If you're going to launch a franchise, you might want something that isn't too well-known. Another "Hulk"? No way. "Spider-Man"? The jury is still out.
But “Doctor Strange” has possibilities.
Full of “Iron Man” contradictions and swagger, he brings a snarky sensibility that’s just right for someone as enigmatic as Benedict Cumberbatch.
Hailed as a brilliant surgeon, Stephen Strange believes his own hype and thinks he’s invincible, particularly when he’s driving around sharp corners in a fast sports car. Forced off a cliff, he’s severely injured and told he probably won’t operate again. Unwilling to accept the truth, he searches for those willing to take his case. He’s prompted to go on a spiritual journey and, there, encounters The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), a Yoda of sorts for superheroes. She gets him to break down his ego and harness his powers. Sure, enough, he becomes one of those martial arts pros who can wield a light sword better than an electrician.
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Before he’s fully vested in the art, a bad guy named Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) comes calling.
Because director Scott Derrickson spends so much time with “Inception”-level visuals, he never quite explains what all the symbols, weapons and abilities mean. There’s a rogue cape, too, and as soon as the going gets tough it wraps itself around Strange like a long-lost amulet.
In 3D, “Doctor Strange” probably looks like “Fantasia” on LSD. So many buildings fold in, so many characters walk on ceilings, you’ll think you’re in some kind of house of mirrors that never seems to end.
The visuals (in 2D) are great; they just call attention to the script’s weaknesses when they’re not popping out into the audience’s seats.
To make sure this isn’t a one-man show, Derrickson gives Strange a colleague (Rachel McAdams, who rarely seems to leave the hospital) and a fellow warrior (Chewetel Ejiofor) who handle much of the film’s exposition. If Swinton isn’t explaining what’s happening, they are.
Longtime Strange fans probably think this is old hat, but for newcomers it’s like learning a foreign language without benefit of conversation.
Once the costumes are chosen and the battlegrounds are set (London, New York and Hong Kong get the honors), it’s just a matter of time before Strange and company begin searching for Mikkelsen.
Cumberbatch certainly owns the cape and doesn’t hesitate to throw a “Sherlock”-level slam at one of his detractors. He doesn’t really need a part like this, but he makes it his own.
