Wednesday, June 21, 2017

I've Finally Seen: DOCTOR STRANGE (2016)

© by Gerald So | 9:00 a.m.

I'd been meaning to watch the Benedict Cumberbatch Doctor Strange movie since it premiered last November. One thing after another put it off until it fell into my lap on Netflix streaming this month.

I like the character of Strange from the comics, and I think the movie delivers him reasonably well. That's another way of saying there were no surprises. Cumberbatch was good, Ejiofor was good, Mikkelsen was good... The movie did the job of setting Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but like many movies hoping to be franchises, it pulled its best punches for later. (Batman Begins, Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, Green Lantern...) This was Strange's training film, with Baron Mordo at his side. Maybe the sparks will really fly in Doctor Stranger.

Though it didn't affect my overall opinion of the movie, I did have a problem with Tilda Swinton cast as The Ancient One. I like Swinton's acting in general. My problem is the character was given a new backstory as a Celtic woman. I can't see the story advantage over keeping the character Asian and casting an Asian man or woman.

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