By Samantha Brant ’19, Arts and Entertainment Editor
In this wild origin story, Doctor Stephen Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, is a genius neurosurgeon with an ego bigger than his career. Distracted while driving, Strange gets into a terrible car accident that ruins his hands forever. As each trial surgery to fix his hands fails, he becomes more and more desperate and willing to try anything. His belief that he is nothing without being a surgeon leads him on a frantic search which eventually leads him to the tutelage of the Ancient One, Tilda Swinton, in Nepal. She shows Strange a world that his scientific mind doesn’t want to believe in and leads him on adventures previously thought impossible.
The amazing cast really brings the story to life: Cumberbatch, as seen in The Imitation Game and Sherlock, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, seen in 12 Years a Slave and American Gangster, as Mordo, Strange’s wise and mysterious friend and leader. Rachel McAdams, from Mean Girls and The Notebook, was incredible as the love interest and best friend. Benedict Wong, seen in The Martian and Prometheus, was hilarious as the sassy librarian. Tilda Swinton and Mads Mikkelsen were fabulous enemies while playing The Ancient One and Kaecilius.
A movie as incredible as Dr. Strange is bound to carry some controversy, and it did, brought on by the casting of The Ancient One. The casting of Tilda Swinton, a white woman, upset fans greatly because in the comics The Ancient One is a male Asian.
“The first decision that I made was to make it a woman, but when I envisioned that character being played by an Asian actress, it was a straight-up Dragon Lady,” Director Scott Derrickson told USA Today.
Although the movie was great, after watching it, people’s anger about the casting did not subside.
“This, in the end, is exactly what Hollywood’s problem is with Asian people: they continually allow Asian stories, characters, and experiences to be reinterpreted by white lenses, then they call that progress,” criticized feminist geek site The Mary Sue.
Even with all the controversy, Dr. Strange is an exciting and amazing movie. It can still be seen in theaters in 3D or 2D, so I recommend you see it soon!
Sources:
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/doctor-strange-2016
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1211837/fullcredits/