Mind-blowing special effects and missed opportunities

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES
Doctor Strange revitalizes the superhero film at a critical time for the genre.

With the desperate-seeming, though well received appearance of Antman, abandoned Superman reboots and stubborn failed attempts at making a cool Hulk movie, the state and significance of super hero films in recent years has begun to appear questionable at best, desperate at worst. Doctor Strange singlehandedly destroys such pretenses and proves that the genre can continue to flourish.

Stephen Strange is a self-righteous and successful neurosurgeon, who loses the ability to use his hands in a brutal car accident. After exhausting every conceivable experimental recovery option, Strange travels to Kamar-Taj in Tibet to seek the aid of a mystic called the Ancient One who exposes him to the astral plane and alternate dimensions. He takes up the practices of the mystics in order to heal his hands, but finds himself involved in something much greater than he bargained for.

The quality and character of the special effects in Doctor Strange are truly awesome and unprecedented. This is a movie that takes full advantage of the IMAX 3D experience and uses it with artistic intention, rather than as an unessential novelty to maximize the earning potential of the movie the way a lot of 3D movies feel.

Whole cityscapes shift, morph and expand into new geometric structures. Strange is subjected to fully realize alternate dimensions of blowout psychedelic DMT fractal imagery. It is astonishing how realistic such surreal special effects can be. Things morph in this natural, breathing, crawling kind of way as if the scenery is a living entity. The nature of the special effects is undeniably hallucinogenic with examples of classic visual distortions like recursion, flowing and morphing visual drifting and symmetrical texture repetition employed in clever, innovative ways to form the basis of the astral plane and alternate dimensions and powers of the mystics.

Conceptually, Doctor Strange takes a completely unique approach with the introduction of alternate dimensions which not only makes the movie itself notable, but also adds depth to and enhances the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole.

It is disheartening, however, that this new facet is introduced in a context that seems to take its spiritual influences lightly. In one of the many stupid jokes in this movie, Strange is given a slip of paper that prompts him to ask, “What’s this, my mantra?” he is answered “The wifi password! We’re not savages.” Is the punchline a disrespectful assertion that a spiritual practice like meditation with mantras is something only savages do, or simply that, of course they have wifi, these mystics are not totally out of touch? Either way, the movie appropriates many different aspects of spirituality without much regard for their source, making it easy for a spiritually ignorant audience to continue to dismiss the significance and reality of the practices and cultures that Doctor Strange is indebted to, resulting in a feeling of missed opportunity.

Despite some ridiculous hospital drama, cheesiness and character breaking bad jokes, the cast of Doctor Strange is fairly strong. Benedict Cumberbatch is an engrossing and convincing performer who demonstrates a remarkable ability to channel the many facets of a person on a journey of change. He makes you truly hate him as a self-righteous doctor. After his accident he portrays a desperate, hysterical and broken man with chilling authenticity. It’s the acting of someone who truly understands their character.

Tilda Swinton delivers a notable performance, playing The Ancient One, generating a believable air of wisdom and portraying an emotionally complex character with expertise.

It’s hard not to feel like Rachel McAdams was cast as Strange’s love interest more for her beauty than her abilities. Her performance is by no means a train wreck but she just isn’t on the same level as her fellow cast members and there are moments where you see the acting.

Doctor Strange is a significant contribution to the superhero movie genre that can be enjoyed by the uninitiated, making the genre accessible to a wider audience. It is my prediction that it will be a landmark in the history of special effects and my hope is that its success will encourage Marvel Studios to continue to experiment and take chances.