Recently released, “Doctor Strange” is the 14th addition to Marvel’s expanding list of comic book film adaptations, features beautiful cinematography and jaw-dropping CGI to boost its otherwise run-of-the-mill Marvel Comic Universe (MCU) plot line.
In the opening sequence we see Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) and his goons stealing a spell book in what seems to be an ancient Shaolin temple before quickly reappearing in the busy streets of Manhattan.
The scene quickly devolves into chaos as the Ancient One (Tilda Swinson) chases after them, turning skyscrapers into grinding gears while bending the laws of gravity, similar to the 2010 movie “Inception.” During this prologue the audience is met with a taste of the great CGI and special effects.
After this scene we are introduced to Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the arrogant neurologist who, although talented, is more interested in his motives than patients. Cumberbatch does a fine job showing his character’s transition through the typical hero’s journey, or monomyth.
The monomyth was a concept introduced by Joseph Campbell and is a common template for tales that include a hero going on an adventure, winning in a decisive battle and returning transformed.
Another small detail is Cumberbatch’s shaky American accent, which seems rather unpolished and almost to the point where the character could be mistaken for a Brit. Not to mention that his scruffy look gives him the appearance of Doctor House who accidentally fell upon some magic.
Throughout the film, it’s apparent director Scott Derrickson put the movie’s $165 million budget to good use, enlisting a decent cast and, of course, a strong team of visual artists to help with the CGI along with other visual elements.
mediocre script made it awkward. It garnered up to $85 million its opening weekend. (Marvel Comics)
The cinematographer Ben Davis stays on par with the likes of Alejandro Iñárritu, keeping visual elements in match with the tone and moods of scenes, from the psychedelic and disorienting visuals to slow motion lightning strikes during a stormy night.
While the script holds its own for the most part, the writers still couldn’t help but throw in lame jokes about Wi-Fi or dumb little moments where the cape of levitation and Strange have a little moment of disagreement about what weapon to go for in the midst of a battle with Kaecilius. Throwing in these little things may have been with good intentions, but seem unnatural in the context and serve no actual purpose in the rest of the movie.
One of the final scenes, where Strange goes to the villainous Dormammu to bargain Earth’s existence, becomes a repetitive scene of Strange being killed multiple times before reversing time and asking to bargain again. The scene which is meant to annoy Dormammu into conceding can become an annoyance to us all as it continues.
The film stays true to a lot of its comic book roots, such as when Strange pops up on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. Also, the whole concept of Strange’s astral body fighting another astral body while Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) tries to resuscitate him was based on the “Doctor Strange: The Oath” comic.
What isn’t the same is the race of the Ancient One, who in the comics is an old Asian man, but in the film is instead a white woman. This caused a stir in the Asian acting community, but Marvel stuck to its casting, citing that having a woman was progressive enough.
With whitewashing becoming a topic more increasingly talked about, it would’ve been nice to see the character cast true to their race. Not to say that Swinson doesn’t carry the part well, but there has to be some Asian-American actor on par with her.
Overall, the film plays it safe and stays true to Stan Lee’s original tellings. The cinematography and VFX are top notch, so much so that the movie is worth seeing for this alone.
Cumberbatch and company do a fantastic job of developing their characters during the 115-minute
runtime. It would’ve been nice if they strayed from the deadpan jokes and lame little moments of humor, but everyone needs a cheap laugh sometimes.
This installment proves itself, and will no doubt be atop the box office charts as it continues into its second week. For enhanced experienced, 3-D is recommended so the visuals come to life even more and Ben Davis’ genius can really shine.
The Crow’s Nest rates albums between one and five stars, with five stars being the highest score possible.
