Dr. Strange

Dr. Strange

The recent crop of super hero movies has been disappointing, especially for DC. This sentient is well founded but you will be sorely remised if you skip Dr. Strange. If not the best 2016 super hero film it is right up there. The script is well written and all plot twists are comprehensible. The end does get a bit weird, a small deficit compared to the whole.

Benedict Cumberbatch is wonderful as Dr. Strange. He plays it straight showing vulnerability undermining supreme confidence. He is a renowned neurosurgeon who finds himself in the Himalayas seeking guidance (God forbid I say why). Tilda Swinton “The Ancient One “is his sensei of dark arts. Her que bald head lends credibility to the mysticism she projects. Her solemnity and tranquil confidence underlie formidable superpowers and dark secrets. As with all “grasshoppers” (Google Kung Fu 1970’s TV show) Strange gets the crap beat out of him until he masters the mysterious arts.

The villain is Mads Mikkelsen (The guy with the bleeding eye in Casino Royal). Mads is currently the go to villain, it must be that warm Nordic blood. His face glows with vengeance through sinister eyes. He is a master of the black arts and Dr. Strange’s foe. The battle scenes are epic and fit the fantastic realm of the story.

Racheal McAdams is Dr. Strange’s girlfriend in the physical world. She to is a surgeon working in the same hospital. She is always a delight to see but her role here is minimal. She is in some important scenes and her repartee with Strange provides some levity. Another character is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor who is an ally of Strange and a fellow master. There are many other characters and they all work well together making for a smoothly cohesive film. The director’s vision comes through.

The big star of the movie is the special effects, they are fantastic. The film liberally took concepts from Chris Nolan’s “Inception” with the folding cities. The scenes here are more complex and extreme; Escher would have been very impressed. There were many fight scenes and none boring. I think the special effects will be at least Oscar nominated. As proof of how good the film was I did not fall asleep, at least I think I did not.

If you think I am over selling this film, I am not. Given the elections we need a little magic to make someone go” POOF!!!”.