The Marvel Model: a review of Doctor Strange

I find it absolutely astonishing that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been as successful as it’s been for as long as it has. You would think that the world would begin to tire from a constant barrage of superhero movies and television series, but the public just cannot seem to ever get enough. Heck, other companies, like DC Comics, are giving the whole cinematic universe thing a shot, which have had varying results.

However, there does exist another substantial issue with these Marvel movies. In order to be fully invested with each new release, one would have to watch every single previous film or series. That, for me at least, is asking way too much, as not every film in the cinematic universe interests me enough to warrant a viewing. So when I was invited by a couple of friends to see the new Marvel film, Doctor Strange, I was worried that I would be, for the most part, left in the dark. Luckily for me, Doctor Strange turned out to be a great standalone film by its own merit, without having to bank on the rest of the Marvel universe for handicap.

Doctor Strange pretty much follows the classic story arc of a superhero origin story right down to a tee. From a point of lowest lows, Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) seeks out a means of redeeming himself, later finding a renewed sense of purpose. Its plot is practically identical to that in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, just differing in its players. While that may seem like a fault of the movie, there isn’t really a better way to present a developed origin story otherwise. Even though the plot structure is just a copy-paste job, it’s at least executed neatly enough to allude to something bigger down the road.

The area where Doctor Strange especially shines, however, is in its visual effects and even more so in its imagery. While the usage of CGI has pretty much become so common and advanced in film, to the point where ultra-realism is seen as a standard of the craft, Doctor Strange somehow manages to elicit a sense of wonder from its visual effects that current movies can’t seem to achieve again. By utilizing the mind-bending and at times abstract source material, the team behind the film was able to create visuals consisting of seemingly impossible geometry, daunting scale, vibrant colors and off-the-wall scenarios.

However, while the movie is a great load of fun, its interpretation to film is a quite rushed and finicky affair. While there is only so much you can cram into two hours of film, the transformation of our hero comes off as rushed, even for an origin story. Even though his base character traits remain intact, the film, for some reason, decides to portray Steven Strange as a master of his powers with practically no time for development apart from a couple of scenes.

However, these are only nitpicks when considering why a movie like Doctor Strange exists. It’s a fun movie for the sake of fun and the fans, not a complex character study of an egotistical individual. Ok, so maybe it could be that at a stretch but you know what I mean. Go check it out.