-hard science and technology—those pillars of computer-generated effects—to transform the familiar filmic destinations of London, Hong Kong, and New York into places of strange and wonderful mysticism.
I apologize if this praise is trite by the time we go to print, but I really cannot commend the visual effects team enough for their work on the latest Marvel masterpiece. In the standard format, Doctor Strange is a colourful, cluttered, geometric, kaleidoscopic wonder for the senses. In 3D—which is arguably the only logical way to view this film—Doctor Strange literally leaps off the screen, adding depth, perspective, and visual splendour to scenes that are sometimes ripped right from the pages of Steve Ditko’s psychedelic 1960s-drawn imagination.
One sequence features Tilda Swinton’s the Ancient One—the Sorcerer Supreme tasked with protecting the Earth from mystic threats—forcing Strange out of his physical body and into the astral plane. What follows is a several-minute-long sequence where Strange flies across the universe, through multiple dimensions, crashing into a kaleidoscopic world of molecules and cosmic phenomena, only to crash back into his physical self. It’s a hypnotizing series of moments, punctuated by the fact that Derrickson’s direction forces the audience to feel the same sense of elation as the character. When Strange finally comes back to Earth, he begs the Ancient One for more. To no surprise, we’re starved for the cosmos too.
On the subject of plot and characterization, it’s not incorrect to compare the titular Dr. Stephen Strange—played expertly by star of stage and screen Benedict Cumberbatch—to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. Both characters are self-absorbed, egomaniacal, and arrogant.Both suffer egregious injuries caused by their own recklessness. Both are geniuses in their respective fields. Both even share a similar taste in facial hair.
Furthermore, both are also aided in their path to recovery by an Eastern thinker, both have a female companion who serves as equal parts sidekick and love interest, and, finally, both think themselves so important that they fail to realize that the world is driven by more than their presence. Suffice it to say, both are also incredibly compelling characters to watch.
While it’s true that I thoroughly enjoyed this film, there’s no denying that Doctor Strange has its faults. Problematic instances are the whitewashing of the Ancient One; the almost pathetically sexist manner in which Rachel McAdams’s Christine Palmer is relegated to nothing more than The-Female-Character-Who-Helps-The-Male-Protagonist; the fact that the movie is about a white dude skeptical of Eastern philosophy discovering that he’s actually the chosen one; and the fact that Strange’s origin story is par for the course when it comes to a first-time outing in a Marvel movie.
In spite of these major criticisms, however, the script—penned by Derrickson, Jon Spaihts, and C. Robert Cargill—shows brief moments of ingenuity, especially for a comic book movie.
First, for an origin story, the pace is refreshingly brisk. At 115 minutes, Doctor Strange practically sprints out of the gate and rarely slows down. Second, for a character who’s pretty much Iron-Man-but-magical, Cumberbatch delivers a layered, nuanced performance that distinguishes the character from Downey Jr.’s Marvel mainstay, while simultaneously allowing the audience to connect with him on an emotional level.
Finally, and perhaps this is simply a result of my dislike of the industry standard action-movie-third-act-9/11-metaphor, Doctor Strange’s climax is less mindless destruction and more methodical reconstruction. While most action movies typically end by destroying the world and having the hero save everything, Doctor Strange does things differently enough that one might even call the decision a defiant one.
I conclude not by praising Michael Giacchino’s score nor by commenting on Ben Davis’s incredible cinematography. Quite the contrary, I conclude by briefly praising C. Robert Cargill. Originally a film critic for the now defunct Spill.com operating under the name Carlyle, Cargill left his post to pursue his love of film and literature. He is most well-known for his contribution to the scripts of both Sinister films, but Doctor Strange marks his first foray into big-budget, blockbuster filmmaking.
Congratulations Carlyle—you made it.
Photo courtesy.