Doctor is the 14th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Does it live up to the hype? Let’s check out the positives and negatives of the most current film in the Superhero Franchise.
Positives:
Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange:
If there was anything that was most certainly a given, it was that Cumberbatch would be fantastic as the titular role. And he is. In fact, his performance as Stephen Strange gives the same feel as Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. Both characters are extremely gifted and posses great gifts, but their egos and arrogance lead to their downfall, making them have to redeem themselves in the process to become more than what they already are. Cumberbatch does a fantastic job giving the character a full arc, portraying the arrogance with tremendous charisma and personality, while also doing a great job developing into a hero, a savior, and a overall more humble and intelligent being in his quest for self healing.
The Supporting cast:
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton,and Benedict Wong specifically give great performances as mentors and masters of magic and spells who help Strange on his healing and eventual rise to power. Each character and performance is a different personality culminating in different chemistry that resonates well off one another. Ejiofor specifically does a great job in making his character go through his own arc, leading to possbilities for a greater return in future films.
The Action and Psychadelic Sequences:
The action and imagery in this film is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in a superhero film before. It’s hard to really explain what’s going on and what exactly it is we’re seeing when it comes the different dimensions and magic we see, but that makes it all the better as we become entrapped and awed in this world that somehow exists within the real universe of the marvel films. It’s gorgeous to look and when it’s mixed in with action choreography, it truly is a sight to behold.
The Humor:
The humor is pulled off very well in this film and provides much needed relief from all the ridiculous amounts of fantasy and magic that we’re witnessing. Cumberbatch gets the most laughs and they’re all charming and work well with the story, mostly.
Negatives:
It’s pretty much the one thing that plagues every marvel movie. The villain once again is lackluster. This is perhaps the worst one we’ve had since Malekith in Thor: The Dark World. We don’t ever get to see what made him the way he was, all we know is that he wants to destroy the world. It’s generic, typical and doesn’t ever pay off. He never feels like a true threat in the film and it feels like such a waste of talent from the great Mads Mikkelson.
The film moves almost too quickly:
What bothered me most was that for a film that wants to show us an origin, it felt like we didn’t really get to see Stephen Strange truly earn or become a master sorcerer. Right after a scene where we see Strange finally learn how to create a portal, the film immediately skips to several months to a year later. The transition feels too quick and doesn’t take time to develop Strange’s ability and it feels almost too quick with no real build-up, creating a narrative issue.
Final Verdict:
Although the villain was lame and the story moved a little too quicky, Doctor Strange still stands as a strong origin story with fantastic sequences that rank among some of the best we’ve seen from Marvel. The cast is terrific and the film is charming and energetic and sets up a bright future for its main character’s place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Final Grade:
A-