This month saw the release of yet another installment of the Marvel cinematic world – Doctor Strange.
If I am to be honest, my ever expanding cinematic wish list did not include this title, but lo and behold, I found myself on a Saturday morning in a 3D IMAX theater on opening weekend. Go figure.
Brushing my initial ambivalence aside, I must admit that the end product turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Doctor Strange manages to take some very obscure concepts (at least by comic – to screen standards) and turn them into an accessible and cinematically stunning action adventure film. It is a rare moment when I recommend watching a film in 3D, but if you hadn’t seen this in this format, you did miss some pretty awesome sequences, that if nothing else, would leave your head spinning.
One thing that Doctor Strange and most of these Marvel films have going for them is the ability to draw top-notch talent. Sure, there is a part of your brain that chuckles at the thought of “thespians” like Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swindow, et al, donning goofy costumes and running down the streets, but you know what? Talent is talent and ultimately they all acquit themselves well enough, enough so that I was thoroughly entertained, whether the beat was dramatic or lighter in tone. Not much else one can ask for.
Another item worth noting is that the film felt a lot brisker than its 115 minute run time would suggest. I really felt like once the opening sequence launched, we were taken straight into the story with a few (if any) loose ends bogging the story down. Me likey.
If there was a negative point for me to make about Doctor Strange is that while it was a solid film, at the end of the day it is more or less “forgettable” in the pantheon of all the characters that we have seen on the screen to date (a result of genre sensory overload, perhaps?). That said, I suspect this is to be expected since the character is not one that I can ever claim to have known about until news broke about the development of the movie. My guess is that like always, we will have to take a “wait and see” approach in determining how seamlessly this chapter slides into the world of Nordic mythology, American Idealism and a huge green fella.
I found the film refreshing and joyous! The pacing was great and the acting was superb. I wish we could have seen more Rachel McAdams, but it was otherwise another satisfactory entry into the Marvel pantheon.