If the Comic Book Superhero movie has indeed come to transcend the umbrella of Action/Adventure and blossom into a genre unto itself over the last sixteen years or so, then surely the Origin Story is also by now so clearly defined with enough conventions and tropes as to qualify for its own sub-genre status. So it goes with Marvel Studios newest addition to their ever-growing pantheon Doctor Strange. The almost instant structural familiarity will either greet you like a warm hug from a treasured friend or irk you, like a warm hug from a treasured friend who, while of course you still love them, you’ve quite frankly seen entirely too often and are pretty much over them unless of course they are coming with a bunch of your other friends so you can have a big crossover event social gathering.
The story is of rock star neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch), whose success, knowledge and prodigious skill with the surgical knife is matched by his insufferable arrogance, vanity and lust for immortality (medically speaking). In the opening scenes of Doctor Strange we see him refer to his own brilliance, reel off medical babble while belittling his peers (not that he’d call them that) and spend time pondering which of his twenty plus designer watches to wear to the black tie event at which he is delivering the keynote speech. Oh and he’s driving there altogether too fast in his Lamborghini Huracan. Strange is basically the asshole qualities of Tony Stark, Bruce Wayne and Dr. Gregory House distilled into liquid form and injected like Botox into Sherlock Holmes’ smirking, self-satisfied face. Unfortunately for Strange, driving too fast and texting don’t mix and an accident flips his car into a river – pulverising both his healing hands in the process. Waking up with his fingers stuck full of surgical pins and his medical future uncertain at best, Strange somehow becomes even more unlikable as he exhausts his reputation and money exploring the most experimental western treatments as well as the patience of the only person who even cares, fellow doctor and one time lover Christine Palmer (McAdams). A desperate, broken and basically destitute Strange is forced to leave the world he understands and turn his eyes eastward where his line of inquiry brings him to the door of the mysterious Ancient One (Swinton). There along with fellow disciples Mordo (Ejiofor) and Wong (Wong) Strange is invited to let go of his ego and “forget everything you think you know” as he begins his quest to unlock ancient secrets and forbidden magical knowledge. The story of his healing is as much the story of him coming to terms with his true self and whether he stands at the door to regain his old life or to cast aside his selfish motivations and enter a brave new world. While all this is happening Kaecilius (Mikkelsen), a former student of the The Ancient One, has crossed over to the darkness along with his sect of loyalists and is attempting to harness the secrets of The Ancient One’s knowledge for an altogether different and darker purpose.
Up to that point it’s basically the superhero origin story by numbers, but as soon as The Ancient One literally punches Strange out of his own body it’s clear that there’s going to be things explored here that haven’t previously been dealt with in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As Wong puts it; “While heroes like The Avengers protect the world from physical dangers, we safeguard it from more…mystical threats”. Marvel Studios films, enjoyable though they might be have been criticised in some quarters for looking the same and for a lack of visual storytelling flair in general. That buck stops with Doctor Strange, though. The visual effects on offer here are what one might usually have called “mind-bending”, but since so much has already been described that way I’ll say they are more like having your mind removed, twisted into funny shapes and thrown back into your skull at speed as the kaleidoscopic psychedelia of Steve Ditko’s comic book art is brought to life in quite amazing fashion during some trippy and sometimes nightmarish sequences. Elsewhere during key action scenes that defy physics, gravity, dimension and logic the very fabric of reality is warped and reshaped as entire cityscapes are duplicated, rearranged and folded in on themselves. Think Christopher Nolan’s Inception but way cooler and dialed up to eleven. As well as this, the locations and set detail in Doctor Strange make it an absolute joy to behold. Make absolutely no mistake – this is the best looking Marvel Cinematic Universe movie (or any comic book movie) to date and if you have the choice, no matter how you might feel about it, absolutely must be experienced in 3D.
For their part, the action scenes in Doctor Strange are fun, exhilarating and refreshingly different to their counterparts in other similar genre pictures. Strange, his allies and enemies fight with a flowing style of magic enhanced martial arts. Using their abilities to manipulate their perception and interaction with reality and their surroundings as well as to conjure weapons and shields of mystical energy and open portals to literally anywhere in the world. In this way it has more in common with the action of eastern martial arts cinema and the Star Wars saga’s Jedi than with its immediate superhero movie family. If I may take a moment to fanboy, considering the possibility of Strange and his world meeting the Avengers and their Big Damn Heroes style along with the Guardians and their laser gun spaceship sci-fi stuff is almost too much to contemplate. When it happens (and it must!) things are going to get nuts.
Despite the controversy surrounding the casting of Swinton as The Ancient One, a role portrayed by an elderly Asian man in the comics, she turns in the most impactful and memorable performance in the film. While the absence of many Asian principles is notable (a good portion of the movie takes place in Nepal) it can hardly be argued that Swinton was the perfect choice to present an androgynous magic kung-fu monk of indeterminable age. All at once she appears sage, but good humoured. Kind but fiercely decisive. Undoubtedly she looks the part with her scarred bald head and otherworldly features. A picture of human vulnerability and alien mystery. Certainly a more interesting choice than yet another Mr Miyagi type. Swinton’s scenes with Cumberbatch as master and pupil, pondering the mysteries that lie before him and bind the universe are effortlessly watchable (a scene on a hospital balcony overlooking New York’s skyline at night is among the most emotional and poignant that Marvel has yet to offer). Contrasted with this are Cumberbatch and McAdams whose relationship is serviceable but entirely extraneous to the plot. There are literally more sparks flying out of Doctor Strange’s hands in any given scene than there are between him and Christine. The baffling rule of “there must always be a romantic interest” adhered to without question in yet another comic book movie, although she at least is a competent and relatable character who manages to avoid being reduced to screaming damsel status. Elsewhere Wong provides some great comic relief in his scenes with Strange while Ejiofor’s Mordo lays the foundations for his character’s inevitable future development in true Marvelicious style.
On to Mads Mikkelsen. I’m not familiar with his much talked about turn as Hannibal in NBC’s show of the same name but it’s clear enough that I really should be. Mikkelsen provides the oft lamented comic book movie staple of a weighty acting talent thrown behind a villain begging for more insight, writing and development but who just doesn’t have the time for it between looking awesome, spouting off thought provoking justifications for his dastardly deeds and kicking crap out of the hero. You’ll ache for the chance to have seen him explore the oddly sympathetic Kaecilius in a manner as with Vincent D’Onofrio’s superb Kingpin (Netflix’s excellent DareDevil), but alas we have but two hours with which to work. All in all the cast seems to have a lot of fun with it. The exposition is helped along by the wonderful visuals while the humour is used to sparing effect and is kept quite light and witty. Some of it didn’t work for me though, most glaringly scenes involving a certain piece of decidedly conspicuous clothing sees the film veer into almost Harry Potter territory. The kids should love it though.