Doctor Strange - nice addition

Rating: 7/10 (13 November 2016)

A difficult character to brought to life, plus a better villain/antagonist than most Marvel films, makes Doctor Strange a joy. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Stephen Strange, a brilliant, egotistical, neurosurgeon whose hands are irreparably damaged in a car crash. Though he loses no fingers, the nerve damage to his hands is so severe, he is unable to carry on as an elite neurosurgeon. Desperate to regain his status as a highly renowned neurosurgeon, Strange uses all of his connections and resources in an effort to regain his ability to operate.
When all conventional avenues are exhausted, Strange finds himself seeking more obscure solutions. As options rapidly disappear, he hears of a man who through some secret method, regains the ability to walk. Tracking down the man, he is directed to a mystic in Tibet called The Ancient One.
Strange travels to Tibet and tracks down The Ancient One. When he is shown a world beyond the known realm, he is initially sceptical. Staying on, he learns and accepts that there is more in the world than what he knows.
The school of mysticism at which he resides as he learn the ancient arts, comes under attack from a former student, Kaecilius, played by Mads Mikkelsen. Kaecilius is eager to gain more power, The Ancient One is determined to stop him and, being under her charge, Strange feels honour bound to join the fight.
Directed by Scott Derrickson, a filmmaker more use to helming horror films if his IMDb credits are to be believed, Doctor Strange follows the path of many superhero films before it, with the first act showing the origins. With Doctor Strange being one of the lesser known comic characters, the origin story is a necessary addition in this particular film.
Cumberbatch is perfect as the narcissistic Strange, believably condescending to all who he feels do not meet his professional standards, which is everybody. When he is forced to seek help after his accident, even as he tries to be conciliatory, his disdain for those less talented than he was still shows.
Derrickson's direction of the crash scene is good. Even as you know it is coming, you still feel the enormous significance of the crash as his hands are obviously damaged. He really allows Cumberbatch to act, leaving the camera on his face in the hospital scenes after the crash.
Mads Mikkelson as Kaecilius is a wonderfully understated, though still fearsome adversary. Every time he is on the screen, with his rent-a-hench persons, he brings chaos, leaving you with the sense that there is a real danger.
Though set in the real world, the mystic realms are well done, especially since over the years film-goers have seen every type of special effect in film. The effects in the film, given the premise, are only used sparingly and when necessary, thus not pulling you out of the story.
Though the dialogue is clunky in parts, the quality of the cast, for the most part, carry the film through. Not that that should be a surprise when looking at the cast. Besides the aforementioned Mikkelson and Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Benjamin Bratt also lend their talents to proceedings.
Also in the film, possibly the weakest link, is Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, the love interest. McAdams is a serviceable actor, having appeared in many films, usually in quite prominent roles.
It is just that, for me personally, she is an actor who is almost nondescript, generally in roles that had they been taken by another, lesser known actor, would not affect the outcome or quality of the work. With perhaps the exception of Southpaw, she is forgettable in every film she has been in.
Doctor Strange is a pleasant way to spend two hours and is a welcome addition to the MCU.