But we freely admit, we had a fine old time with "Doctor Strange", even if we only mildly understood what the hell was going on it at any one time. Not a boring moment in it.....and the nutso eye-candy stuff took us back to the days of sitting up close to the wrap-around screen at '2001' showings......yes, we still remember the 60's.....
For anyone (including the BQ) who develops a blinding migraine at the thought of the interlocking rivalries, powers and opponents of movie superheroes, here's a fundamental breakdown, at least of this particular movie....
Our Hero: Brilliant, arrogant surgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch). Preening, egotistical jerk in love with his own life-saving prowess.....and begging for a takedown. (Movies love to pull the rug out from snotty medicos like this. Very similar to William Hurt's character in "The Doctor", a self satisfied prick who gets humbled by throat cancer)
His huge effin' problem: Nerve-damaged hands from a car accident. Solution......a standard comic book remedy.....travel to The Mysterious East (which is probably the destination stamped on his boarding pass).......and absorb the mystical, magical teachings of a Mysterious Eastern mentor, The Ancient One ( a title, until she passed, previously held by Zsa Zsa Gabor)
The Ancient One....also known as The Sorcerer Supreme (which sounds like a chocolate dessert we ordered at Applebee's)....played by Tilda Swinton, looking like a slightly older version of the kid Eddie Murphy had to protect in "The Golden Child". And by the way, shut up, you politically correct whiners about Tilda not being Asian......it's a frickin' comic book movie,kids, and besides, Tilda's perfect for the role.......having landed years ago from Planet Tilda in a far off galaxy where everyone's blindingly blonde......
Magic Stuff Our ears glazed over during the expository dialogue explaining why Tilda and her acolytes can make all manner of bright yellow animated shapes, like birthday clowns fashioning really cool balloon animals. Who cares when it's this much fun to watch......Tilda, Benedict and the gang can make swords, shields, lightning bolts, doorways into multiple locations......and also employ their CGI for the workaday task of all superheroes...mainly hurling supervillains into walls or breakables......
Bad Guys (Boo!) Led by a snarky, raccoon-eyed ex-student of Tilda's (Mads Mikkelsen) who's cut a deal with a world-gobbling deity name Dorammu in return for immortality. He's wields all the magic swirly stuff too, but when it comes right down to it, he needs a good, old fashioned Marvel-ized hurling into a wall or pieces of breakable furniture, preferably with a lots of glass........
Bend 'Em, Fold 'Em Cities Far and away the movie's best feature. All these folks may have studied ancient magic, but what really floats their boats is the artwork of M.C. Escher. While everyone runs after each other, streets and buildings regularly change shape and direction, as if the whole city was inside a pop-up book being manipulated by an ADD afflicted toddler. We had the same experience once, trying to find an off-broadway theater without a map.......
Favorite Moment Doc Strange floats out to the nether-nether galactic world and pisses off that all-about-the-Bass entity Dorammu by trapping them both in an endless 'Groundhog Day' loop moment. The evil God doesn't want to end up repeating himself over and over, like a perpetual Sean Spicer press conference, or Adam Sandler's career.....and neither do we.
2nd Fave Moment We love that the writers went there.....throwing in an exchange where Cumberbatch testily yells "It's Strange!" when Mikkelsen can 't get his name right. Mikkelsen, of course, thinks Benedict's just commenting on the general proceedings. Call us corny, but that 'name' gag has made us laugh ever since "Who's On First?".....
So there's our quick handy guide to the good Doc's first adventure......and a thoroughly good time was had by us. We mystically swirl up 4 magical stars (****)......and circle this one high up on our Marvel Madness bracket chart.....and watch out for calorie count on that Sorcerer Supreme dessert.......
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