Movie Title: Doctor Strange
Grade: A
Rating: PG-13, 130 minutes
In a Nutshell: Cheers to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for
introducing another interesting superhero to the Big Screen. I had never read the comic books, so I was curious to learn what Doctor Strange was all about. I'm now a fan.
This fun origin movie plays with
the space/time continuum and other dimensions that will blow your mind and
entertain you long enough to help you forget this election season that has just as many punches and blows.
Uplifting theme:
- Physical
body vs. spirit.
- “Who
are you in this vast multiverse?” – The Ancient One
- “It’s
not about you.” – The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton)
- “Death
is what gives life meaning, to know your days are numbered…your time is
short.” – The Ancient One
- Giving
up the things of this small-minded, self-centered world for a better one.
Things I liked:
- Benedict
Cumberbatch. Boom. I love that his character is passionate about learning and improving himself. Cumberbatch offers the perfect mixture of arrogance, intelligence, physicality, and humor.
- I love
that Stan Lee is in every Marvel movie.
If you blink, you’ll miss him in this one. He’s sitting in a bus reading a comic
book and says, “That is hilarious!”
ha ha
- If you
really want to get the most out of this movie, you need to see it in 3D.
- Fun
visual gags and a good amount of cheeky humor show that Marvel has learned to poke fun at itself.
- Cool,
glowing weapons made out of fiery energy fibers. Awesome.
- Impressive slow-mo car accident.
- I
broke my fingers and knuckles several years ago and could relate to Doctor
Strange’s pains in his hands.
Sometimes I still feel it.
- They
did a great job on scars and wounds on people’s bodies. Everything looked realistic, not like
movie make-up.
- I
loved the Marvel label intro with all of the characters at the very beginning of the movie. This is already one of the Marvel movies I'm going to need to see again.
- As an
author, I thought the bookshelf
where they stored the special books was really interesting.
- “Feel
so Good” by Chuck Mangioni in 1977.
I used to love that song.
There is other good music in the movie too.
- Interesting
fight sequences like you’ve never seen before. Think Avengers meets a Salvador Dali
painting with elements of the movie "Inception" and "The Matrix."
- Tilda
Swinton looks amazing and is perfect as The Ancient One. Using a woman to play this role, which
is a departure from the source material, was controversial, but she is
fantastic.
- The
Cape of Levitation is its own character that seems self-aware. Excellent.
- You HAVE to keep watching after the final credits roll.
- I love Rachel McAdams in everything she does.
- There are some extremely picturesque set pieces and real life locations.
- Fantastic movie poster and trailers.
Things I didn’t like:
- Sometimes
the CGI looks like a video game.
- There
is a lot of grumbling, so you can’t always understand what everyone says.
- I’ve never taken drugs, but this trippy film kind of makes me feel like I have.
- I wish the training sequences had lasted longer.
- Most of the humor works, some not so much.
Funny lines:
- “People
used to think I was funny.” – Doctor Strange
“Did they work for you?” – Wong
- “Have
you seen that before in a gift shop?” –The Ancient One
- “Just
how experimental is your treatment?” – Doctor Strange
“Quite.” – The Ancient One
- “Doctor.”
– Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen)
“It’s Strange.” – Doctor Strange
“Maybe. Who am I to judge?” – Kaecilius
- “What’s this?” – Doctor Strange
“The WiFi password. We’re not savages.” – Baron Mordo
Interesting lines:
- “You want to know what I see in your
future? Possibility.” – The Ancient
One (Tilda Swinton)
- “Why
are you doing this?” – Stephen Vincent Strange
“There are other ways to save
lives... so much you don’t know.” – The Ancient One
“Teach me!” – Stephen
- “Stephen
Strange. Might I offer you some
advice? Forget everything that you
think you know.” – Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor)
- “You’re
a man looking at the world through a keyhole. You’ve spent your life trying to widen
it. Your work saved the lives of
thousands. What if I told you that
reality is one of many?” – The Ancient One
- “This
doesn’t make sense.” – Doctor Strange
“Not everything does. Not everything has to.” The Ancient One
- “There’s
a strength to him, but is he ready?” – Baron Mordo
- “We never defeat our demons, Mordo. We only learn to live above them.” – The Ancient One
- “What
is real? What lies beneath your
senses?” – The Ancient One
- “Some
things just can’t be fixed.” – The Ancient One
- “The
cost there is high.” – Kaecilius
“How much?” – Doctor Strange
“I’m not talking about money.” –
Kaecilius
- “Time is what enslaves us.” – Kaecilius
Tips for
parents:
- Violence,
fighting, some scary images.
- Ask your kids if they can explain the significance and symbolism of Doctor Strange's wristwatch.
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