Doctor Strange Review

​Glad to see you guys again. I saw Doctor Strange at the movie theater last night and a review will definitely be worth my time. It was one of the most unique movies I saw this year. I'm going to break down the positive and negative qualities of Doctor Strange, so relax and break out the popcorn. This should be an interesting read for you.

​Let's start with a brief plot synopsis. Doctor Strange is a renowned neurosurgeon who is wealthy, cocky, and doesn't get along well with his peers. One day, his hands are seriously injured in a car accident. Efforts to restore full use of his hands are futile. He turns to alternative help from a mystical being known as the Ancient One and she teaches him how to use magic for the greater good. Soon, Doctor Strange becomes involved in a huge struggle between good and evil.  

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​I have a lot of good things to say about this movie. It's a generally well made film that brings something new and interesting to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Audiences have seen a lot of super hero movies during the past several years and this one is very different. The special effects are mind blowing. I won't be surprised if it wins an Academy Award in Visual Effects. I can tell the director is creative with a big imagination. In a way, the action scenes made me think of a film called Inception with a huge warp in reality. The movie has a fantasy twist on action scenes, which thoroughly entertained me.

​Some of the characters are very strong. Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange was awesome. I just really liked him for some reason. Strange had a lot of character development and Cumberbatch is such a great actor. You'll see Strange go through a lot of transitions as a sorcerer and human being in general. Strange starts out as a jerk, but he becomes much more likeable as the film progresses. He learns to place the greater good above his own needs and I think that's an important lesson for people to know. Another sorcerer named Karl Mordo is one of Doctor Strange's allies. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Mordo and he's a great contrast to Cumberbatch. Mordo and Strange are polar opposites. The film portrays Mordo as serious, by the book, disciplined, and righteous. Whereas Doctor Strange is impatient and breaks the rules when it's necessary. They make quite a team. I'm going to mention that Doctor Strange and Mordo are enemies in the comic books. So, let's see what happens in future movies. There's also a romance between Strange and another doctor named Christine Palmer. Rachel McAdams plays Dr. Palmer and her part isn't very significant, but they have some sweet moments and a little bit of dysfunctionality. I guess the Cloak of Levitation counts as a character. Doctor Strange's cape seems to be a living entity that has a mind of its own. I thought it was pretty cool and amusing sometimes.

​Magic and inter-dimensional traveling plays a huge part in this film. Actually, I can tell this aspect will tie other Marvel films together. I was trying to figure out how Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy are going to play a role in the Infinity War. Also, Captain America and some of the Avengers are hiding off the grid. Doctor Strange will probably play a key role to bring these characters together. The door is wide open for sequels and other appearances, which should be exciting. It's kind of hard to explain, but this was definitely one of the more interesting Marvel films.

​Doctor Strange also has some weaknesses. This is another origin story, so certain elements weren't entirely fleshed out by the end. I'm going to spoil one thing. Doctor Strange isn't the Sorcerer Supreme at the end, which made me feel somewhat unhappy. I guess we're going to see more growth from him in other Marvel films. Also, the movie dragged along at times. Despite the action scenes, there was a lot of time spent on the plot and it felt a bit slow. I know producers and directors want superhero movies to appeal more to adults, but we need to focus more on the entertainment.

The film has a weak cast of villains. Mads Mikkelsen plays the main antagonist named Kaecilius, who's not even a major character in the comics. There's actually nothing wrong with Mikkelsen's portrayal of the character. He usually plays villains pretty well. The writing is the main problem. Kaecilius is bland and not very scary. He's actually a pawn for a malevolent entity named Dormammu. Unfortunately, Dormammu is a CGI being from another dimension and he was probably the worst part of the graphics. His appearance is brief and the final battle was anticlimactic.

​I thought the overall ending was kind of weak. Some of you might want to ignore this part if you don't want spoilers. Mordo abruptly changes his values and philosophies. The main villains were really easy to defeat. Doctor Strange still needs some more development as a sorcerer. Those elements just didn't feel right to me. Basically, Doctor Strange is a middle of the road movie with great special effects and some really good characters.

​I think people should be entertained by this film. It's very different than other superhero movies. Anyone who likes fantasy should watch it. I was disappointed by some elements, but that doesn't make it a bad movie. This post should give you plenty of details. Have a good week and I'll pick another interesting topic soon.