Doctor Strange

My appreciation for the Marvel Cinematic Universe started with Iron Man and from there has been exposed to the highs (Captain America Trilogy, Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy) as well as the lows (Iron Man 2 and 3, Thor The Dark World, The Incredible Hulk) of the media building itself into another strong franchise that Disney owns. Alongside that, I have also kept up with the shows I could get into such as Marvel's Agents of Shield as well as the top notch Netflix series Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage. In that time, both the die hard and casual fans of the MCU can agree to noticing certain patterns and trends in the formula the studio has worked into its movies and, as a result, can have varying degrees of enjoying the flavors provided to us since 2008. That being said, once the trailers and announcements came in about Doctor Strange, the excited and annoyance at another entry in the series entering the theaters as well as our nerdy lives. The former can be due to both the visuals shown and the sight of Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular character while the former can be attributed to superhero fatigue and Marvel using their formula on another comic book character that could be losing its touch after being used many times since 2008. I entered the theater ecstatic for what this new world would provide and came out of the theater with both my inner MCU nerd as well as my experience very fulfilled.

Plot: The plot line of the movie follows an origin story of Doctor Strange, who finds out about an alternative way that universe operates while on a journey of self discovery after an accident changes his life. He is introduced to the Ancient One and the mystic side of the superhero realm. Fans of the MCU can kind of predict events that happen in the story but will also be surprised at what it brings to the table. Being a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the events that take place will also bring in the future conflict which will bring in our main character into action. The story involved evaluation of morals and ethics of practices that come with these powers. I would go into more detail but I don't want to risk spoiling everything else connected to it. I enjoyed watching the story unfold as the rules and limits of sorcery are explained. It does montage a little bit of Doctor Strange training but it doesn't hurt the movie that much. It has some nice doses of comedy and good amount of emotional scenes. When watching this movie, stay during the end credits for two scenes. Overall the story holds up pretty well.

Characters: One of the reasons Marvel movies hold up very well are the characters and the actors portraying them. The main key characters involved are Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), and Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelson). Benedict does a terrific job of portraying Strange with the arrogant ego but good intentions imbued in the personality. There is never a dull moment when he's on screen and drives the movie perfectly. Chiwetel is also amazing as Mordo, with the strength and complex nature working very well with Cumberbatch. There has been concern of whitewashing with Tilda being cast as The Ancient One but none of that bothered me. She is very good as the mentor and sorcerer supreme teaching her students, among them being Strange and Mordo. And as for Kaecilius, it's no secret that the MCU has a villain problem (unless they are Loki, Zemo, or those from the aforementioned shows I mentioned earlier). I found Mads working great with what was given to his character, though he could have been more developed. A couple of honorable mentions goes to Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) and Wong (Benedict Wong). Their screen time is limited but what these actors do with their characters work very well in their scenes with Strange, with different types of chemistry (if you've seen the movie and are reading this, you know what I'm talking about). Overall the casting and characters are very spot on.

Action: The action sequences ties in with the visual sequences of the movie. I won't say too much but they are very Inception-like with the rules of the mystics. The action doesn't involved any science shenanigans like all of the entries in the MCU. It's magic is unique and is worth seeing on the big screen. Adding more explanation is going spoiling more content so I will just leave it with one more thing. It must be quiet a big bite of their special effects budget to make it as magnificent as it is.

Overall Consensus: Doctor Strange adds a new flavor to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with this world of sorcery through the unique visuals and likable main characters. ⭑⭑⭑⭑

Possible reasons to watch it: You are very tired of seeing more science used in superhero movies and are open to alternative flavors in the genre. You want to see another funny Stan Lee cameo (pay close to what he's doing if you do). You want to see Benedict Cumberbatch in the MCU. You want to see the kind of events that Marvel's Agents of Shield will be linking to once it comes back after a little hiatus. You enjoy watching movies with powerful visual effects involved in its action sequences. You want to see Easter Eggs and more involved in another entry to Phase 3 of the MCU. You are a Marvel fan who hasn't been affected by superhero fatigue. You want to see the two end credit scenes teasing upcoming movies in the current phase of the MCU timeline.

Possible reasons to avoid it: You only care more about science being using in superhero movies instead of being open to alternatives in the genre. You are very tired of the superhero fatigue caused by the superhero renaissance of our current generation. You don't like Benedict Cumberbatch as an actor. You are only concerned with other studios doing superhero movies like Fox and DC.