I've recently seen Doctor Strange, the latest entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the final Marvel film of this year before Thor: Ragnarok, which starts in 2017. I will say that Doctor Strange is the most psychedelic infusing movie I've ever seen. I've never really had a psychedelic experience, before, but it's the best I can describe it.
I mean, the visuals in the movie are very stunning and mesmerizing, perhaps far more than what we seen with James Cameron's "Avatar" movie, and done so on a much smaller budget. It actually makes Leonardo diCaprio's "Inception" movie pale in comparison. And surprisingly, the constant change of scenery and camera angles doesn't make me feel nauseated like the way the Wachowski Brothers did with the live-action "Speed Racer" movie. Had the Wachowskis do the same technique Marvel does back then, Speed Racer would've been a very enjoyable movie.
Plot-wise, it is an origin story for Doctor Strange, so very little is there to be said with Stephen Strange's transition from a neurosurgeon to the Sorceror Supreme. Though the part where Strange gets into a car accident should've been written better, but I guess it was there to remind viewers the dangers of Distracted Driving. Remember, kids. If you're driving, EYES-ON-THE-ROAD!
One thing I enjoyed about the plot is explaining the world of Doctor Strange, introducing the various artifacts, places, items, and some history of those involved in the MYstic Arts. Another is how cleverly the writing is made to make Doctor Strange a stand-alone movie, but also is tied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Another is how Dormammu is written to be incredibly powerful that you'd almost think he's The One Above All, the ultimate God of the Marvel Multiverse, perhaps going even beyond The One Above All, yet there is a clever way to defeat Dormammu. I'll move on before this becomes a "Strange vs [insert omnipotent character here]" video.
While I liked that the film addresses the idea of a Marvel Multiverse, it failed to address the existence of other Marvel properties like Agents of SHIELD and the Defenders. Had this film address that SHIELD and the Defenders are from an alternate universe, it saves the problem of company's "It's All Connected" slogan and issues between Marvel's Film and TV divisions.
The problem with Marvel TV's ties to the films is that it's only one way. The events of the films have an effect on the TV shows, but never the other way around. So it becomes awkward when the events of Civil War affect Agents of SHIELD, but in SHIELD, the Inhumans are now public knowledge, but as far as the films are concerned, they don't exist. The same can be said of the Star Wars franchise as the films have yet to address the events of Clone Wars, Rebels, and others. So I find it a shame Marvel missed an opportunity to fix the disconnect between the two divisions. The films have another chance to do so with Infinity War, and I do hope they do address the existence of SHIELD and the Defenders, even if they come from another universe.
Both critics and fans didn't like Marvel's approach to villains in which not only were they not memorable, but often opposites of the heroes themsevles, rather than something unique. Iron Man had Iron Monger; Hulk had Abomination; Ant-Man & Yellowjacket; The streak continues with Strange and Kaecilius. To be fair, very few characters in the Marvel line could actually take on Strange and his Mystic Arts, so having Kaecilius as a villain is understandable. Somewhere down the road, probably in Phase 4 or beyond, we'd eventually see Mordo take up the villain role as well.
It took me awhile to get used to Benedict Cumberbatch's American accent, as I'm so used to hearing his native English from Sherlock and other works. Ultimately, he nailed the character right, both in persona and his look. Thankfully, he didn't have to chant any spells like in the animated film "Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell".
With regards to Tilda Swilton as The Ancient One, I understood that there really wasn't an easy way to cast the character and I would side with Director Scott Derrickson's decision to cast her, as it brings the least amount of controversy. In any case, I was ok with the casting decision. Though I could not help but imagine that everytime The Ancient One calls out Stephen's name, it made me think she is Garnet calling out to Steven Universe and I'm watching a live-action version of a Cartoon Network show made by Disney.
I always show appreciation for any work that is absolutely amazing and entertaining while being done on a small budget. We've seen this with the Deadpool film and also on Little Witch Academia. Granted, Doctor Strange is expensive to make at around $160 million, it nevertheless looks more stunning than Cameron's $500 million film. Cumberbatch did the character of Doctor Strange justice and I enjoy the bits and pieces of Strange's world.
There is however, one thing that totally bugs me. Strange makes it clear that magic is real. But in the case of Thor and Asgard, they claim to be an alien race with very advanced technology. What I mean is I really wish the Asgardians are indeed actual gods with magic powers as they would compliment Strange and the Mystic Arts. It just feels, no pun intended, 'strange' that Thor's powers are mainly due to advanced tech than anything else. Hopefully we will know more of it in the next set of films to come.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give Marvel's Doctor Strange a 4 out of 5.
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