Get ready for the most mind-bending Marvel movie of them all.
Once an entertainment genre that was very much underrated, movies based on comic book characters have in recent years become home to one of the most popular movie genres to date. From rocket-wielding raccoons to arrogant billionaires in military-grade tin cans, Marvel has been doing their original source material justice over the last few years with blockbuster productions of classic Marvel characters. In the last few years, some of the more obscure characters have made their way onto the big screen, such as “Ant-Man” and “Guardians of The Galaxy”, and the newest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a lot stranger than those before it, and is unlike anything the world’s seen before. On November 4, the world fell in love with one of my favorite comic book characters of all time: Dr. Strange.
As the opening Marvel Logo rolls in, the movie wastes no time as you jump right into the action with a battle between a being known as the Ancient One (Played by Tilda Swinton) against a man named Kaecilius (Played by Mads Mikkelsen), a former student of the Ancient One, with his disciples aiding him. This fight immediately demonstrates one of this film’s biggest strengths: the special effects. Beautiful and also very crisp, the visuals in this movie are fresh, fast, and exciting to watch whenever its presence is made on screen, delivering fantastic material to keep the audience invested.
Following the opening battle, we are introduced to the main protagonist of our story Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange (performed flawlessly by Benedict Cumberbatch), a brilliant yet arrogant surgeon not to be confused with DC’s Hugo Strange. I believe the best way to describe Dr. Strange is if Tony Stark went to medical school. I really enjoy this opening scene, as it not only introduces the main character, but also shows the audience some very important images that play a huge role in the remainder of the production, the biggest one being Strange’s hands as the camera is zoomed in on them while he washes his hands and Strange holding them in front of the mirror as he preps for a surgery.
While on the topic of characters, another one of the big strengths in this film is the casting. For the most part, all of the actors in this film portray their respected characters with outstanding success, especially Benedict Cumberbatch, one of the most talented actors out there in my opinion. This spectacular production is an outstanding addition to his remarkable resume of success. He seems to be the only guy who could pull off the outfit and nail the character. And then there are those, like Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, whose roles feel like they could have gone to anyone. And also, in the comics, the Ancient One was an ancient Chinese man, never once was it Jadis the White Witch. But I digress.
Strange is driving a few moments later in his lambo on his way to a party when a colleague contacts him on the road and gives him different patients that he could perform on. While doing so, he looks away from the road for a split second when his entire world is forever changed after an accident takes away the one thing that no doctor can live without. Over the course of the rest of the film, his faith and beliefs are constantly questioned as in search of a way to fix what has been destroyed he is given an answer unlike anything that he could ever imagine.
This movie, my goodness, is unbelievable and absolutely stunning. Marvel does it again with one of their best, and one of my personal favorite, Marvel movies to date. I’m telling you, they are getting really, really good at taking their source material from the comics and applying it onto the big screen, with a fantastic production crew, director and writers. The action is very well paced within the story, nothing feels rushed and is all given time to develop and settle within this film. It knows how to make a scene comedic, and at the same time understands the quieter scenes that are heartfelt and tug at the audience’s emotional strings, and does it very well. There is a great balance of events in play here, and is never overwhelming. Now, there are some moments that happen very quickly on screen, and might be difficult for some to keep up, but never for prolonged periods of time. This marvelous Marvel production is really extraordinary. The dialogue is fresh and feels natural, the cast is strong and represent their characters successfully, and this film does a great job of delivering an immersive environment, as the watcher feels like they’re not only in Strange’s shoes throughout the entire adventure, but also are experiencing everything that happens to him alongside him. In other words, you really feel his pain throughout the movie and build a very strong connection with him. Marvel’s Doctor Strange is amazing, and if there’s ever a free moment in your schedule, make this film a priority.