Doctor Strange, as of November 2016, is the most recent addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To put it simply, this movie was clearly a box office hit within its first week. Opening weekend, Doctor Strange accumulated about $85 million in sales, and that number continues to grow weeks after its initial release. This is not your standard superhero film, because it focuses primarily on showing who Doctor Steven Strange is, and follows him on his discovery of a completely different world. This film is unique for the reason that it departs from the known objective reality and explores other alternate universes.
Doctor Stephen Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, is a brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon who, through a twist of fate, is sent on a journey of self-discovery. His journey takes him to the other side of the planet where he will meet a mysterious monk, played by Oscar winner Tilda Swinton, who will show him other fantastical worlds. In addition to Cumberbatch and Swinton, the film boasts other award-winning actors including: Mads Mikkelsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Rachel McAdams.
Although Cumberbatch has a knack for being cast into the role of the incredibly intelligent but highly antisocial hero, this movie would not have been a success without him. He truly managed to bring Strange's character to life, and also created a character that could be sympathized with. Not only was Strange a character to be sympathized in the tensest moments, but he also had a lot of unique humor as well. The rest of the cast, initially, seemed to be unnecessary but grew as the story progressed. Tilda Swinton portrayed the Ancient One, a seemingly immortal sorceress who takes Strange under her wing. Swinton brings a gravitas to the film that more often than not seems to be missing from big budget superhero films. Mads Mikkelsen, as cold and calculating as always, seemed to have a lot of fun with his role as the villain of the film. His part was small in regards to screen time, but his character exemplifies what results from greed for power. As for the rest of cast, Ejiofor and McAdams served as supporting characters that influenced Strange's character development.
Not only were the characters and story compelling, but the effects were amazing. Although the effects in this movie have been constantly compared to Nolan's Inception, this film is actually imitating the original comics. Marvel has played around with the concept of antigravity for years, but technology has not been substantial enough to portray the panels of Strange until now. Without the technological advancements of today, Doctor Strange would not have made the big screen. At any of point in film history, this movie would have been unsuccessful, but technology has allowed for this movie to exist. In retrospect, upon closer observation, the effects in this film do not resemble Inception, but more so are reminiscent of peering through a kaleidoscope. This was very effective when exploring various universes for most alternate universes have been constantly described as being a mirror image of the one we live in. Furthermore, on Marvel's part, this portrayal of the other universes Strange explores was brilliant in the sense that they are directly paying tribute to the original comics.
Overall, Doctor Strange was a great movie full of mind-blowing effects, fantastic acting, and a compelling story. In comparison with other films in Marvel's Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange was truly unique. Cumberbatch was portraying a character that he has portrayed previously, but he was effective in his portrayal and created a compelling character. While the film does a lot to differentiate itself from previous Marvel projects and, most of the time, does so very creatively this is still a big budget superhero film. Keeping this in mind, it still is inclined to rely on a standard superhero plot structure and genre clichés. Regardless, this film did a good job of exposing a new character to Marvel fans, while also paying its dues to longtime fans who had grown up with this character. This film effectively balanced paying tribute to Marvel fans, while introducing Strange's world without compromising the overall story. Furthermore, this film also had a good balance of action, humor, and suspense. I definitely recommend this film for your enjoyment, and am excited to see where the franchise decides to go next.
Score: 8.5/10
