Doctor Strange

Alright everyone, tonight I have finally seen “Doctor Strange,” which was released last month. Now, I will give my review on what I thought of this film.

Just like how Robert Downey, Jr. was meant for “Iron Man” and Ryan Reynolds was meant for “Deadpool” – Benedict Cumberbatch was meant for “Doctor Strange.” Peter Travers stated in his review, “By that I mean, he’s everything.” Cumberbatch is a British actor who is doing an American accent in here and he has this huge power that was meant for this latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Travers said, “That’s no knock on the movie itself, which director Scott Derrickson – the horror guy from Deliver Us from Evil, Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose – has kicked up a notch with a visual dazzle and wit unseen around these parts since The Matrix and Inception. See it in 3-D IMAX, people, and you’re in for the hallucinatory headtrip of the year.” Casting Cumberbatch in this movie really kicks it up the notches on what’s possible in superhero magic.

“Doctor Strange,” which looks like it will have a series of sequels after this one, is an origin story. Despite that it looks like another one of those Marvel men of stuck-up jerks who are gifted the powers (like Tony Stark), Cumberbatch does it new, funny and dangerous. His Stephen Strange is a neurosurgeon with the “real” gifted hands (unlike Dr. Ben Carson) and a giant desire to go with his colossal ego. He won’t take in patients who he believes cannot have surgery done on them. Rachel McAdams plays Christine Palmer, the surgeon who loves him, even though Strange believes that a dinner date is meaning she wants to hear his medical research. Then, one night – looking at his text of an X-Ray on his phone while driving – crashes his Lamborghini Huracán, ends up with his hands continuously shaking and goes into physical therapy.

Just like in the comic book, if you read the one that was published in 1963 by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee (which I have not, so I have no clue about Doctor Strange at all), he goes to the Eastern religion of Kathmandu, where he becomes a student of the Ancient One, played by Tilda Swinton in a role that people went crazy over since the original was a Tibetan man. There have been complaints, and will continue to get them, but Swinton – shining unearthly power – is a top-notch spellbinder. Also, hats off to the amazing Chiwetel Ejiofor in his role as Mordo, one of the protégés of the Ancient One’s teachings. Just don’t say it’s a cult like Strange does, which is wrong.

Can Strange learn modesty and the inner strength to make himself better? Can he go into slow and stop time with his own hands that cannot perform surgery? You can guarantee on it. Travers credited, “Cumberbatch, Swinton, and Ejiofer are not slumming at all here, and these top-of-the-line actors giving the blockbuster a riveting, resonant send-off, whooshed along by Michael Giacchino’s propulsive score.” Include Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius, the Ancient One’s disloyal former student and Benedict Wong as Wong, the protector of the Ancient One’s books with dark teachings. “What, just one name,” Strange caustically asks. “Like Adele or Beyonce.” As a matter of fact, that’s not like them but something unique.

Travers said, “Doctor Strange is similarly unique, deviating just enough from the cookie-cutter Marvel pattern to become its own living, breathing, thrilling thing – wait until you see his Cloak of Levitation, his encounter with the Dark Dimension, and the fight scene on the streets of New York that melts into a kaleidoscope of melting images scary enough to haunt your nightmares.” Looking at the whole picture, there’s Strange, a character that Cumberbatch embodies so fascinatingly by making himself into this new high wizard. When you watch the film’s end credits and you’ll see a mid-credits scene that looks like Strange is going to be in “Thor: Ragnarok” when he (spoilers) agrees to help Thor, reprised by Chris Hemsworth, who brought Loki to Earth to find Odin. Currently though, “Doctor Strange” has made his own universe, and it looks breathtaking.

Spoiler alert: in the post-credits scene, Mordo meets Pangborn, played by Benjamin Bratt, who takes his power given him the ability to walk, saying Earth as “too many sorcerers.” This might also be leading up to the new Thor or the “Infinity Wars” movies.

In the end, if you haven’t seen this movie yet, go to the theaters and see it. I call it the magical version of “Inception,” which is mind-blowing when you think about it. This easily makes another one of my favorite comic book movies, and I would love to watch it again when I get the chance. Go see it if it’s still playing in theaters near you because I don’t think it’ll be playing that much longer. You should definitely put your money down for tickets to this movie because it’s worth it. I saw it with one of my old college friends and we both gave it thumbs up.

Stay tuned tomorrow when I look at the next installment in “Disney’s Pixar Month.”