Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Release date: November 4th, 2016
Rating: 7/10
Doctor Strange is yet another solo origin film from Marvel Studios. Doctor Strange follows surgeon Steven Strange, after an accident leaves him crippled, on a mystical journey that ultimately leads him to becoming the Master of the Mystic Arts himself.
I like this film a lot. Just as Guardians of the Galaxy was a movie that introduced us to the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe, Doctor Strange introduces us to the mystic side. We haven’t seen anything like this before and the fact that this is something new makes it interesting to me. Superhero movies have become so successful in the last decade that the market seems to be oversaturated with them. So making superhero movies that have something new is what keeps the genre alive.
That being said, while I do like the new things this movie brings to the table, the cinematic formula remains somewhat similar to origin movies of the past. The plot doesn’t really differ than that of your Iron Mans or Captain Americas. Which is the biggest problem I have with the movie. The formula is nothing we haven’t seen before. Why the movie remains interesting to me is the fact that we are discovering this whole world of magic and mysticism. Had this film been about a different character, but written the same way, I would’ve not liked it as much; maybe disliked it entirely.
Another issue I have is, again, the villain. Marvel really knocks it out of the park when they can write a good villain, but they are few and far between. Again we see the protagonist battling essentially what comes to an evil version of himself, which we see a few times in the MCU (see Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Ant-Man), but also outside of the Marvel franchise.
Doctor Strange is a film where everything but the plot is fantastically done. Which is why I’m so conflicted about it. The visuals, acting, design, etc. are all great; but the plot leaves much to be desired. It’s good enough but if you’re looking for one to skip and just read the synopsis for when the character eventually comes back in other films, it’d be this one.