DR STRANGE
DIRECTOR: Scott Derrickson
CAST: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdam, Benedict Wong
CLASSIFICATION: 10-12 PG V
RUNNING TIME: 115 minutes
RATING: 4 stars (out of 5)
BY THERESA SMITH
We might be into phase three, but Marvel Films continue to introduce new characters and this origins movie takes us into sorcery territory with some great Escher-inspired images.
It is an entertaining action movie that features a confident lead who takes the role seriously, so you take the story about magic seriously, and it works. Dr Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch) is one of the lesser known Marvel heroes, but he has a long comic book history stretching back almost 50 years.
The film starts by introducing Strange as a brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon and then shows us how his life spirals into a depressing, dark pit after a car accident maims his hands. When Western medicine fails him, Strange travels to Nepal to delve into mysticism and there the Ancient One (Swinton), librarian Wong (Wong), and teacher Mordor (Ejiofor), show him he has a natural affinity for sorcery. Throw in Mads Mikkelsen as a bad guy who wants to bring about the end of the world as we know it and the adventure is on.
The plot is kept fairly simple – this is the story of how Strange learns about sorcery – but the thing that keeps you glued to the screen is the gorgeous visuals. I assume they must be gorgeous because the preview cinema cut off the images.But, anyway, Dr Strange comic books emphasised world-building over characterisation in the early years, and the film certainly delivers intricate landscapes. Not only does the Ancient One send Strange on an inter-dimensional voyage of trippy proportions, but once the sorcerers all really get in on the act, they fold buildings and scenery in on each other like Inception was just a teaser.
Cumberbatch is a great choice for the totally egotistical Dr Stephen Strange – the guy is a total heel, he knows he is the cleverest one in the room and he doesn’t even have Tony Stark’s inadvertent philanthropic ways to make up for it. The actor injects a sense of fun whenever things threaten to become a bit too predictable, and Strange starts off as a totally unlikeable character who redeems himself despite himself.
Strange is inadvertently funny so it’s not all serious, and what constitutes a joke is a running gag in the film and exposition is neatly woven into the script so there are no awkward plot dumps.Oh, and stay till the end because there is a mid-credit scene which sets up the next Thor movie and a post-credit scene which points the way toward a Dr Strange sequel because, what’s a Marvel movie without an Easter egg or two?
If you liked Antman or Guardians of the Galaxy, you will like this.