Moviegoers: the Doctor will see you now

After pumping out 14 films in a matter of 8 years and grossing over $10 billion world-wide, one ought to think that Marvel is starting to value quantity over quality these days, right?

Wrong.

“Doctor Strange,” the newest installment to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), is directed by Scott Derrickson and boasts a star-studded cast featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams and Mads Mikkelsen. The film has already raked in $325 million (according to The Numbers) globally and has generally impressed critics, even earning a stellar 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film begins by introducing the villain of the film, Kaecilius (Mikkelsen), as he steals pages from an ancient book and flees from a monastery in Nepal. The Ancient One (Swinton), a powerful and mystical sorcerer, attempts to catch him but he escapes with whatever mystery the pages entail.

Next, Doctor Stephen Strange, played by Cumberbatch, is introduced as he easily performs dangerous neurosurgeries and arrogantly struts about his workplace– Marvel fans can recognize this type of personality immediately as it greatly parallels the likes of Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr.

Unfortunately, after being critically wounded in a car accident, Strange loses the main tool that has made him such a successful doctor: his hands. Forced to the edge of bankruptcy in his quest to find a cure, he resorts to traveling eastward where he discovers the Ancient One and is enlightened by the mystical arts, sorcery and even alternate dimensions. As a neurosurgeon with genius-level intellect, he quickly grasps his new powers and trains with both the Ancient One and his friend Mordo, played by Ejiofor.

Motivated by the incentive that he may be able to properly use his hands again, he is able to use them to create magic and even alter time itself. But Strange soon realizes that he is a part of a greater conflict and must now use these powers to defend earth from otherworldly beings that wish to destroy it.

As is tradition with Marvel movies, “Doctor Strange” benefits from its excellent lead in Benedict Cumberbatch. Not only does he contribute a great performance, but he is also extremely funny in this film and will undoubtedly mesh well with the Avengers’ style of comedy. Cumberbatch is able to play a very convincing surgeon while also playing a powerful warlock. Any other actor may have found such extremities to be difficult, but Cumberbatch seemingly relished the role and added a unique charm of his own.

Surprisingly, the film is also a massive breath of fresh air for the MCU; it feels very disconnected from the universe that we know and love, but this isn’t to a fault in the slightest. Strange’s character is, well, strange, and fans that don’t quite understand his character were able to just indulge themselves in a movie that wasn’t trying to incorporate ten other beloved superheroes at the same time. The character is so fleshed out from beginning to end and in a universe that has so much going on at the moment, this movie achieved the impossible task of making that universe feel just a bit smaller.

Another major selling-point of the film is definitely the mind-bending CGI and special effects. It has been compared to “Inception” countless times and with good reason. Strange harnesses the ability to warp his environment and alter reality itself, so Marvel’s special effects department definitely had their work cut out for them. CGI is sometimes misused in the filmmaking industry as it can easily backfire and remove a layer of realism, but “Doctor Strange” uses it to absolute perfection.

So is this the best Marvel film to date? Well, it depends on who you ask really. If you love the MCU’s solo films, such as Iron Man, the First Avenger or even Ant-Man, then “Doctor Strange” will definitely be one of your favorites. If you prefer team-up movies then this newest installment will probably not rank very highly with you. It’s a fantastic introduction to a relatively obscure Marvel character, one that will soon come to be, if not already, on the same popularity level as Avengers such as Thor, the Hulk and even Captain America.

Chalk up another win for Marvel on this one. “Doctor Strange”possesses ground-breaking special effects and stunning visuals; but at the same time, it manages to properly introduce a unique story that Marvel has yet to tell. In almost all aspects, the Doctor has certainly delivered and Marvel fans should be excited for the already confirmed sequel.