Looking back at the history of the MCU, it really is amazing to see that obscure, relatively unknown characters would get blockbusters of their own such as Ant-man and the Guardians of the Galaxy. But after the box office success of those franchises with sequels planned or already being produced, a Doctor Strange adaption doesn’t seem all that surprising in today’s context.
If I were to completely be honest, the trailers of Doctor Strange really did not impress me. From my first impressions it just looked like a bunch of effect jumbled together to make a spectacle out of a scene. Back then, I wasn’t all that aware of the character of Doctor Strange. I’ll even go as far as to say that I didn’t even know he was an Avenger to begin with so when they finally announced a live action adaptation for the MCU, I was genuinely intrigued but borderline skeptical about it.
The first red flag, should I even call it as such, is the casting of the main character himself, Benedict Cumberbatch. Not because I doubted his acting abilities, in fact I actually praise him in the films and shows I’ve watched. I’m not that well exposed to his filmography but in what I’ve seen, he really proves to me that he is one of the best working actors in Hollywood today. But I mostly saw him as someone who took serious projects with weight to them. Now hear me out, I’m not saying the MCU is just shlock entertainment. Even though it’s one of the most successful film franchises of all time, I just saw it as a really high-quality action popcorn flick series and nothing more. So, it came as a shock to me that such a high caliber actor such as Benedict would take on the project.
If we were to talk about his character, I still don’t feel like the role of Doctor Strange is irreplaceable like Tony Stark is to RDJ and Captain America is to Chris Evans. Benedict Cumberbatch is completely fine and does a well-rounded job but I feel like I still need more time with him in the Character to fully gauge if he really was “born for the role” as is the case with majority of the MCU’s cast. It’s also worth noting that there are some people out there who criticize his American accent. I personally saw nothing wrong with it but I do get the “off vibe” that I can’t completely explain.
The movie in general was great for me. Nothing groundbreaking like Civil War or the first Iron Man movie but certainly not as forgettable as the second Thor movie as some people would describe. The filmmakers definitely struct a wonderful balance between unlikeable douchebag and relatable asshole when it comes to the character of Strange. He’s a highly intelligent and skilled doctor so it’s only natural that he might be a tad bit annoyed at the slightly low leveled fellow surgeons in the beginning of the film. Though it may be a bit too much, his reaction is not all that jarring. His desire to remain on top and to keep a flawless record when it comes to the medical field may come off as egotistical at first, but this is a character trait that will somewhat be elevated and paid off later in the film.
For some people, the pacing might seem a bit slow especially during the first act of the film which is entirely dedicated to fleshing out Strange’s character hammering home completely that he is not exactly a nice guy therefore triggering the eventual hero’s journey for his long overdue reality bitch slap from The Ancient One himself both literally and figuratively (watch the film and this would make more sense). But the second that Strange is touched in his forehead and dragged into a visually stunning and eerily disgusting trip, the film completely grips you until the very end.
The visuals on display are great and creative in their presentation but I don’t completely agree that it deserved an Oscar nomination sadly. I can only imagine that these visual elements are very difficult to pull off especially a set piece including New York city being bent in reality in the middle of the film but they’re not something that I haven’t seen before in terms of the fidelity of the effects. Some earlier movies in the MCU might even match or surpass Doctor Strange’s visuals though not in the creative aspect but in the technicalities behind it. what’s disappointing however is the fight choreography. I expected that there would be a lot of creative spells and fight sequences but ultimately it all came down to the typical punching and kicking and a strange over reliance on a rope like spell they would always use. I’m not all that familiar with the comics but I do know that Strange is one of the most powerful beings in the comic universe and he has quite a few creative spells under his belt. It’s only a shame that the film didn’t utilize his abilities fully though it can be argued they went down this route to show that he is not yet the Sorcerer Supreme that the comic universe has come to know.
Strange’s development as a character can be compared to Tony Stark’s although in this film, it felt a little bit rushed. One scene he is questioning everything that the Ancient One shows him but the next we see him fully engulfing himself in the study and practices being presented. In one instance we see him barely casting a spell and the next we see him standing his own ground against a mentor in combat and eventually against the main villain and his associates in an early confrontation. I imagine this has been done since they’re pressed for time and they needed Doctor Strange for the inevitable Infinity War but a little more development and setup for the character would’ve been more natural.
Sadly, though the villain characters in this film falls completely flat in my opinion. The typical villain that blurts out philosophical mumbo jumbo to justify their actions with not much
Nonetheless I felt that director Scott Derickson did the best he could with what was given. The choreography of the visuals was fantastic but the hand to hand fight scenes could’ve used more work and imagination. Less cuts and closeups would’ve also been appreciated to fully comprehend the spectacle of the spells. The cinematography is not all that special or groundbreaking. The color scheme throughout the movie seems to change but not as jarring or noticeable as Zack Snyder’s BvS. Coming from a horror background, I felt that Scott did a really good job helming such a visually heavy blockbuster for the MCU. Along with Cumberbatch, this is a whole new territory of film that they’re not all that familiar or associated with and for a first attempt, it’s certainly not a fail.
I wouldn’t say this is one of the most forgettable movies in the MCU. It’s actually one of the most creative ones if you think about it though it doesn’t do much to be cemented as something that would stand out like what the GOTG franchise is doing. It’s a good stepping stone and if there’s one thing we can take from this movie, is that this character and its abilities have a whole lot of potential for the filmmakers to play with in the future.
Elements of Screen Arts (2019) 