Review of Doctor Strange (2016) by Jeff B — 17 Jul 2017

Doctor Strange magically continues Marvel Studios' proven A-Level winning streak in birthing a tortured surgeon-turned-mystic-Demi-God, going all Inception on a Swinging '70s superhero with a predictable but hugely entertaining origin story. In this case, casting is half the battle.

In this PG-13-rated fantasy adventure, a brilliant neurosurgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch) is drawn into the world of the mystic arts while on a journey of physical and spiritual healing. In putting Benedict Cumberbatch, who has already perfected his tortured genius schtick with The Imitation Game and BBC's Sherlock, into the bulbously flowing red cape of Steve Ditko's hippie dippie funny book cult classic hero, this movie has zeroed in on the perfect Strange bedfellow. Granted, Ant-Man already bore the brunt of successfully introducing a second-tier superhero into mainstream blockbusterdom (again, chiefly because the casting works) but Doctor Strange proves a considerable step up in regards to story and spectacle. Granted, Ant-Man seemed to be aimed more at a general audience and often skewed more toward comedy than drama but it also felt too polished and manufactured. Oh, Doctor Strange feels quite polished and manufactured as well, but a great deal more inventiveness is used in its execution. Our hero predictably comes up against a Big Bad in an overblown Third Act set piece but the whole magic show is ultimately a mindbending piece of escapism.

It's not enough that Strange and Company fight evil. They do so while buildings and city streets fold into each other like an E.M. Escher sketch realized with 9-figure visual effects. The film also focuses on Eastern mysticism without getting too bogged down too much in the spiritual and philosophical touchstones. Appropriate to the genre and audience, the writers keep it breezy and somewhat light while not entirely forsaking some core beliefs. After turning out the dark and stylish but often rote Sinister horror series, Scott Derrickson didn't seem like the obvious choice to take on this long Strange trip, but his direction (under the strict supervision of Marvel Studios and parent company Disney, of course) definitely charts another win for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The only player who gets short shrift is Rachel McAdams in the role of Christine Palmer, the latest less-than-Marvelous obligatory love interest in a thankfully short line of under-served cookie cutter companions that also "boasts" Liv Tyler in The Incredible Hulk and Natalie Portman in Thor.

To Sum it Up: Sorcerer Supreme.