DR STRANGE; a magical mystery tour across the universe, and ‘Another MCU triumph’

Hello fellow geeks.  Oh how I have missed WordPress and ramble to my heart’s content. I cannot believe I have been in hiatus for so long on the blogosphere, and I’m back with a bang!!!

This week, Marvel’s Doctor Strange became the latest superhero to officially join the MCU, with Benedict Cumberbatch effortlessly rocking the character’s two most famous accessories, the Cloak of Levitation and the Eye of Agamotto. A ’60s cult figure stuck on the periphery of the Marvel Comics universe for 50 years finally spins into orbit to command the world’s attention. An engaging, smartly cast and sporadically eye-popping addition to the studio’s bulging portfolio.

“Doctor Strange” tells the story of Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch), an acclaimed neurosurgeon who uncovers the hidden world of magic with a powerful mystic (Tilda Swinton) and alternate dimensions after his hands are destroyed in an accident.

The film will show audiences and culturedemandsgeeks geeks corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe never before explored, thanks to director Scott Derrickson.

Determined, among other things, to beat Christopher Nolan (and i am talking about Inception, here) at his own game when it comes to folding, bending and upending famous cityscapes to stupendous effect.

You’d normally expect to find the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton and Chiwetel Ejiofor topping the cast of some thematically, respectable British drama set. But here these terrific actors are playing comic book characters in a film the majority of whose audience members may never have seen or heard before.

The defining attribute of Dr. Stephen Strange is arrogance, a sense of himself as the greatest neurosurgeon in New York, if not the world. He’s a supreme egotist suddenly brought low when he drives his ferocious sports car off a twisty road and sustains such terrible nerve damage in his hands that he can no longer write or shave, much less handle delicate operations and make a nice cup of tea.

Encouraged to enhance his mind (better yet, his attitude) rather than obsess about imprecise fingers, he graces elements of the hippie ethos when he travels to Kathmandu. (Forget everything you think you know), advises a mysterious man named Mordo (Ejiofor), as he welcomes Strange into a lovely lodge.

But the real custodian of wisdom here is the simply named Ancient One, played with delightful light wit rather than dreary all-knowingness by a shaven-headed Swinton. Looking like some kind of exquisite alien rather than a leftover Hare Krishna, she, too, has trippy phrases at her disposal, addressing the newcomer’s concerns by saying, “I know how to reorient the spirit to better heal the body,” and asking mysticism’s core question, “What is real?” cool questions, huh?

Politically correct casting alarmists may stamp their feet about a white woman being cast as the supreme custodian of knowledge at a Himalayan resort, (which is, in fact, a thoroughly interracial establishment).

Despite his impatience and skepticism, Strange acquires sorcery skills at such a rapid pace that he’s soon capable of manipulating space and time. This sends the film deep into the Marvel holy land of invented nomenclature, and here the most relevant presences are the Astral, Mirror and Dark dimensions.

Non-specialists would not want to bet their lives on being able to identify which dimension the film occupies at any specific moment, but from a visual point of view the upshot is that Doctor Strange enters a dazzling zone in which whole slabs of the New York cityscape fold down, (Nolan terriotory again). At the same time, characters are able to pass through these zones, as well as to reverse gears, and to go forward or backward in time.

Provoking all this time-and-space jumping about is the theft by a certain Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) of some key pages from The Ancient One’s most holy text relating to entry into the Dark Dimension, something we’re to take on good authority is not advisable.

The battle over the missing scribblings brings to a climax Marvel’s latest origins story. Two brief end credits teasers give a taste of things to come, the first involving one of the key figures from The Avengers and the second suggesting hitherto hidden motives on the part of one of the characters who’s just been introduced here.

Employing an American accent, (not bad) Cumberbatch emphatically stresses the title character’s arrogance, impatience and sense of superiority, which makes him a piece of work for The Ancient One and anyone else who tries to guide him. His brash genius pairs him as something of a blood brother to Tony Stark in the Marvel stable. Apart from Swinton, the other fine actors here can’t do much more than lend their able-bodied presences to the proceedings, but these agreeably include Mikkelsen, who can now boast of playing villains in both the Marvel and James Bond worlds.

Ejiofor, who will no doubt show his character’s hand more amply down the line; and Benedict Wong as another key member of The Ancient’s One inner circle.

SPOILERS DOWN BELOW!!!

Stan Lee cameo. He’s 93, you know…

Fans of the traditional Stan Lee cameo can relax – not only does he appear as usual in Doctor Strange, but he’s also filmed scenes for the next four Marvel movies. Lee’s cameo in Doctor Strange is up there with his best appearances – he’s seen on a bus, laughing out loud while reading Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception (about taking the psychoactive drug mescaline), oblivious to the destruction happening in the Mirror Dimension outside the bus window.

Did you spot the Infinity Stone

Towards the end of the movie, Wong casually lets slip that the Eye of Agamotto (the powerful, green glowing amulet that Strange wears around his neck for the second half of the film) is one of the Infinity Stones, which means that purple space baddie Thanos will be coming after it at some point during Avengers: Infinity War.

And finally, the first of two post-credits scenes (this one directed by Taila Waititi), Doctor Strange is seen having a meeting with Thor (Chris Hemsworth), during which a) Thor downs a couple of magicked-up pints of ale, and b) Strange mentions that Thor’s brother, Loki, represents a serious threat. As a result of their sit-down, Strange agrees to assist the Avenger in his search for his father, Odin. Will we see Doctor Strange in Thor: Ragnarok? (It hasn’t yet been officially confirmed, but I’m guessing we will do).

There are more spoilers, folks, but you’ll have to find them yourselves. Good hunting!

Thanks Marvel Studios for this outstanding pitch into your MCU realm. It’s engrossing, fun and with a timely wit thrown behind the camera by Director Scott Derrickson, the film delivers a mighty, intelligent punch. You’ll be wanting to see more from Dr Strange and his buddies (I know I will).

Showing now, the film stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins Director: Scott Derrickson

As is par for the course with any comic book-related property, the film is packed with a number of fan-pleasing details and references that reward close attention.

A Stan Lee cameo; He’s 93, you know…

Fans of the traditional Stan Lee cameo can relax – not only does he appear as usual in Doctor Strange, but he’s also filmed scenes for the next four Marvel movies. Lee’s cameo in Doctor Strange is up there with his best appearances – he’s seen on a bus, laughing out loud while reading Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception (about taking the psychoactive drug mescaline), oblivious to the destruction happening in the Mirror Dimension outside the bus window.