Marvel Cinematic Universe: Ranking all 18 movies after Black Panther

Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures; poster for Doctor Strange (2016)

13. Doctor Strange (2016)

Doctor Strange is the best Christopher Nolan movie not written or directed by Christopher Nolan. It bends, twists, and folds cities like Inception. It’s protagonist, also played by a British actor faking an American accent, travels to the Far East for training like Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins. It explains the “science” of magic like The Prestige. There’s a kaleidoscopic journey through other dimensions like Interstellar. And, as a major plot device, it routinely plays with time.

All kidding aside, Doctor Strange is a visually arresting movie. It contains some very imaginative sequences like the one in Sanctum Santorum with its changing doorways, or the martial arts battle where everything but the combatants move in reverse. Benedict Cumberbatch is very good the titular surgeon turned sorcerer, and as the voice of one of Strange’s classic villains. Also, despite the controversy surrounding her casting, Tilda Swanson makes for a fascinating take on The Ancient One. Even Chiwetel Ejiofer’s Mordo undergoes a logical journey from ally to adversary.

Yet the problems with Doctor Strange are the same one which seem to always infect the other entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) makes for yet another bland,  underdeveloped antagonist. The flirtatious romance between Strange and Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) feels unnecessarily tacked on. Finally, it has a tendency to make some silly, not-so-clever jokes during it’s more dramatic moments. Yet these flaws in no way undermine what is still a pretty enjoyable film.