REVIEW: ‘DOCTOR STRANGE’ Makes Possibilities a Reality!

When Doctor Strange had its 15-minute IMAX 3D preview weeks ago, it gave a glimpse of the mystical, supernatural side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: it was something new, breathtaking: The psychedelic visuals and its atmospheric layered shades of color, the concepts of magic, time and dimensions introduces an entirely new storytelling scale and that being said, it attracted a lot of buzz and anticipation for the film.

The film follows Stephen Strange, a brilliant and arrogant neurosurgeon who lost the use of his hands in a car accident, from there he spent every single dollar out to find a cure, and his desperation leads him in Nepal, where he meets the mysterious Ancient One who not only healed his hands but also himself, spiritually.

Unlike any other origin story that deals with “becoming a superhero”, the narrative has a simplistic structure, but deeper at the same time as it focuses on Strange’s emotional turmoil all throughout where his layers of anger play out up to a point where it breaks past his own limits and from there he goes on a journey and takes in a spiritual metamorphosis and that’s straight out a character study for a superhero/comic book movie which is a rarity.

The concept of magic revolves around the spiritual aspects and  infinite capacities of the human mind by navigating its vast knowledge, thus, serving as a metaphor pertaining to the possibility that there are natural forces surrounding the existing things around the world, whether they are tangible or not. Thanks to the filmmakers which they turned the source material’s complex visuals into something special: grounded and the spiritual psychedelic visuals aren’t just simply VFX/CGI put in to screen but they serve as a storytelling device and it balances well with the grounded atmosphere with the real locations used, notably Hong Kong and London.

Also, the elaborate editing techniques (such as slow-motion, quick cuts, varied frame rates and other experimental cuts) added a unique, bizarre imagery of time and space. Aside from the lore and mythos, I’d like to point out the characters in the movie aren’t stereotypes, there’s a certain knowingness that they project especially on wisdom and how they relate and perceive themselves in the world and it is the reality that they accept regardless of which dimension or place that they are.

The acting for the most part is what makes the characters compelling, the cast gave so much genuine performance each of them stood out in their own way regardless of the screen time given and even the cloak of levitation is a character on its own: funny and charming.

Benedict Cumberbatch IS Doctor Strange, his performance is certainly a tour-de-force: he’s got the swagger, arrogance, intelligence that he was able to manipulate meticulously through and through, channels vulnerability that adds truthfulness in it and surprisingly he has good comedic timing and not to mention, his movements on fight scenes were very graceful and fluid.

Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One deconstructs the usual mentor figures by giving it a morally gray that reinforces the character’s wisdom, her commanding screen presence works well because of her humility and I like how the actress brings the keen observer out of the character that echoes patience.

Chiwetel Ejiofor portrays Mordo as a brooding, doubtful individual, he plays the middle in the sides of the isle in a more nuanced manner and it’s also interesting to see that there are some hints (and foreshadowing) of transitioning to his comic book counterpart which will likely be more fleshed out in the sequels.

Rachel McAdams’ Christine Palmer is more than just a “love interest” in the film, she brings genuine human factor in the film and her chemistry with Benedict Cumberbatch comes out of maturity and also respect. Benedict Wong’s Wong is stern, intimidating and a force to be reckon with.

Despite being the antagonist, Kaecilius being underwritten Mads Mikkelsen is terrifying and vicious and he was able to show some subtle hints of distorted sanity that makes him unpredictable and turns you on the edge of your seat. Thankfully, he’s not a throwaway antagonist such as Guardian’s of The Galaxy’s Ronan or Thor’s Malekith.

If there’s a weak link in the film, it’s the overuse of humor which was distracting at times and it could’ve been better if it was toned down or more subtle since it didn’t balanced well.

Overall, kudos to Director Scott Derrickson outdoing himself, creating the best possible combination of visuals and screenwriting that goes seamlessly and made the movie stand in its own without heavily relying on the Marvel template like the previous titles , keeping the source material true but also realistic and something original. Needless to say, Doctor Strange is Marvel’s by far strongest entry, looking forward how the magical aspects and the concepts of portals and realities will factor and expands to future films’s scale such as Avengers: Infinity war,

Special thanks to Marvel and Disney  for the invite!

Doctor Strange is now showing in 3D, IMAX 3D and 2D cinemas nationwide!