Directed by:
Scott DerricksonCinematography:
Ben DavisComposer:
Michael GiacchinoCast:
Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins (more)VOD (4)
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The story of world-famous neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange whose life changes forever after a horrific car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing - and hope - in an unlikely place: a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj. He quickly learns that this is not just a center for healing but also the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying our reality. Before long Strange - armed with newly acquired magical powers - is forced to choose whether to return to his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence. (Walt Disney US)
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Reviews (17)
I'll admit I didn't have much faith in this movie. Mysticism and stuff like that passes me by, Benedict Cumberbatch is starting to bore me, and I wasn't that interested in another origin stry, but Doctor Strange surprised me. Very pleasantly. Cumberbatch fits the role perfectly, and even though he practically never leaves the screen, he's great as the arrogant doctor, the broken man, and ultimately the superhero. And thanks to him, you don’t even mind the classically understated villain so much, and this time the other characters played by Mads Mikkelsen and Chiwetel Ejiofor deserve more space. But the main star this time is without a doubt Scott Derrickson, who managed to turn the film into an audiovisual orgy (OK, Michael Giacchino's music helps him a lot) and make each action scene different from the previous one. Only towards the end it was maybe a bit too much. Doctor Strange is again a step in a slightly different direction and into places the other Marvel movies didn't even venture. And it works, again, and if Stephen Strange is going to replace Tony Stark as the leader of the entire MCU, I'm not worried about the future of the brand. The character and his representative are up to it without a shadow of a doubt.
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The euphoric feelings of utter ecstasy from the experienced perception of space-time that I had expected from Inception came a few years later. Of course, the size of the vision and the sovereignty of the processing uncompromisingly raise the bar for the other components, but unfortunately, Doctor Strange does not overcome the curse of dull villains (although very charismatic thanks to Mads), flat side characters and generic plots. He is deeply Marvel in this and cannot bend the limits. In other respects, however, this is a deliciously playful and entertaining origin story, in which Cumberbatch finally makes full use of his potential and Scott Derrickson makes you forget the sterile crap from The Day the Earth Stood Still. In order for the Marvel multiverse to hold together, the individual heroes must occasionally put on shackles. So far, no one has suffered as much as Doctor Strange, who has the hallucinogenic explosiveness of the 1960s and the overly legible predestination of Marvel storytelling. Personally, I can rise above it and enjoy this trip beyond the barrier of reality to the fullest. Let’s be honest, a doctor who can assist in his own operation... beat that!
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I’ve switched several times between three and four stars, and maybe not for the last time. Doctor Strange is a nice and fun comic-book ride that stands out mostly with its visuals; the way they bend reality is beautiful to watch. It’s very playful and clever, and those scenes have so many moving parts that if I tried to visualise something like that in my head, my brain would jump out of it. But other than that, it’s your classic Marvel flick with a lacklustre villain. Don’t they have anyone interesting in their whole universe, other than Loki? It’s pathetic already. And Ejiofor won’t pull it out in the potential sequel, either; the origin of the new villain has a pretty hollow motivation. A very important argument for the lower rating is also the total lack of explanation about the rules and limits of the world in the film. I fear that when Strange joins the rest of the Avengers, it will be such a mess that will bury everything.
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Strange. I mean strange and great. An excellent origin, focused on a simple, but gripping story of how an arrogant atheist drops a comb, travels to Nepal and begins to save the human race as the most powerful sorcerer in the universe. What helped him was his photographic memory. Everything of course is terribly fast, so the two or so hours are over before you know it. Maybe it’s also because the main theme is time, my favorite guide. Those keeping track know that the stone that controls time that Thanos needs in his glove had not been introduced yet, but Scott Derrickson dealt with that problem excellently. It doesn’t turn it into a MacGuffin, but simply another instrument in Dr Strange’s trembling hands. Benedict Cumberbatch put on a solid performance, slightly different than from how we are used to him and almost unexpectedly pleasant. Don’t forget that he plays a greedy, self-centered bastard. The supporting characters apart from the terrifying Tilda Swinton were not given much room. Mordo makes just a fleeting appearance, Wong is here for fun and the lack of room for another villain is made up for a little by the best side-kick in the entire Marvel universe – a smart red cloak that everyone would like to have. It’s also a cracker visually, especially thanks to Nolan’s Inception and Interstellar, whose tricks were upgraded by Derrickson to create several more universes inside the… ehm … multi-universe, à la Pink Floyd LSD trip, heavily supported by Giacchino’s music. Even Dormammu turned out right. – And who are you, sir... - Doctor. – Doctor…? - Strange. – It seems strange to me too.
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It cannot be denied that, in contrast to the other interchangeable marvel movies, this is distinctive in its own way (however borrowed from Batman Begins/Inception). The problem is that in the second half, all cast that is precisely chosen to match the characters on which the movie is based on until this moment, is simply thrown away. Strange from being no one becomes a super master overnight, Christine disappears as if she was from catering crew and not the main female character (and the motivation of the hero), Mordo disappears in the middle of the sentence, it's event pointless to mention the villain. Well, just for the sake of the compositionally excessive effects for the sake of effect it is losing direction in those mirror worlds in the same way a fly would get lost in a mirror maze. In other words, as much effective as it is (and it's quite effective), as little it’s effective at the same time. And in this case, it's actually quite a pity for the Marvel movie.
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