I have seen the first Doctor Strange plenty of times, though I am not well versed in the canon. It’s one of the better Marvel movies. Having a surface-level understanding is what’s best with Marvel movies so that you don’t go crazy analyzing what is “wrong” or different from the comics. And, really, if they are the same as the comics they are considered boring and unoriginal; if they are too different they are picked apart by vultures. You just can’t win, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the Marvel movies.
The storyline follows Dr. Strange as he tries to help America Chavez, a teenager who exists singularly and not in every multiverse. She has a power that is sought after by Scarlet Witch, so there is an army of conjured demons and monsters sent to retrieve her. This means a lot of “universe” hopping and seeing a few different Dr. Strange’ along the way. It also lends to a very “who can you trust” kind of vibe through the film, as we see so many characters from the previous movie and the What If universe. While it is the sequel to Dr. Strange, so much time has passed in the timeline that they aren’t really connected very much especially post Endgame It’s really just a way for Marvel to focus on him and move forward after the movies we’ve already seen.
The story overall is a good one. There is plenty of conflict and the constant distrust and unease will keep you on your toes for a lot of the movie. While I think it can come across as “all over the place” or jarring, it is meant to be that way. If you jumped to another universe that is how it would feel, landing in another universe like ours is unlikely. The aesthetics were a good play for the movie. While they weren’t innovative, they were something that you don’t see often; especially in Marvel movies. It lent to the feel of the movie, and I thought it was a good mechanism to try to tie everything together where it could. It certainly kept my attention.
The direction wasn’t anything we haven’t seen before, but it was very different for a Marvel movie. Sam Raimi decided to take a page from horror films in a lot of the scenes, it seems. That’s not a bad thing, especially if you are a fan of Sam Raimi. Anyone who watches horror movies will recognize a few frames that are homages to movies as far back as the seventies. It definitely gives it a creepier tone and made it almost feel like you didn’t know where they would take you. This also works really well with the cinematography displayed. The balance and framing were done so well that I think it was a great catalyst to not only the story, but the actors. I was glad to see Raimi work with someone who was a catalyst to his vision and how it worked out, unlike in Spiderman 3, which I’m sure all comic book fans would like to forget.
The acting was good, although it could have been better in parts. I had no problems with any of it, I just thought that with such a capable cast we could have gotten a little more in some scenes. Still, it was good and way better than the acting in a lot of other movies. The palette isn’t something I get to talk about a lot, but I think that a lot of people will agree that it is a great tool for mood manipulation. And I think this is a good example of that. It really gave a darker and spookier vibe. I think that the darker colors and brighter hues toned down really added a great emphasis to the story.
Overall, I thought it was a good movie. I would pay the regular price to see it, but I wouldn’t walk in expecting it to be Endgame. If you decide to wait until it streams on Disney +, I think it would be a great movie to enjoy when you feel like a horror movie, but nothing too severe. Or you want one of the darker Marvel movies. I didn’t think it was the best ever, but I thought it was a great addition to the Marvel universe and I liked how it furthered Doctor Strange’s evolution in the canon like with the Illuminati and what leads to Marvel’s Secret Wars. It’s definitely worth a watch, if nothing else so that you can see my girlfriend in a vignette during the credits!
