At some point, Marvel's formula has got to give. The superhero genre is not one that seems open to much innovation, and origin stories, while essential when introducing a character such as Doctor Strange, unfamiliar to the masses and myself, are getting a little old. A roguish fiend, sometimes rich (see: Tony Stark), must learn to better himself and master a new power (the Iron Man suit, the Ant-Man suit, recovering the strength to lift a hammer), before becoming the hero he was always meant to be.
After a stunning opening in which buildings expand and unfold like fans, we move into the story of Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), an arrogant super surgeon (think an attitude a la Sherlock), who, in a horrific accident, receives excessive nerve damage to his hands. Seeking a cure where Western medicine has failed, he ventures to the Kathmandu where he is instructed by a Celtic Master (Tilda Swinton in a role originally for a Tibetan but rewritten to not offend the Chinese audience). There he masters ancient arts that allow him to summon weapons, leap from his body, and even control time.
Where the movie excels beyond every Marvel movie to date, is in its amazing visual effects that further the groundwork laid by Inception and one-ups it with even more city-defying visuals. Add to that an amazing sequence where Strange is sent through infinite multiverses, and you have some of the most beautiful and dazzling sequences of the year. I love when visual effects artists are allowed to stretch their chops, and Doctor Strange is one of the few cases where the visuals don't interfere or overpower the story.
But at this point, do we really need to see the same beats over and over again? Black Panther was refreshingly introduced in this past summer's Civil War with little explanation, and at this point we kind of accept that these people have crazy powers. But maybe Doctor Strange's world was a little too out there to just launch us into it; it's nice to learn the world along with Strange, being introduced to the rules of combat, what going astral means, and what a mirror universe is.
However, I really don't care for these arrogant rich assholes who learn to better themselves; it's hard to identify with them because they are already extraordinary to begin with, unlike me and my talentless life. The appeal of Peter Parker is that he is just like us, unsure of the world, and is gifted these powers. This is why so many of Hitchcock's films work, because an everyman is launched into extraordinary circumstances.
But it does little for my investment in a character when they have it all. Tony Stark was refreshing as he was at least the first of that brand of superhero (although he's still learning what it means to care for others 8 years into this franchise), but now that we've had Starlord and Ant-Man and Thor, the cocky, self-centered hero is just done at this point.
Quibbles aside, I rather enjoyed Doctor Strange quite a bit. Cumberbatch is fine and charismatic as Strange, Swinton is great as a mystical guru, Rachel McAdams becomes the latest female to have a thankless girlfriend role that she'll doubtful hang around for, Michael Stuhlbarg is wasted as a jealous fellow surgeon, and Mads Mikkelsen, though he can be villainous in his sleep, does not do much to help Marvel's villain problem. He leaves little impression on the story and is not given his full due.
It's a little disheartening that we've gotten 14 films into the MCU and there's not one I would hold up to Spider-Man 2 or The Dark Knight. The Avengers was revolutionary in the ambition and scope of the project, but the MCU at this point is too much of a corporate machine, a well-oiled engine designed to keep the cogs moving and establish the next film. I do enjoy these singular stories more, though, that don't really connect to the overall MCU beyond a reference or two. As far as superhero movies go, Doctor Strange is one of the better ones, especially for the eye popping visuals. Basic plotlines aside, that stuff is worth the price of admission.
