Yep, Marvel Studios has done it again! Doctor Strange is the latest (14) entry in the excellent Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). I haven’t yet decided on where it ranks against the other 13 MCU films. But I think it is somewhere in or around the top five.
What I liked most about this movie was that fact that it was not a “commercial” for future films. Sure, it had Marvel’s standard end-credits scene(s), but besides that, the film truly felt like a stand-alone. Besides a couple of references to the larger “Avengers” world, this film stood squarely on the shoulders of Doctor Stephen Strange, wonderfully portrayed by the great, Oscar-nominated Benedict Cumberbatch.
I also liked the film’s well-placed humor. By now, no one should be surprised by the comic relief that has become a staple of all MCU films. However, I did wonder how humor would be included in Doctor Strange, whose character leans more serious. I am also not used to Cumberbatch being so sarcastic in his previous films, but his comic timing was impeccable here. In particular, I loved the scene where the “cloak of levitation” wipes away his tears.
The casting was on point. I’ve already discussed how great the choice of Benedict Cumberbatch was for this role. I never thought I would clamor for Doctor Strange sequels, but he was so good, I want to see at least another. And his “cohort in sorcery,” Baron Mordo, was handled extremely well by the always-good, fellow Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor. He too, had a few humorous lines, but his character was mainly the stern and stoic “yin to Strange’s yang,” so to speak. Their chemistry was impeccable, probably buoyed by the fact that they paired in Twelve Years A Slave three years ago.
I would have liked to see Rachel McAdams on screen a bit more, but she made the most of her limited screen time as Strange’s love interest, Christine Palmer. Tilda Swinton absolutely killed it as the Ancient One. It would have been nice to see the character mirror its Tibetan comic book roots, given the limited representation of Asians in the comic book movie genre. But Swinton’s performance more than makes up for that nitpick.
Since it’s only been in theaters for a little over a week, I wanted to provide a spoiler-free review. If you haven’t already seen Doctor Strange, I strongly suggest that you see the Sorcerer Supreme in action. And if you can, try to see it in 3D, because some of the visuals are absolutely breathtaking!
