“Why fix what isn’t broken?” Marvel’s Doctor Strange brings new dimensions and characters into its Cinematic Universe with out of this world stunning visuals starring an impeccable cast and references popular artists of today.
Marvel is in its game with Doctor Strange, you may feel like it’s just another story done the Marvel formula way but how it immerses you into a whole new world is something unlike anything we’ve seen before.
After Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the early Avengers introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we now get to meet Doctor Stephen Strange, one of the best neurosurgeon in the world. After a car crash that led to him being incapable of doing his job, Stephen Strange tries everything, every possible way to heal himself and be back to his old life. A peculiar, and maybe too efficient discovery will lead him to a place where he uncovers more than what he already know about the world.
Doctor Strange is well-casted, no doubt about that, hiring not just award-winning actors but also nominated in prestigious award-giving bodies, you get top-notch acting from its stars. The story will probably feel unlike any of the recent Marvel films because while it does mention some of the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s a complete story on its own, you don’t need to watch any of the Marvel films to actually understand the film as a whole.The structure of the story though is pretty much Marvel, and there’s nothing wrong with that, because it works.
The film is visually immersive, you get to feel that this is definitely Strange in a way that you think that this is crazy, and this is something new. The film works best when it’s being otherworldly that it expands our world into something impossible, introducing its audience to a whole new world, to a whole new perspective. And fortunately, that works with the film’s fight scenes.
It’s a crazy ride, but the best thing about it is its climax. It’s unlike anything a blockbuster film or a superhero film has done before. It’s a crazy idea but it worked perfectly, although it could have had a better build up, you’re just going to get on with it and enjoy it wholeheartedly.
Doctor Strange may not be the best Marvel film out there, one that will satisfy you emotionally, but it gives what it promises, something Strange, something new. And it might give you one of the craziest and most fun ride in a film you’ll have in years.
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
“Doctor Strange” is now showing in Philippine cinemas nationwide, in 2D, 3D, 3D/4Dx, MX4D and IMAX 3D. From Marvel Philippines, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Rated PG by the MTRCB.