Another hit for Marvel

Rating: 7/10 (11 November 2016)

While the focus for the Marvel Cinematic Universe of late has been on sequels and superhero mash-ups, producer Kevin Feige and his team are more than aware of the heavy roster of iconic crime-fighters which have yet to grace the screen and who fans are crying out to see. Yet they are also clearly wary of the trappings of the origin story; the obligatory introductory movie which must cover how the hero came to be and have him face-off with a bad guy in order to establish their ass-kicking prowess. This was cleverly side-stepped in Captain America: Civil War earlier this year, with Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther both being eased into the universe in somebody else's movie.
But there is one cult favourite that hadn't been given the modern- day treatment by Disney and Marvel Studios, and one who hasn't graced our screens since the unintentionally hilarious 1978 TV movie starring Peter Hotten. Doctor Strange, originally created by a true unsung hero of the comic-book world, Steve Ditko, was a counter- culture favourite in the 1960's for its psychedelic imagery and Eastern mysticism, particularly popular amongst students and Pink Floyd, with the latter incorporating one of Strange's trippy panels onto the cover of their A Saucerful of Secrets album. Strange is probably the most awkward character for Marvel to bring to a mainstream audience, but Marvel don't seem put off by a challenge, especially after they somehow turned five obscure space-travellers into one of their best and most successful movies with Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a world-renowned neurosurgeon enjoying the life of fast cars, expensive watches and an astronomical ego. After a car accident leaves him with mangled hands and the inability to operate, he pushes away his on-off girlfriend Christine (Rachel McAdams) and heads to Kathmandu in search of a cure. There he finds The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), who opens Strange's eyes to magic and the astral plane, and a group sworn to protect the planet from mystical threats. With defected sorcerer Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) and his zealots on the loose trying to open a portal to the dreaded Dark Dimension, Strange studies to perfect the art of magic under the tutelage of fellow sorcerers Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Wong (Benedict Wong).
Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange ultimately falls pray to the tropes of the origin story, treading similar water to the likes Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger and, especially, Iron Man, but manages to distinguish itself from the others thanks to some truly dazzling imagery. Derrickson, a huge fan of the early comics, stated that most of his inspiration came from one of Ditko's most jaw-dropping drawings, depicting the Sorcerer Supreme standing high above what appears to be multiple dimensions, each defying the laws of physics as we know it. Early on, the arrogant doctor is shoved head-first into a roller-coaster of alternate worlds, and the effect is extraordinary. Like one hell of a good acid trip, Strange receives a mind-f**k of an awakening, as do we. This is the kind of beautiful, hypnotic imagery that CGI was made for, to create something otherwise impossible, not to make a camera appear to glide through a close window.
Marvel have always hit the mark with the casting of their heroes, and Cumberbatch adds incredible charisma to a hero who is, at first anyway, rather loathsome. But Doctor Strange is also backed up by an unbelievable supporting cast of award-winning thesps whose presence ensures that you keep taking the gobbledegook-heavy exposition scenes seriously. Swinton is smiling and playful in a role that usually calls for a stone-faced drill sergeant, and Ejiofor adds dimensions (no pun intended) to a character who has one of the most intriguing arcs in the film, which will be of no surprise to anyone familiar with his comic-book incarnation. Mikkelsen and McAdams also make the most of underwritten roles, with the former especially adding weight to what is another wafer-thin Marvel villain. It really is one of the most impressive line-ups in recent memory, and not just for a superhero movie.
It is, of course, far from perfect. The insistence on staying with the origin formula really do hamper the potential of Doctor Strange, with the teases of the endless worlds left to explore hinting at a crazier, bolder film that could have been, but will hopefully come. Some of the supporting cast are also left hung out to dry, especially Michael Stulhbarg's Dr. Nicomdemus West, whose minuscule screen-time gives the impression that most of his scenes were left on the cutting-room floor. Still, these are gripes in what is otherwise a fantastically entertaining film, packed with action scenes that really are like nothing I've seen before, despite the ill-conceived Inception (2010) comparisons. The film's ongoing box- office success seems to signal a sequel will be inevitable, where I hope Derrickson will be granted permission to really let loose. But for now, this is yet another hit for Marvel.