THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS IN THE REVIEW.
Hello readers,
I am back with a review on Marvel's Doctor Strange and honestly I am happy that I managed to watch it after almost two years of waiting (since the day Marvel Studios announced Benedict Cumberbatch was casted as the titular character).
Starring the one and only Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular character, Doctor Strange tells a story of an arrogant neurosurgeon who lost his marvellous ability on both hands after the car accident. After months of searching for a cure, Strange decided to use his remaining money left to visit Nepal where he discovered the mystic arts which would eventually changed everything he knew and also his perception.
Along with Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, he was joined by English actors, Chiwetel Eijofor, Benedict Wong and Tilda Swinton and Danish actor, Mads Mikkelson. Doctor Strange somehow boasted with a dream cast and managed to deliver great performances in their own portrayal, so believable that I felt memerised throughout the film. I may be biased about Cumberbatch because he is one of my favourite actors, however his portrayal of Doctor Strange was good and his acting never fail to impressed me, especially how here he played an arrogant American man whose life is destroyed after a car accident. The scene where Strange was on the hospital bed got me. I understood his pain when he woke up to the sight of his once remarkable hands, no longer able to do what he loved anymore.
Doctor Strange began with an opening where Kaecilius (Mikkelson) and his minions invaded the library of Kamar-Taj and killed the librarian, later searching for a manuscript page which hold the details on ritual of rising Dormammu, the darker villain who wants to take over Earth. A fight broke out between The Ancient One (Swinton) and Kaecilius where both used their powers to attack one another. It was this fighting sequence that sold me because I was amazed by the visual effects used from manipulating of buildings and roads, cracks and even teleporting from one place to another. The opening was already enough to make me stunned for a moment and hence I was already off the auction.
Doctor Strange not only catered audience with simple, short and sweet storyline, but kudos to the department handling the special visual effects. From throwing Strange from one place to another as he was shown to another whole new level of perception to the finale involving time loop, it is no wonder that the film development took years before creating a cast and started filming. Had the effects been lazily edited, Doctor Strange will not be a spectacular film by Marvel. While storyline is important, it is completely nothing without the amazing job of handling visual effects.
With the colourful kaleidoscope Inception feel visual effects, great performances by the outstanding cast and simple storyline, it is important to know Doctor Strange tells us that not everything is about ourselves. Strange spent his whole life only thinking of himself and always believed he was the best until the car accident destroyed him. With the guidance of Ancient One, he changed his perception and slowly drawed away from his egotistic and arrogant personality, later appreciating what he has and how he could actually do something good. Like a Doctor, he can still saved lives. Not as a brilliant neurosurgeon, but a brilliant socceror who can protect the world from mystical dangers.
In conclusion, though I felt the film duration of Doctor Strange was shorter compared to the rest of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, the film offered a great and stunning trip back and forth, playing and tangling our perception to see things for the way it works or seemed. With the trip back and forth in the world of illusion, reflections and time, almost mirrored off from Christopher Nolan's Inception, Doctor Strange is a must see Marvel film.
While I talked about Doctor Strange, I must tell you that I probably be preparing to watch the film for the second time to relieved the trippy adventure again.
Ratings: 8/10
P.S. There are two post-credits scenes including one which featured a familiar hero.
