Doctor Strange
Director: Scott Derrickson
Writer: Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, Stan Lee (original author), Steve Ditko (original author)
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton
Reason for watching: Rewatch before the sequel comes out
Number of times I’ve watched it: I think this is only the second time I have seen it.
***
Before the second Doctor Strange movie comes out, my wife and I sat down and watched the original. Honestly, I had not seen it since the initial release. My memory of the movie consists of only a few things:
Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) was mean to Regina George…I mean Dr. Palmer (Rachel McAdams)
The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) is one of the most white-washed characters ever.
The psychedelic elements were a new spin for the MCU
Stan Lee cameos while making fun of Chakras and whatnot
The time-loop stuff at the end is inventive and fun.
That sums it up for the most part. And honestly, I had always undervalued the movie because I thought on his own Dr. Strange was little more than a variation of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. Sarcastic, intelligent, and a prominent goatee. Plus a story of growth and self-discovery. Honestly in a lot of ways this movie does feel like a retelling of the first Iron Man movie. However, I was pleasantly surprised upon my rewatch of the Sorcerer Supreme’s solo cinematic entry.
First of all, while I do think that Dr. Strange and Tony Stark occupy the same kind of character space, Cumberbatch brings a different level of acting to the part. While I do think RDJ is a good actor, the anger and disappointed feelings Cumberbatch demonstrates in the first act are quite effective. Plus his comedic banter with his co-stars is strong.
Now the previously mentioned psychedelic elements were better than I remembered. The initial scene where the Ancient One shows Strange the wonders of the astral plane is very 2001-esque. The vivid colors and IMAX camera blend very well. It acts as an eye-opening experience for the audience as well. Later on, there are plenty of reality-bending fights as well. As opposed to the other fight scenes in the MCU like between Hulk or Captain America, it makes for a more original fight. Also, his way of defeating the final boss Dormamu (also portrayed by Cumberbatch) subverts the usual battles in the Avengers franchise.
There are a few downsides too though. McAdams and Chiwetel Ejiofor are incredibly wasted considering their talents. Now Ejiofor does seem to have a more prominent role set up for the sequel, but McAdams seems to only be there to motivate Strange as a character. Her agency in the story begins and ends with being the protagonist’s romantic interest. Also, the comeuppance for the human villain Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) hits very quickly and is not very satisfactory. His story just kind of ends as well.
As an overall entry though this is where I feel like the MCU gets to spread its wings and let their freak flags fly too. Some more originality is definitely what this franchise needed at this point. It also helped pave the way for later entries like Thor: Ragnorok that get to lean into some more wacky and zany elements. In the long run it is one of the more important entries in this franchise because of that.
8/10
Until I see the next one