by RILEY GOLDEN//Entertainment Editor
A neurosurgeon who breaks his hands is drawn into learning the secrets of the mystic arts.
Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” movie sees the egotistical Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) go on a mystical and psychadelic journey after he has a tragic car accident while speeding in his Lamborghini. His hands are left severely damaged, and he is no longer able to perform surgery.
While going through physical therapy, Strange hears of a man who was once paralyzed but could somehow walk now. Strange finds the man, who tells him that he went to a place called Kamar-Taj in Nepal.
Dr. Strange goes to Kamar-Taj and is approached by a man named Mordo (Chiwetelu Ejiofor), who takes him to the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). When Strange meets the Ancient One, she tells him that the paralyzed man uses the mystic arts to walk. Strange doesn’t believe her—so she shows him. He astro-projects and catches just a glimpse of mystic knowledge before the Ancient One refuses to teach him because of his attitude.
After Strange begged for hours outside of Kamar-Taj, Mordo convinced her to let Strange in and teach him.
At first, Strange has a hard time controlling the mystical arts. But once he catches on, it just snowballs and he becomes very knowledgeable about the mystic arts in a very short time.
After an attack on Kamar-Taj, Strange learns of Kaecilius (Madds Mickelsen), a rogue student who intends to join Dormammu, Master of the Dark.
During this attack is when he gets his cape, which is an artifact that chose him, and kind of has a mind of its own that circles around protecting Strange. Strange also aquires an amulet that gives him the ability to control time.
Many of the fight scenes in the movie take place in the Mirror Dimension. It is a dimension that mirrors the real world, but what happens there does not affect the real world. All the scenes in the Mirror Dimension are literally jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring.
Seated on the front row of the movie theater, I felt thrust into these worlds of kaleidoscopic mayhem that were beautiful and miraculous. The visuals in “Doctor Strange” are nearly indescribable. At times, New York and London are kaleidoscopic battlefields that make it seriously hard to keep one’s mouth closed.
Toward the end, when Strange and Dormammu come face to face, Strange defeats him with cleverness and mysticism, because there’s no way he could have actually fought and won against Dormammu. He was a massive, multi-dimensional being that was surrounded by a massive purple lightning cloud.
After the Ancient One first shows Strange the other dimensions, he exclaims, “What’s in that tea!? LSD, psilocybin!?” I’m quite certain many in the audience were wondering the same thing about their drink.
I give Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” 5 out of 5 stars.
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