Review: DOCTOR STRANGE

DOCTOR STRANGE
(ACTION-ADVENTURE/FANTASY)
3 out of 4 stars 
Directed by Scott Derrickson
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action throughout, and an intense crash sequence.
115 minutes
Verdict: Visually loopy, well-cast, handsomely produced and as light of heart as we've come to expect from Marvel Studios, the MCU's entry into the magical realm is refreshing, if not groundbreaking. 
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN DOCTOR STRANGE IF YOU LIKED:
THOR: THE DARK WORLD  (2013)
THOR  (2011)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY  (2014)
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR  (2016)
ANT-MAN  (2015)

Marvel Studios has been making it difficult to prove the absence of the alleged bias some DC fans have accused critics of having in respect to both brands' movies.  It's true, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is tremendously risk-averse, and while that's the object of many complaints, it's also worked for the series.  These movies are likable, entertaining blockbuster fare and they've rarely aspired to be much more, for better and for worse.  Funnily enough, with last summer's CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR and now DOCTOR STRANGE, they are venturing into slightly more adventurous territory, and yet, it's very relative.  But as I said, it works, damn it.  DOCTOR STRANGE, in fact, is in many ways another go at the 2008 hit that kicked the whole thing off, IRON MAN, focusing again on a wealthy, egocentric genius whose seemingly perfect life receives a rude awakening that leads him onto the path of a hero.
Benedict Cumberbatch, best known as the title character of the BBC's Sherlock and an Academy Award-nominated turn in 2014's THE IMITATION GAME, stars as the titular Dr. Stephen Strange; a self-serving but brilliant neurosurgeon from New York who is capable of doing great work but plays it safe (ironic, Marvel), sticking only to the cases he knows he can really show off with, a fact which his earnest ex-girlfriend and fellow surgeon, Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) chastises him for.  Strange's ego gets a swift kick to the balls, however, when a nasty car accident shatters the bones and nerves in his hands, rendering them useless in performing surgery.  Bitter but ever obstinate, Strange learns of a last-resort possibility to heal his hands in a cult, as it were, based in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he discovers possibilities that go well beyond the concern of his broken hands.  There, he trains in the art of manipulating and controlling the mystic arts with the Kamar-Taj, time and dimensions under the Ancient One (an impish Tilda Swinton), but discovers that he is also now a participant in the brewing conflict between the Kamar-Taj and a disillusioned former student of the Ancient One's, Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), who intends to bring over a monstrous entity from another dimension in the belief that it will conquer death.

It's admittedly a lot of world-building fantasy mumbo-jumbo, and it doesn't always congeal in a logical way, but it doesn't have to either.  While the time-manipulating developments bear some troubling implications for storytelling in future MCU installments, DOCTOR STRANGE utilizes them with cleverness and humor to coast by on for now.  Cumberbatch is good as the egocentric genius at the center (it's barely a step away from Sherlock), but his supporting cast is comprised of several standouts.  Swinton, an always unconventional choice (and almost whitewashing but not quite, if that makes any sense; it ultimately works well enough), as the Ancient One is funny and otherworldly, and as Strange's closest comrades in the Kamar-Taj, Chiwetel Ejiofor is an unusually weighty presence while Benedict Wong exudes strength and likability.  In terms of the villain, which the Marvel films are often justly criticized for, Mads Mikkelsen is in what is largely a thankless role as based on a logic that the movie doesn't have the time for, relegating Kaecilius to the role of a basic threat.  But- but, Mads Mikkelsen is wonderful, as usual, in whatever screen time he has, oozing his weird blend of menace and sympathy through a pair of very interesting-looking lizard lava eyes.
As Marvel has earned a reputation for playful levity, DOCTOR STRANGE may be on the darker side of the MCU but is still interwoven throughout with that signature humor, but that's as much a weakness as it is a strength since the jokes are consistently hit-and-miss, with some particularly groan-worthy pop culture referencing.  Visually, of course, it's properly wild and kaleidoscopic and frequently just plain fun to look at, especially when the manipulation of time is concerned, progressing and receding damage and decay like clockwork.  Storywise, it isn't nearly so bold, following a pretty familiar and simple template for our hero's journey, but it's a pretty fun and honestly refreshing entry to the MCU.

                                                                                                                                                                         Images via Marvel