MovieRob Milestone Marathon – Countdown to 6K (#14 of 23) – Doctor Strange (2016) – Encore Review

“[to Dr Strange] 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

Number of Times Seen – 3 (25 Jan 2017, 2 May 2018 and 9 Dec 2019)

Link to original review – Here

Brief Synopsis – Following an accident, a neurosurgeon seeking a way to fix his injuries comes across a guru who can teach him the mystic arts.

My Take on it – This is one iof my favorite films in the MCU even if it isn’t the very best.

The story is such a great addition to the MCU and allows us to get a look at how mysticism and magic can be worked into the reality of this franchise in such a smooth way.

This film takes all that we already know about the Series and adds this new element which serves as a way to enhance things to a point where the knowledge of what we know about the MCU is completely changed.

Benedict Cumberbatch is superbly cast in the title role and plays his character with such confidence, arrogance and suave as he can.

The character’s arc is done really well and we get to see how he evolves over the course of the story.

This is a movie that adds so many new possibilities to the future of the MCU and they finally allow us to see how powerful the Infinity Stones are when used carefully and lightly.

The world of mysticism is a complex one yet this film finds a way to explain things in a simplistic manner that helps make things so much more interesting and enjoyable along the way.

Love the fact that this film is both a stand alone film yet it also ties quite heavily into the MCU as a whole which helps make things so much more enjoyable to watch unfold.

Bottom Line – Excellent addition to the MCU. This film takes all that we know about the franchise and adds a new element to things which enhances our knowledge of the MCU universe. Cumberbatch is superb in the lead role and plays his character so splendidly. The character has such a great arc and it’s great watching things change as the story progresses. The film opens up so many more possibilities for the future of the franchise and we finally get to see how one can use one of the Infinity Stones for good even if it must be done carefully and lightly. The world of mysticism is quite complex, but they find a way to keep it interesting and down to earth at the same time in order to let us get a better understanding of things. The film works as both a stand alone story and as part of the MCU on a whole and that helps it become so enjoyable to watch unfold. Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Benedict Cumberbatch was the first choice and was offered the lead role of Stephen Strange, but he initially had to decline due to his theater commitments playing Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which clashed with the film’s proposed shooting date. When the release date was pushed back from July 2016 to November 2016, he was able to commit to shooting. Joaquin Phoenix was the studio’s second choice for the lead role but, after a few months of deliberation, eventually turned down the offer due to his reluctance to do a multi-picture deal that was required by the studio if he signed on. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (9/10) (no change from original review)