DOCTOR STRANGE

“You're a man looking at the world through a keyhole.”

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around for eight years now, ever since Robert Downey Jr. first donned the Iron Man suit back in 2008. Since then we’ve seen things like super soldiers from a war long ended, Norse gods do battle here on earth and a group of rag-tag rebels call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy. And now, in Marvel’s weirdest and most mind-bending film to date, Doctor Strange has joined those ranks.

Yes, Doctor Strange is an origin story, something that, by now, Marvel have done perhaps too much. But, believe me, when you get to the end, you’ll be glad they took the time to gradually introduce you to this character’s world. After a car accident leaves him a bit worse for wear, Doctor Stephen Strange travels to the eastern world in search of healing himself. What he finds is the doorway to a multiverse of possibility and trippy special effects.

Lots of trippy special effects...

Obviously, but perhaps slightly disappointingly, the story isn’t the films strongest part. Does it fulfil it’s purpose for the film? Yes. Is it similar to a number of other Marvel origin stories? Also yes. Don’t be expecting the writer’s work to take huge leaps and bounds when you look at the plot’s foundations. It’s likely you will have seen another movie with a similar plot. If you haven’t, you probably don’t watch that many films.

As I don’t know a huge amount about the character of Stephen Strange, I can’t say if Benedict Cumberbatch is the perfect choice for the role.

But he does well in the film, and brings a level of both humour and genuine talent to the role that some actors wouldn’t have been able to do. Yes, there are scenes were Cumberbatch isn’t at his best, but there are scenes were he shines. That being said, there are parts of the film where you might feel like you’re just watching an American version of his Sherlock, however wobbly the accent may be.

The rest of the cast does well in the film, especially Tilda Swinton’s ‘The Ancient One’, Strange’s magic mentor. While perhaps the writing doesn’t do her talent justice, she does shine as one of the film’s best characters, whereas Mads Mikkelsen, the film’s villain ‘Kaecilius’ is about as under-used as any Marvel villain to-date. Everyone knows Marvel has a problem in developing it’s villains in movies, but I was hoping Mikkelsen would be a change to that routine. Unfortunealty, this isn’t the case. His plot, while explained through very confusing terms, is as simple as they come, and Marvel still can’t seem to move away from the former student/friend turned evil structure. And judging by how it sets up a possible sequel, this doesn’t look set to change.

Of course, with the plot and actors discussed, we move on to the visual side of the film. Some say they’re stunning, and yes, I can see where they’re coming from, but, honestly, it felt like an attack on the senses. I honestly felt that in smaller scenes, where a character creates something small with energy, like this one…

Worked better than the movie’s huge set pieces. In these smaller, more personal scenes, the effects are more focused and help show the more mystical side of things. In huge scenes like this though…

The movie can become very, very difficult to watch. Especially the first time Strange is shown the multiverse. That one took some time for my eyes to get back to normal. Does it make a good shot for the trailer, yes, and if they were fewer and further between in the film, they might have been more visually digestible. But when everything on the screen is twisting and spinning and re-forming, the film stops being fun to watch and starts giving you a headache.

I was going to write about how this film will affect the MCU from here on out, but, honestly, I doubt it will. Whatever damaged is done to the world or humanity is conveniently swept under the rug by the end of the film, and the only way things change from here is that the final infinity stone is introduced…

Because the big green glowing thing totally wasn’t a huge giveaway.

I can tell you right now Doctor Strange isn’t a film made for everyone. If you enjoyed Inception’s weird and wacky visuals, you might enjoy them more there, they’re a lot less painful. Will Marvel fans like it? Probably. I’m one, and when the special effects weren’t in my face, it was an enjoyable film about a character I previously didn’t know much about and it only added to the MCU. But there are going to be people who don’t like it, and, in this case that won’t be the story’s fault. It will, however, probably be due to the visuals.

And yes, I very much approve of the new and improved Marvel fanfare at the start.