Doctor Strange (2016) is a Marvel Universe movie, and is fairly light – there are themes, of course, of narcissism and patience and, oh, something else should go here, maybe something about maturity is more than chronological age, but there’s nothing new or insightful.
No, the point is the light show. A rare movie that really benefits from the 3-D treatment, Doctor Strange brings a visual touch to every scene of drama, from fighting the bad guys with flowing cities to a simple car crash. If you’re a visually oriented person who found Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) a fascinating junket, then you may find Doctor Strange another fascinating excursion – although they do not share the same artistic genre, as Doctor Strange is quite a modern piece, while Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is undeniably an art deco-influenced visual delight.
The audio is mostly good, although I missed a couple of words in the climactic battle as they were badly slurred by the entity in question; there’s a sense of humor to the piece, an absolute necessity in superhero movies, as humor is one of the main supports of the suspension bridge of disbelief, and the audience laughed several times; and the dialog is adequate, if not sparkling.
Looking for something light and entertaining? You won’t be thinking about this an hour after you leave – but you may have fun while you’re in the cinema.
