Marvel's Doctor Strange [Blu-ray] [2016]

Excellent film, excellent price

Good movie

SPOILER ALERTA visual treat, possibly the best 3D blu-ray so far, barring Mad Max Fury Road, another spectacular rip-roaring ride. Visually, its starting point is Inception with all those bendy buildings looping over on themselves, crossed with a ton of eye-popping Mandelbrot sets, and total liberties taken with the laws of physics as they should be in a work of fantasy.The spine of the story is the genesis of Doctor Strange, born out of the ashes of his old self, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon whose hands get smashed up when he crashes his Ferrari/Lamborghini/Mazerati ... look, it's a fast car, innit? How can he repair the damage and carry on working when he is the only surgeon in the world who could restore his broken hands to health?Enter Katmandu, sensibly, an unspoilt city rarely used for movie locations. But the authorities agreed on this occasion and the place is one of the stars of the film. With the help of a spiritual guide, the Ancient One, Strange is soon tapping his power, astral planing and visiting other dimensions. He finally challenges the Big Bad which wants to destroy all other dimensions including Earth. He does this with a MASSIVE nick from Doctor Who's best ever episode, Heaven Sent; beautifully done but breath-taking in its cheek.The Doctor Strange movie release was preceded by a bitter controversy surrounding the yellowface casting of one of its main characters: the Ancient One. Shaven-headed, doe-eyed Tilda Swinton is small, cold and brittle, and lends little to the role, laughably rendered part Celtic in this cinematic launch of the Marvel comic. As with Matt Damon in The Great Wall, the world is deformed even more radically than in the movie's inter-dimensional sequences in presenting white characters as saviours of East Asians. Puh-lease! All the West ever did was nick their tea industry, mass produce gargantuan quantities of opium in Bengal (also nicked) and force it on the Chinese population at the point of a gun, so all this heroic whitewashing just annoys. Hugely. Fake history. Sad. Please stop. It is baffling why the character couldn't have remained East Asian as he was in the comics.The usually irritating Benedict Cumberbatch channels Hugh Laurie in House to give his best performance yet. You wait for one Benedict and then two come along at once. In this, the only movie I can think of starring two Benedicts, Benny Wong has scored himself another ace franchise that should keep him busy for a few years. Much more satisfying than his Marco Polo series which ran out of steam early on.Can't wait for the next one.

The 14th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After a near fatal car accident, neurosurgeon Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) loses the ability to use his hands. He travels to the mysterious Kamar-Taj to meet the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) to heal himself and also learn the ways of the mystic arts.Whilst very much being a typical MCU origin story template, Doctor Strange is definitely one of the strongest and most underrated instalments in the universe. We spend enough time with Strange at the beginning to get to know what his character is like before the accident which makes his arc more engaging as the story progresses, it is very much in the same vein as Iron Man but I think Doctor Strange takes a more personal and focused approach. We see how much time progresses as Strange tries attempt after attempt to heal his hands before he himself is broken, then in Kamar-Taj we see him build himself back up again.What really makes this film standout amongst the crowd is the visual design and CGI effects, they are still jaw-dropping to this day and easily the MCU’s creative high point. There are so many memorable sequences thanks to this, the highlight being Strange’s first trip through the multi-verse which is captures the style of the comics so perfectly I can’t help but grin and just look in awe of the trippy, beautiful yet also nightmare fuel blast of colours that barrage your senses. The astral projection hospital punch up. The New York action scene that puts some of Inception to shame with it’s labyrinthine constantly rotating and spinning platforms and the finale is one of the more unique in the MCU with the rewind street fight and the instantly quotable - “Dormammu, I’ve come to bargain.” scene.From a technical perspective there is some excellent cinematography and detailed set design that captures the mystique and otherworldly nature of Kamar-Taj. The pacing can feel a bit rushed at times and but the film mostly is consistent through the 2 hour runtime. The score has its moments but unfortunately isn’t as epic or memorable as other MCU instalments.Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant as Strange, he looks page to screen perfect. He captures the arrogance and cockiness of the character and later in the film the more sympathetic and selfless sides as well. Tilda Swinton is good as the Ancient One, she gives a unflinching, calm and mysterious performance and has a great screen presence. Unfortunately Kaecilius isn’t a very memorable villain but Mads Mikkelsen gives a suitably remorseless performance and Dormammu could have also done with more of a presence and personality and yes I know it’s a nitpick but why couldn’t they use his flame head from the comics instead of a generic CGI face? Chiwitel Ejiofor, Bendedict Wong & Rachel McAdams are strong in their supporting roles, but unfortunately the latter doesn’t really get much to do in the main plot, she and Cumberbatch have good chemistry but their relationship is never really developed. Also like with a lot of the MCU, the humour is hit and miss and is slightly awkward and overused here at times.Though very much a familiar origin story formula Doctor Strange is a very entertaining and strong instalment to the MCU. Visually incredible at times with sequences that set a high bar for the sequel to live up to, well shot fight choreography and strong performances. Though the mostly forgettable antagonists and some awkward humour do let it down, this is still an excellent sci-fi, fantasy romp that really shows the multi-dimensional scale and potential for the character.