Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Doctor Strange’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

Over the past few years, we've enjoyed some incredible moments when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We watched the Iron Man take to the skies. We watched the Avengers save New York City from the Chitauri Invasion and we even traveled to the depths of outer space to watch a loveable band of misfits save the universe from evil. 

Yet, despite finally seeing comic book movies and characters receive the love and care they should have always enjoyed on the big screen, Marvel's films have always come with a minor but significant flaw...their heroes have rarely had to earn the right to be earth's protectors. Yes, they've suffered, yes ,the stories have become dark...but these were always good men and women, always on the right side of history and the cause. It's a flaw we can certainly overlook simply because hey, the Avengers and explosions...but it's only a matter of time before the fans wonder when we will get something deeper out of our heroes and thankfully with Doctor Strange, Marvel has delivered just that, a hero with some depth.

Because despite the epic, trippy and awesome visuals this film provides, alongside buckets upon buckets of action and thrilling moments...Doctor Strange is at its core, a character study, introducing at last the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first everyman in Doctor Stephen Strange. Stephen is...to put it nicely a classy asshat. He's crass, more than happy to speak what's on his mind without a filter or concern for anyone's feelings. He's arrogant and proud because he knows he has a superior intellect and can do the job better than anyone else but despite the fact he can cut into someone with his words as well as with a scalpel and leave them devastated, much of that is overlooked because Stephen is plain and simple a genius surgeon that can save lives and make it look it easy. 

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But while that description of the man seems unappealing to the point where it might be uncomfortable to watch him on screen, have no fear...because that's the beauty of this film. It is a complete journey for Stephen since circumstances put him in a place where he loses his respect and his stature and is reduced to nothing, where a search for healing turns into a search for meaning and because the story takes us down this road of soul searching with Stephen, you're instantly drawn in. We come to find that he really isn't that bad of a guy, just a man filled with a fear of failure...like so many of us are in this world and that...is outright brilliant. 

Because in this film, the hero is forced to earn everything. There's no money to build him a power suit, or a serum to give him super strength. He is just a man, without hope, without direction who will do anything and everything to find his way back into relevancy and one who comes to realize that perhaps he can be something more, that he can make a difference in a different way and that makes this film hands down one of the most refreshing superhero stories in years. Of course it helps that Benedict Cumberbatch is absolutely brilliant in the role and we should thank the stars that Marvel pushed the film's release date back to cast him in this part because no one else could have properly done this character justice, since his performance allows for us to bond with this man once he hits rock bottom and we root for him when we realize he is filled with greatness and is fully capable of pulling off the impossible. 

But perhaps the best magic trick this film surprises us with is that this is a movie that fits in perfectly with its other Marvel counterparts in both mythos and quality for that matter when it seems as though it shouldn't, and perhaps the best way to approach this film before heading in to the theater is to know that it is in the same vein of Guardians of the Galaxy in the respect that it is unconventional in its storytelling and design, but make no mistake about it...Doctor Strange is a wonderful film, one that needs to be seen and celebrated as often as possible for its positive message and for finally allowing an MCU superhero to be like the rest of us, flawed, fearful and filled with potential to change the world when our moment arrives.

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