Review written by Christian Garcia
Today I'm looking at Doctor Strange.
Of all the Marvel films, this is the film that I have seen the most. My best friend showed it to me after stumbling upon himself. I watched it with him and loved it so much that I wound up watching it two more times that same week. I showed it to my brother and another friend and then I watched it again with my best friend and two of our other friends to show them.
I was first made aware of Doctor Strange after getting his Marvel Legends figure as a kid. Which I still have to this day.
I became more aware of him when he appeared on Spider-Man: The Animated Series. I learned about him, the Mystic Arts, and Dormammu.
When it was announced that he was getting his own movie, I was interested but also worried. Like with Ant-Man, I feared that not enough people would know who he was and that this film would bomb. But just like Ant-Man, this film proved me wrong and was a huge hit. After seeing it as many times as I have, it is easy to see why.
My girlfriend and I ended up watching this film first in our watch through of Marvel films after seeing him in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Doctor Strange is her favorite Marvel character so we chose to watch this film once again for the review.
After seeing it so many times, I can confidently say I know this film well. Let's look at what's kept me watching this film over and over.
The Hero
Dr. Stephen Strange is a renowned neurosurgeon. He is wealthy, talented, and extremely intelligent but also arrogant. A car accident severely injures his hands and leaves him unable to do what he is best at. He goes through numerous surgeries and experimental treatments with the hopes of regaining the use of his hands. His obsession leads him to find Jonathan Pangborn, a former paraplegic who mysteriously regained the use of his legs. Pangborn tells him about Kamar-Taj and Strange journeys there where he taken in by Mordo, a sorcerer who trains under the Ancient One. After being shown the great power she possesses, Strange begs her to train him. At first reluctant, she agrees to train him in the Mystic Arts.
The Hero's Journey
Stephen Strange’s journey is that of a man with great intelligence overcoming his hubris and opening his mind to the possibilities. He begins the film as an extremely arrogant man who believes he knows it all. His ego is so inflated that he gets joy out of proving other’s wrong and humiliating them when he can. After his accident, he believes he has lost what made him great, his hands. His initial journey is to Kamar-Taj is to find a cure for his hands and go back to his purpose of saving people as a doctor. By the end, he realizes his purpose is still to save people but, on a scale, much greater than he could have thought.
Strange has the classic heroic flaw of hubris. His ego is similar to that of Tony Stark where he believes only, he knows what is best for everyone and pushes away those who try to help him. In the beginning of the film, he is shown to be extremely arrogant, taking joy in humiliating a colleague over a mess up and acting like he knows all. After his accident, when he observes the damage done to his hands, he makes a comment on how he could have done the surgery better on himself. His self-pity leads him to even hurting his ex-lover, Christine.
When he first arrives at Kamar Taj, Mordo warns him to forget what he thinks he knows. Strange is very disrespectful to the Ancient One in their first encounter, throwing facts at her and giving her a million reasons as to why her way is nonsense. This results in her pushing him out of his astral form and getting just a small glimpse of the Astral Dimension. In denial, he believes he has simply been drugged but after she sends him through the Multiverse, he asks her to train him. She refuses at first but after convincing from Mordo, agrees to train him.
After his first battle with Kaecilius and the Zealots results in him taking a life, Strange tries to deny his destiny. In his final conversation with the Ancient One, she tells him that he always excelled as a doctor because of his fear of failure, yet that same fear also held him back from greatness. She tells him the most important lesson of all is that it is not about him. He has a great capacity for goodness and that he serves a much greater purpose than what he believes. She tells him that he could have his hands back and go back to his old life, but the world would be worse for wear because of it. After her death, he sheds his ego and accepts his role. When he confronts Dormammu, he is willing to stay in an endless loop and die continuously to save the rest of the world. The film ends with Strange as man ready to defend the world. The film ends with Strange as changed man ready to protect the world at any cost.
The Villain
Kaecilius is a former apprentice of the Ancient One who wants to bring Dormammu to Earth believing it will free him and his followers from the curse of time and the pain that it brings. The Ancient One compares him to Dr. Strange mentioning how Strange’s arrogance and intelligence reminded her of Kaecilius. Her fear of Strange following a similar path makes her hesitant at first to train him. Kaecilius became disillusioned with the Ancient One upon learning of the Dark Dimension and her ability to draw power from it to ensure her immortality. He is a strong believer in Dormammu to the point that he is willing to sacrifice his own followers. He describes them as “Tiny momentary specks within an indifferent universe.” He even goes as far as killing a follower to kill the Ancient One. He believes that merging the Earth with the Dark Dimension will bring all eternal life as promised by Dormammu.
The Film's Pros
The Visuals
Easily the best thing about the film is the visuals. Aside from the Thor films, most Marvel films have taken place in the real world and while they had great visuals, I always wondered what more could be done. These are comic book films, so they have the creative freedom to create worlds that are unlike what we see. The introduction of the Multiverse and the Mirror Dimension opened the door for creative possibilities that Marvel not only opened but kicked down. This is the first Marvel film for me that felt like something straight out of a comic book. The imagery in this film is like something out of a kaleidoscope. The way they take the regular world and turn it into something other worldly is an impressive feat in visual effects. When Strange is sent through the Multiverse, the imagery is so breathtaking with the different colors and shapes and the fast pace that you see it leaves you wanting to know more. The visuals are a trip and if you aren’t under the influence of drugs already, it will make you feel like you are. And I mean that in a good way.
When he confronts Dormammu at the end, the visual style of the Dark Dimension was amazing. It had me wishing the Dark World in Thor 2 could have looked like this. Doctor Strange has the best visuals of any Marvel film to date. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects, and it is easy to see why. The visual style makes it different from any other Marvel film and gets me excited to see what more they can do in the upcoming sequel.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch is an excellent actor with a great body of work in films like The Imitation Game, 12 Years a Slave, and in the television hit, Sherlock. He was a great choice for the titular Doctor Strange and brings the character to life. Like I’ve said before about other great performances, when I watch him, I don’t see Benedict Cumberbatch, I see Doctor Stephen Strange. He captures the essence of a man who is capable of good but is also extremely arrogant. He has a charm to him that keeps you rooting for him even when at times he can be a jerk. He can also be funny at times with little quips. After seeing him in Imitation Game, I easily buy him play the role of a highly intelligent individual. His performance carries the film and creates another big personality that left fans excited to see interact with the Avengers. His is a welcome addition to the MCU and one of the best casting choices they have made so far.
The Film's Cons
A waste of Dormammu
This is more of a nitpick than a serious flaw that hurts the film, but I want more Dormammu.
This is a case where I believe, and hope, that this nitpick will become outdated after the sequel premieres. While Kaecilius is the main villain throughout the film, the real threat is Dormammu. He was built up very well and when he is finally revealed, he looks amazing. His design is incredible, and he looks like an otherworldly threat. I loved how Doctor Strange was able to outsmart him and bargain him to leave. Obviously, Doctor Strange could not have battled or bested him here as it was too early for that. However, if that is all that we get of Dormammu and we don’t see him again, then it was such a waste of a cool villain. I am hoping that he can be brought back in later sequels, and I do believe there are ways to do so. Imagine a fully mastered Doctor Strange and maybe even Wanda battling against Dormammu? That would be an epic and visually stunning battle to watch. Hopefully he will return, and we get more. If not, then it’s another cool villain gone by the wayside.
Final Thoughts
Doctor Strange is a great film with an excellent lead, stunning visuals and a fun adventure that keeps me coming back. I have seen this film more times than any other Marvel film and it is one of my favorites. The concepts of the Mystic Arts and the Multiverse are very cool concepts that I am glad to see be delved into and am excited to see expanded upon with the upcoming sequel. It is a fun film for anyone looking to get into the MCU and a special case film that can be watched out of order and not spoil anything nor leave viewers confused. My girlfriend and I watched this first before beginning this watch through and I loved how even though it comes much later in the MCU, it can be watched at any time. It continued Phase Three’s streak of great films and is a Marvel classic. Give it a watch whether you’re sober or not and buckle in for a trippy and fun time.
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