Doctor Strange

I sincerely don't think that, at this point, Marvel could make a bad movie if they tried. 

But that doesn't mean they can't make a forgettable one. 

Coming on the heels (as in, it was the next film out) of the Rath's Reviews Instant Classic, Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange had a bit of an uphill battle to climb. 

No matter how you slice it, Civil War was a game-changing movie for the MCU, akin to an Avengers installment. Doctor Strange is the first "intro" film since Ant-Man and yet again takes a pretty obscure character and tries to make him mainstream. 

As if it could go any other way, Doctor Strange will certainly be a household name eventually, especially after an Avengers or side-film appearance or two. And truthfully his introductory film is entertaining, but I found that, for a large portion of its run time, it was entirely too predictable of a hero's redemption journey to really hold it up there with the other Marvel greats. Some films I've given a pass to that sentiment, but I didn't feel like Doctor Strange was Marvel firing on all cylinders and truth be told, it mimics the original Iron Man so closely from a basic plot bullet point perspective that one might almost call it lazy. 

BUT (there's always a but), lazy (and I'd argue that's a bit of a harsh word) is not synonymous with boring and boring Doctor Strange is not. In fact, its final 20 minutes are so fantastic and mind-warping that it makes me extremely excited to see the inevitable sequel and Avenger's fights. 

Not to mention it's the best use of IMAX and 3D in quite some time. 

Where Doctor Strange falters is exactly as I described above. Marvel has stayed pretty consistent with their origin stories, some better than others, but all following a fairly routine structure. Strange is no different as we get the arrogant and dare I say, unlikable, Steven Strange who gets in a car accident and mopes around (making him even more unlikable) until he goes on a journey for Eastern Medicine as Western can no longer help him repair his mangled hands. It all plays out exactly how you'd expect save for a couple minor instances which, in a year chock-full of superhero flicks, doesn't help its case. Again, the film isn't bad by any means, but I find that, outside of the magic and trippyness of this new realm in Marvel, Strange won't be one of their best, most-revered films. 

I wonder how awkward these scenes were to film?

So maybe don't go stoned to this one?
May be too much for you

In an interesting twist of sorts, I also felt like Strange was not Marvel at its finest from a writing perspective either. There are sentences upon sentences of magic mumbo jumbo that just sounds a bit ludicrous the more and more it piles on. A few moments have some sincere things to say about time and other realms, but I just didn't feel like they tried as hard this film to make it slightly less comic-booky in terms of the language they used. That could just be a case of this reviewer needing to accept that Marvel is entering the magic realm now too I suppose. In a similar fashion, I found that, from a comedic standpoint, this was Marvel's least funny film in quite some time. Not every film needs to be a borderline comedy like Guardians, but I felt like half the jokes didn't land in this one. The ones that do are pretty darn funny, but it was a bit shocking to see an MCU film with this poor of a hit rate. 

It does have its strengths however. As is the case with many MCU films, the cast is superb. One almost wonders how they court all these serious actors and actresses into these roles *cough $$$ cough cough* but nonetheless. Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent as Strange, even with his shocking American accent. We already knew he plays arrogant well, but I think he'll make a fine heroic addition and quite honestly I cannot wait to see him interact with the likes of Tony Stark or Steve Rodgers. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Tilda Swinton are also both good here as supporting roles. A shame then that Mads Mikkelsen is yet another wasted villain on the Marvel resume. He's such a superb actor with a plethora of experience being "the bad guy" that I was nearly devastated to see him treated so casually. 

Luckily, Doctor Strange has a pretty mighty ace up its sleeve to elevate the film considerably: its visual splendor. Other than some wonky and corny-looking "astro-body" projections, Doctor Strange is jaw dropping and quite a trip. It'll immediately remind you of Inception in many ways and I dare say it even one-ups that film in terms of turning things on its side. You've likely seen the previews already and the twisting buildings and cities that collapse and change and expand are remarkable. I won't ruin its other tricks but suffice it to say that the final two "battles" are some of Marvel's finest and most original final battles yet (often some of their weaker) and the strategy Strange uses at the end is smart, funny, and original. It's because of these final scenes that I walked away from Doctor Strange quite entertained, and those minutes are some of the best Marvel has made, making me excited to see more of the Doctor. Furthermore, it's probably the best excuse I've seen to go see a film in IMAX 3D in a couple years now. That extra price of admission is totally worth it. 

Told ya it's crazy. This in IMAX 3D is truly something to behold.

Doctor Strange is not Marvel's best, but that's an awfully high bar to vault over. It's also not a bad film in the slightest. But it is their most generic in a while and I fear that not much will be remembered about it outside of that final half hour or so. Luckily its weaknesses are simply in the fact that it's an origin story and its strengths lie in things that will continue to be connected to the franchise. Moving forward I expect great things from Doc Strange and I surmise that soon he'll become a key part of the MCU.

CONS: 

• One of the more generic origin stories that Marvel has told yet. It's honestly a bit bland in this regard
• Another one-note villain. This one is especially painful since it's Mads Mikkelsen
• Script issues with explaining this world and the magic. It all still seemed a little hokey to me and I don't find myself saying that about Marvel often
• This film struggles with the laughs. There were a handful that didn't get much reception in my audience
• Astro-body projection special effects were a little corny
• Another unoriginal musical score to a Marvel film

PROS:

• Strange is going to be a great addition to the MCU and I can't wait to see how he interacts with others. This is in large part to Cumberbatch's strong, commanding portrayal of him
• Smart and clever ending that isn't like most superhero films
• Some jokes do land and they are great
• Features some outstanding and memorable set pieces that are stunning. The final 30 mins has some world class special effects that are mightily impressive
• They're even better in IMAX 3D. I promise
• A fun, if not predictable, introduction to the newest "Avenger". This one is worth the ending alone and I'm excited to see where they go from here

Rath's Review Score | 7.5/10