Playing it too Safe

Rating: 6/10 (5 November 2016)

When I started to hear about the type of world this movie was exploring many months ago, I became more excited to see this movie than probably any other movie released this year. I am very interested in quantum physics and the whole idea of multiple universes, and the idea of being able to travel and manipulate other dimensions I thought was the basis for an exciting movie. Then came the reviews talking about how 'heady' it was, working at a higher level than your normal super hero movie. Along with that you have Benedict Cumberbatch, which not only sounds like an exquisite English breakfast, but is a very enigmatic actor who has made his mark in a very electrifying way. To top it all off, there was the promise of mindbending special effects that reminded you of Inception or Interstellar.
So it is funny that all these elements on their own seem to be the right combination for a real audience favourite. So why do I feel rather indifferent? Here are some possibilities:

Benedict Cumberbatch needs his English accent as part of his prowess, the lame American accent diminished his character. In general, he was too 'safe' as a personality to be engaging enough. It is inevitable that all Marvel films be compared to the first Ironman. Robert Downey Jr. was allowed to personify his character and was very engaging.

The action scenes seem to come out of nowhere. The designated bad guy along with his evil plan are established right off the bat, so it is just by the screenwriters choice when to break away from a mentoring scene to start the 4D fight scenes. Then back to the mentoring.

One thing that we all remember is the bombastic "BBBBBBAAAAAAAA" score from Inception. It has been noted that all Marvel movies have generic scores. My feeling that it is part of a greater sympton of the studio playing it safe when it comes to these things.

The story structure, spelling out the origin story, has the same familiar beats. Again I think of Ironman, where both have a jarring incident in a vehicle to kick off their road to recovery. Going through origin stories have become tedious. I was hoping that with the more intellectual material there would also be a more intellectual approach to the filmmaking. My guess is that the studio wanted to play if safe with this material to make sure younger crowds wouldn't get lost. Yet I remember learning about the 'force' in Star Wars slowly without needing a great deal of exposition. Better yet, the capabilities of this power was revealed through major story points throughout the film.

-Again, the special powers are introduced without any great mystical approach. The world beyond our dimensions can be strange and frightening, but this movie does it in a conventional way that is not that intriguing. Appropriate comparisons to the "Matrix" shows how revealing these strange powers can be done in an original and exciting way.
What makes this film worthwhile?

Terrific effects featuring the expansion of the folding skylines first seen in Inception. The best sequence in the film.

Other fun sequences that make use of the other multidimensional universe.

Great mentor character played by Tilda Swinton, I only wish the rest of the characters were written as well.

The trademark self-mockery that allows the audience to buy into the goofy comic book world.

Nice tight pacing that kept the film moving along and not exceeding the 2 hour mark.

It is hard to fault any one department for the absence of real spark to this film. I would say it was the studio playing it too safe with the material as the main fault. But it is also that we have seen too many origin movies to be that absorbed by them. I think the bad guy proved to be menacing enough, but could have been far more intriguing and cerebral in his personality. (Too 'by the book' haha). But something as fundamental as a more striking musical score could have done wonders.
I will recommend this movie, not being familiar with the comics, because there are enough engaging moments to keep you entertained. It is the potential that is lost in the business-like approach to making yet another superhero movie.