For starters, Benedict Cumberbatch is surprisingly uninspired as Dr. Stephen Strange. Not only is he confined by an unconvincing American accent which sounds almost identical to Hugh Laurie's, his strengths are not used effectively. Cumberbatch was obviously cast because of his fantastic performance in the Sherlock BBC series, and Doctor Strange has the arrogance to match. But not only is Strange not as captivating of a character as Sherlock Holmes, his arrogance/redemption feels like a downright copy of the same arc we saw previously in Iron Man and Thor. We barely know Stephen Strange for 5 minutes before his life is uprooted; in this case, he loses the use of his hands in one of the most cartoonishly over-the-top vehicle crashes this side of Super 8. In Iron Man, the opening convoy ambush was used to draw the audience into the action before we spent an extended amount of time getting to know Tony Stark leading up to the ambush. And in Thor, we spend almost half an hour in Asgard or Jottunheim before Thor is cast out.
However, this film shifts his character's life path immediately when we barely know him. The prologue is an action scene not related to Strange at all, and then we extremely quickly establish his cockiness, his arrogance, and his brilliance in the operating room. Through exposition, we know he and Christine Palmer (played by a badly underused Rachel McAdams) used to date and that he doesn't like to lose. We see him perform a miraculous operation after showing up one of his colleagues, and we get a small taste of his extravagant lifestyle. The film is in such a rush to get to the good stuff that we just zoom right through properly establishing Stephen Strange as a protagonist we should even care about.
From here on, the film becomes your basic origin story. Our hero starts out knowing nothing, then becomes TOO good and starts questioning his masters. He's compared to the villain, and then the villain throws a wrench into things which forces our hero to become the hero he was always meant to be. In fact, this movie reminds me especially of Green Lantern. Yes, THAT movie. the story beats are almost identical, and the attempts at humor are just as forced here in my honest opinion. I distinctly remember accurately predicting exactly when action beats were coming up during my first viewing of the film, almost down to the second. When your story is that predictable, you might have a problem.
Never once when I watch Doctor Strange does it feel like I'm watching a movie. It feels like I'm watching a product. An extremely well-made product, sure. But this was made just to quickly establish Doctor Strange and the idea of the multiverse into the MCU. Out of the entire MCU, this film more than any other feels like homework. I'm sure the character will be fine moving forward (he already had an awesome cameo in Thor: Ragnarok), but this film just feels uninterested in giving us a memorable hero on the same level of Iron Man, Thor, the Guardians of the Galaxy, or Captain America.
Of course, it's not just the hero that lacks here. Mads Mikkelsen is completely and utterly wasted as Kaecillius, a rebellious sorcerer who wishes to summon the evil cosmic being Dormammu. There is one, literally one, scene where Mikkelsen is allowed to make Kaecillius interesting. In the scene where Doctor Strange has Kaecillius captive in the Sanctum Sanctorum, Kaecillius explains why he wishes for Dormammu to take over the Earth. During his monologue, Mikkelsen effortlessly sheds tears (hard to see through the CG makeup on his eyes, but they're there), and at that moment, we see his resolve and dedication to this cause and the heartbreak that led him to pursue this path. In every other scene, Mikkelsen is stuck waving his arms around, spouting off cliched evil dialogue while his entire character background is explained to us by either the Ancient One or Mordo. Absolutely criminal.
That all said, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy this product. Obviously, the movie's greatest strength lies in its stunning visuals, brought to life by the special effects giants at Industrial Light & Magic. The realization of the bending of space and time are some of the most dazzling images of the entire MCU. Whether it's the fractalization of New York City, Strange's first mind-trip, or the reversal of Hong Kong's destruction (more Chinese market bait), these highly detailed set pieces are simply dazzling. These moments are among the only times the film really feels creative. The story may fall short in many areas, but director/co-writer Scott Derrickson knows that these are the reason to watch the film and he lets them last as long as his budget allows.
Despite its shortcomings with Cumberbatch, Mikkelsen, and McAdams, there are still plenty of performances worth watching here. Chiwetel Ejiofor stands out especially as Mordo, the conflicted yet loyal pupil of the Ancient One. His arc feels like a direct rip-off of Green Lantern's Sinestro, but he gives it his all. When he learns of the Ancient One's hypocrisy, the heartbreak is real. He also handles the jokes the best out of any actor in the film because he doesn't play it up, he lets the joke play out organically instead of doing the fake-y awkward crap Cumberbatch commits throughout the film.
Tilda Swinton is another highlight. Her casting was highly controversial since it was accused of whitewashing, but adapting Doctor Strange is a bit of a "damned-if-you-do" situation because of running the risks of ethnic stereotyping. Swinton shrugs these concerns off, delivering an earnest and confident performance. She believes every single word she's teaching, and bounces off well against Cumberbatch. The absolute best scene in the film, her final moment, works because of her acceptance of what's about to come. The regrets over her mistakes and her plead for Stephen to do better, coupled with the wonderful visuals of the slow-motion thunderstorm, make this a real stand-out; one of the few times the movie takes a breath and lets the drama play out naturally.
Finally, a big shout-out to Benedict Wong as...Wong, who does get the funniest moments of the film. His comedic timing is top-notch, but he also has a strong physical presence which he uses to his advantage when he intimidates Stephen. I'm looking forward to his return in Avengers: Infinity War.
One more piece of the film worth mentioning is its outstanding climax. I already mentioned the cool visuals of Hong Kong going backwards in time, but the solution for the problem is genius. Doctor Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto, which contains the Time Stone, to trap Dormammu in a time loop until he accepts his bargain and releases Earth from total destruction. It's brilliant screenwriting and stands out as the first time in the film when Cumberbatch really shines (ironic because he's playing against himself, since he also voices Dormammu). There's no big epic battle between Strange and Dormammu because the eternal being would destroy him, which he does. Many times. It's a rewarding, memorable, and thoroughly entertaining ending set piece to the movie.
I think that's all I have to say about Doctor Strange. It was the first time I ever walked out of an MCU movie in theaters feeling disappointed, and although it improved on second viewing, it still is a mostly forgettable film that is far too content exploring familiar territory. I know many people complain about the MCU formula, but this installment is the first time where I felt that this was abiding by a formula. I look forward to seeing Doctor Strange return, but I'll be cautious about his sequel for now.
Despite its flaws, Doctor Strange at least still has a lot of redeeming values. It is by no means a misfire. Our next installment though? Hoo boy.
Next time: Iron Fist
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