Search the Cinema Head Cheese Archives!

November 8, 2016

Movie Review: Doctor Strange (Marvel, 2016)

Of all of the characters in the MCU, Dr. Strange is possibly the one I knew the least about going in. I knew that he was a doctor that screwed up his hands and became a magician. that's about it. In general, I wasn't wrong. Truly, though, there was much more to it.

Stephen Strange is a brilliant surgeon. He has an amazing track record, but mostly because he filters out any possible failures. He's successful, self-centered, arrogant as hell and just a big giant asshole to everyone around him. He's not really likeable in the least. Upon taking a phone call in the rain while speeding through a twisting highway, Strange goes off the road and down a mountainside. In the process, he destroys his hands. After multiple surgeries to repair the damage, Strange has tremors that he can't steady, rendering him useless as a surgeon. After months of desperately looking for a medical way to heal, he turns to other methods.


Strange finds a man who was once badly injured and unable to walk. Through training from someone called The Ancient One, the man healed himself. Strange is hopeful about the possibilities and travels to Nepal to find The Ancient One and her sanctuary. He does, and as expected, he almost talks his way out of getting help. Once he is allowed to train, he is a quick study, and he soon becomes the best hope to save the world.

Dr. Strange is an interesting character. He seems to annoy almost everyone in his wake. He does, however, usually know what he's doing. Like any origin story, the movie does have its slow points. That being said, the action plays like a classic martial arts movie set in a psychedelic world. This definitely a movie made for 3D. Though I don't generally like it, I think this was well done, and I only wish that I could have seen it in IMAX. Strange isn't my favorite of the Marvel movies, but I'd still happily re-watch it. It's fun once things get going, and I'm looking forward to a sequel now that he's established. The end credit Easter eggs also set up some great promise for appearances in other movies. I guess we'll see when we get there.

Overall, I recommend Doctor Strange. We're going to see much more from these characters in the future, and I can't wait.

No comments:

Post a Comment