Doctor Strange
The Ancient One: "You think you know how the world works. You
think this material universe is all there is. What if I told you the reality
you know is one of many?"
"Doctor Strange" is directed by
Scott Derrickson ("Sinister", "The Exorcism of Emily Rose",
"The Day the Earth Stood Still") and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as
Dr. Stephen Strange, Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One, Chiwetel Ejiofor as
Mordo, Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer,
Benedict Wong as Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg as Dr. Nicodemus West, and Benjamin
Bratt as Jonathan Pangborn.
Benedict Cumberbatch didn't even need to change out of his pajamas to get into costume. He just rolls out of bed with a cape, boots, and jewelry.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange is on top
of the world of neuroscience as he arrogantly pushes everyone he knows around.
An unfortunate car accident causes Strange to lose much mobility of his hands,
thus leaving him useless in the only world he knows about. Through word of
mouth, he finds a place in Kathmandu, Nepal called Kamar-Taj where he can heal
his hands to go back to work. After a long trek there, he is shown much more
than just a hand heal: he learns of and sees multiple universes. Crazy, right?
Master of astral projection and her mind, The Ancient One takes Strange under
her wing so he can learn the mystic arts of bending reality. The masters at
Kamar-Taj see Strange's potential that he can be the one to save the world from
an ex-student of The Ancient One named Kaecilius. Kaecilius is trying to
destroy all of the fortresses that hold down the Earth from being reached by a
powerful entity known as Dormammu. He would bring our world into the Dark
Dimension, where time doesn't exist and all can live forever. Against breaking
the rules of nature, Strange, The Ancient One, Mordo, and Wong are placed in a
situation to save the Earth or have it be immersed in a dimension far more
dangerous than our own.
Marvel is going far beyond what they
have ever done on screen, with "Doctor Strange". It is visually
captivating. F**k, it's trippy as hell. I felt like I was hallucinating at some
points of the film because of how the movement through different dimensions was
portrayed. The CGI is complex, yet it's beautiful in what they showed. I can't
explain to you in words how amazing the physical journey with Stephen Strange felt
when small details started to shift to make an environment unrealistic in the
most realistic way possible. Does that make any sense? Yeah, believe me, I
think it's just a movie that's definitely worth a watch. Surprisingly enough,
"Doctor Strange" doesn't even feel like a traditional Marvel movie
with cameos from other superheroes or only a blatant set up for the next Marvel
movie. Granted, "Doctor Strange" is a set up to "Infinity
War" just like all the other Marvel films, but it's subtle in how it does
that. It's a film that takes it time to set up a character that will have a
great impact in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), making it a great movie by
itself. We get to watch Stephen Strange grow from a narcissistic ass to one of
the most powerful heroes in Marvel lore. It's the same formula that we see in
Marvel movies, but with the added benefit of magic and Benedict Cumberbatch in
the forefront.
Here's only a couple of the mind-boggling images that "Doctor Strange" poses is out there. Amazing stuff.
Even though, "Doctor Strange"
has its magical and mystical uniqueness, it still does follow that MCU format:
the cocky or uninformed person we're supposed to care about has something
tragic happen to them, they're forced to go through a change that can better
themselves and other, finally giving us our superhero. Don't get me wrong, I
enjoy this formula, but there has to be some sort of expansion on the type of
storytelling Marvel Studios is going for or else it'll get old. Some people probably
have had it by now to the point that they can already guess the entire plot. I
also have to clarify on more thought that has kept bothering me since I left
the theater: "Doctor Strange" is way too similar to the 2008
"Iron Man" film. I do understand that this is another introduction to
the MCU and certain steps have to be taken from getting to point A to point B,
but scenes like Tony Stark's love interest, Pepper Pot, bafflingly perform
surgery on Tony Stark is beat for beat like Stephen Strange's love interest,
Christine Palmer, bafflingly perform surgery on Stephen Strange. It's uncanny,
when you think about it (or see it). Still, this doesn't take away from the
fact that "Doctor Strange" nailed that formula on the head. I'm
astonished at how different this movie is as compared to director Scott
Derrickson's other films. The only other movie that he's directed that is fresh
on Rotten Tomatoes is "Sinister", which I enjoyed, but I feel that
other horror movies in recent years can easily top that. This is just
completely out of the ordinary on his filmography and I commend him for doing a
fantastic job. His direction for complex material involving Strange's powers is
marvelous, pun intended.
If anything, watch "Doctor
Strange" for how mesmerizing of an experience it is. I still am having
trouble containing all of the cool visuals that exist when Strange jumps from
place to place, universe to universe. The idea of time is toyed with in this
film as well. We all know how difficult it is to incorporate that into any
story, let alone a superhero story with someone who can control time (Strange's
Eye of Agamotto). It was handled in a smart way with loops galore. On top of
that, this could be one of the funniest Marvel movie to date (my top pick is
still "Guardians of the Galaxy"). One could complain all they want
about Marvel's familiar storyline in "Doctor Strange", but there
isn't any denying that it accomplishes it with style and vigor. I truly feel
that "Doctor Strange" can top my top five in my favorite Marvel
movies (from all studios) of all time. Go and get strange!
4.6/5
PRO
- Amazing and complex visuals
- Otherworldy mystic powers is unique to MCU
- Scott Derrickson's directing and Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of the titular hero
CON
- Uses same formula that Marvel is used to
"Doctor Strange" is rated PG-13 for sci-fi
violence and action throughout, and an intense crash sequence
Click here to watch the
trailer
"Doctor Strange" is in theaters everywhere now
LOVE IT! I am an old Marvel Comics reader, and remember when Dr. Strange first came out! Benedict Cumberbatch is one of my favorites, and he did a wonderful job in this movie.
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