Doctor Strange

Right in the midst of what has largely been a highly disappointing fall movie season comes Doctor Strange, a true jolt of cinematic adrenaline that this season desperately needed.  This is a movie that works on multiple levels.  It's probably the most fun I've at at the movies in months, it's imaginative in its effects and action, and it introduces a bright new star to the Marvel Cinematic Universe - None other than Benedict Cumberbatch, who in terms of superhero debut performances, ranks right up there with Robert Downey, Jr. back in 2008 when he rocked the world with the original Iron Man.

Much like Downey's Tony Stark, Cumberbatch's Dr. Stephen Strange is an arrogant man who eventually learns to look beyond himself and for the greater good.  But don't think for a minute that this is the kind of superhero origin story you've seen before.  Director and co-writer Scott Derrickson (best known up to now for horror films like the Sinister series) gives this movie visual power the likes of which we haven't seen since The Matrix back in 1999.  Yes, the world-bending physics the movie utilizes could be compared to Inception from a few years ago, but by all accounts, Doctor Strange does it much better, and there's much more of it here.  This is one of the most visually captivating movies we're likely to get in 2016, and leagues better than any of the summer blockbusters we got. 

But look beyond the visuals, and what do you see?  A script that may be familiar at times, and doesn't exactly bend the rules of the superhero origin story, but one that also knows how to play up its own strengths.  There are characters worth giving a damn about here, some genuinely funny one liners and an overall sense of wonder and amazement that' Marvel always seems to get a hold of in their films, yet alludes rival DC with their big budget duds like Batman v. Superman or Suicide Squad.  Maybe Marvel Studios really is just that much better at matching the right filmmakers and actors with the material.  It certainly seems that way while you're watching Cumberbatch's effortlessly charming and frequently hilarious performance.  If he wasn't already a cemented star destined to go places, this would shoot him right to the top.  I'm excited to see where he takes this character in future films, both in his own franchise and within the Marvel Cinematic Universe itself.  If the character is treated as well as he is here, I can't see any reason why the studio couldn't get numerous films out of him.

Doctor Strange doesn't waste too much time on set up, but it doesn't need to, as it tells us just enough about who Stephen Strange is before he enters the world of superheroics.  He's a skilled neurosurgeon with miracle hands, and a grand ambition matching his ego.  His closest friend on the medical staff is an ER doctor named Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), who may be a potential love interest, if the guy could only figure out that inviting her to hear him give a medical lecture is not exactly a "date night".  But then, Stephen is involved in a car accident while taking a call in the middle of driving along a winding road, and his hands become useless and crippled in the aftermath.  Stephen becomes obsessed with finding a way to fix his hands, and his search leads him to a man who apparently found a way to walk again after his entire body was crippled and broken.  When Stephen asks how the man achieved this feat, he is led to the far East in the land of Kathmandu. 

It is here that Stephen meets the Ancient One, a role that was originally portrayed as an Asian man in the comic book, but is played in the film by Tilda Swinton.  There has been quite a bit of controversy surrounding this casting decision ever since it was announced, but you will forget all about that the moment Swinton walks on the screen.  She is mesmerizing here, and has a slightly playful smile that hints at more to the character than you may first expect.  With the guidance of the Ancient One and her followers (most notably played by Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo, who serves as her right hand man, and Benedict Wong as Wong, the man who guards her sacred books about magic and mysticism), Stephen will learn about his inner power, and how he is capable of things much grater than his physical body could possibly conceive.  He will bend time, open portals to other lands and worlds, and ultimately use all of his power to battle the forces of Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen),a  former follower of the Ancient One who has turned to Darkness, and now wants to corrupt the world.

So, it's your standard "save the world" story, only this one is strengthened by a strong cast, and a script that knows how to dazzle the mind as well as the eyes.  You have old pros like Cumberbatch, Swinton and Ejiofor obviously having the time of their lives, and tackling this material with great finesse.  And then you have individual moments that help lift the movie above your standard Marvel movie, such as Strange's first encounter with his cloak, which is a living and breathing entity, and the battles of the streets of cities like London, New York and Hong Kong which are turned into incredible feats of imagination thanks to the effects team.  Throw in some truly funny banter for the characters to exchange with one another, and a lively music score by Michael Giacchino, and you have a movie that is not only breathless in its creativity, but also in its sense of fun. 

Naturally, the scene that plays during the end credits hints at the Doctor's involvement in future Avengers films.  But, in all honesty, he doesn't really need any support from Marvel's most famous roster.  He's strong enough to stand on his own, and I'm sure he'll be a great asset to the studio's future.  There's a lot to get excited about in Doctor Strange, and I think even more to look forward to.

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