{"id":22702,"date":"2007-08-19T02:00:19","date_gmt":"2007-08-19T06:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=22702"},"modified":"2016-10-12T02:04:52","modified_gmt":"2016-10-12T06:04:52","slug":"doctor-strange-sorcerer-supreme-2007-dvd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2007\/08\/19\/doctor-strange-sorcerer-supreme-2007-dvd\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme (2007) (DVD)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"doctor-strange2007\"<\/a>For my money, Dr. Strange is<\/span> probably<\/span> one of the most<\/span> uneven<\/span> characters<\/span> in the Marvel gallery<\/span> ever<\/span> created<\/span>, while others of his ilk<\/span> are<\/span> basically<\/span> one sided. Spider-Man was<\/span> too<\/span> whiny<\/span> for me, Iron Man was<\/span> too<\/span> weak<\/span>, and Fantastic Four was<\/span> much too<\/span> irritating<\/span> to enjoy<\/span>, but Dr. Strange is<\/span> a character<\/span> with great<\/span> potential<\/span> that had<\/span> a comic<\/span> series<\/span> that was<\/span> as<\/span> dull<\/span> as day<\/span> old<\/span> bread<\/span>. Yet, this character<\/span>‘s appearances<\/span> in other<\/span> series<\/span> were<\/span> exciting<\/span>, and his television<\/span> movie<\/span> from the seventies<\/span> was<\/span> also<\/span> decent<\/span>. I just<\/span> hope<\/span> the live<\/span> action<\/span> adaptation<\/span> gives<\/span> me a reason<\/span> to enjoy<\/span> the character<\/span> again. For now<\/span>, here<\/span>‘s another direct<\/span> to DVD Marvel movie<\/span>, \u201cDoctor<\/span> Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme,\u201d an unofficial prequel to the movie<\/span>. \u201cDoctor<\/span> Strange\u201d is<\/span> thankfully<\/span> a step<\/span> in the right<\/span> direction<\/span>, depicting<\/span> the mythos of Doctor Strange as a murky and dark world<\/span> filled<\/span> with eerie sights<\/span> and demons<\/span>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Told with a competent pacing<\/span>, this is<\/span> of course<\/span> the origin<\/span> of the title<\/span> character<\/span> who begins<\/span> as a selfish and self-rewarding brain<\/span> surgeon<\/span> who loses primary use<\/span> of his hands<\/span> after a deadly<\/span> car<\/span> crash<\/span>. Children<\/span> around the city<\/span> are<\/span> going<\/span> into comas<\/span> with brain<\/span> embolisms<\/span> and violent nightmares<\/span> that not<\/span> even<\/span> the best<\/span> surgeons<\/span> can solve<\/span>. After a failed<\/span> attempt<\/span> at suicide<\/span>, Strange is<\/span> confronted<\/span> by a man<\/span> named<\/span> Wong who offers<\/span> an answer<\/span>, and the Sorcerer Supreme is<\/span> born<\/span>. The writing<\/span> team<\/span> of course<\/span> borrows<\/span> primarily<\/span> from the typical<\/span> hero<\/span> origin<\/span> and mostly<\/span> make<\/span> Dr. Strange a Luke Skywalker entity who bears great power<\/span>, but has<\/span> issues<\/span> and doubts<\/span> to overcome<\/span>, while the true<\/span> Ancient One guides<\/span> him and feeds<\/span> his confidence<\/span> a la<\/span> Yoda sans the backward speech<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Not<\/span> to mention<\/span> there<\/span> is<\/span> Strange’s confrontation<\/span> with the dark<\/span> lord<\/span>, and his apprentice<\/span> that heavily<\/span> paralleled<\/span> “Return<\/span> of the Jedi.” That’s forgiven though since the film<\/span> has<\/span> a very<\/span> lively energy<\/span> that never<\/span> drags<\/span> it down into a murky<\/span> melodrama. Strange is<\/span> very<\/span> well<\/span> characterized<\/span> as his despicable<\/span> selfishness and cruelty<\/span> are<\/span> focused<\/span> on a more bigger<\/span> issue<\/span> involving<\/span> his sister<\/span>. Wong is<\/span> no longer<\/span> a simple<\/span> servant<\/span> who serves<\/span> at Strange’s beckon call<\/span>, but a key<\/span> mentor in the formation<\/span> of Strange, the sorcerer<\/span>. Dormammu (heavily<\/span> resembling the Balrog in “Lord<\/span> of the Rings,” FYI) is<\/span> also<\/span> a truly<\/span> hideous<\/span> and threatening<\/span> presence<\/span> who lurks in the darkness<\/span>. He sends<\/span> along his minions and slowly<\/span> murders<\/span> the army<\/span> of the Ancient One in battles<\/span> with large<\/span> monsters<\/span>.<\/p>\n

All the while<\/span> Mordo watches<\/span> in the wings<\/span> and becomes<\/span> a pariah<\/span>. Every character<\/span> here<\/span> is<\/span> done<\/span> some form<\/span> of justice<\/span>, with the broadly<\/span> written<\/span> archetypes<\/span> and stereotypes no longer<\/span> present<\/span>, and \u201cDoctor<\/span> Strange\u201d surely<\/span> takes<\/span> a step<\/span> forward in a hopefully good<\/span> film<\/span>. Bryce Johnson is<\/span> strong<\/span> as Doctor Strange, while Paul Nakauchi is<\/span> a perfect<\/span> compliment as Wong. Recurring<\/span> voice<\/span> actor<\/span> Kevin Michael Richardson is<\/span> great<\/span> as usual<\/span> as Mordo, while Jonathan Adams is<\/span> creepy<\/span> as Dormammu. The animation<\/span> is<\/span> much improved<\/span> this time<\/span> around, with more defined<\/span> character<\/span> designs<\/span> that tower over the rigid<\/span> \u201cUltimate Avengers,\u201d and bland \u201cInvincible<\/span> Iron Man.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fantasy-horror elements<\/span> are<\/span> well<\/span> conceived<\/span> even<\/span> if the inevitable twist<\/span> involving<\/span> Mordo is<\/span> obvious from the get go<\/span>. However<\/span>, the delivery<\/span> of Mordo’s betrayal is<\/span> rather<\/span> fantastic<\/span>, and the showdown<\/span> between Strange and Dormammu’s new<\/span> apprentice<\/span> topples anything Marvel has<\/span> come<\/span> up with in the past<\/span> years<\/span>. \u201cDoctor<\/span> Strange\u201d has<\/span> the ability<\/span> to be<\/span> a fantastic<\/span> fantasy<\/span> trilogy, and this should serve<\/span> as a template<\/span> for the live<\/span> action<\/span> films<\/span>. This is<\/span> probably<\/span> the best<\/span> of the Marvel direct<\/span> to DVD offerings<\/span>, and that’s because the writers<\/span> have<\/span> a clear<\/span> understanding<\/span> of what makes<\/span> Doctor Strange so<\/span> entertaining<\/span>. They pair<\/span> his world<\/span> with a healthy<\/span> dose<\/span> of horror<\/span> and gothic<\/span> fantasy<\/span>. With great<\/span> voice<\/span> acting<\/span>, and a competent story<\/span>, this is<\/span> a step<\/span> in the right<\/span> direction<\/span> for the Strange mythos, in the end<\/span>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For my money, Dr. Strange is probably one of the most uneven characters in the Marvel gallery ever created, while others of his ilk are basically one sided. Spider-Man was too whiny for me, Iron Man was too weak, and Fantastic Four was much too irritating to enjoy, but Dr. Strange is a character with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,12],"tags":[58,64,71,99,249,275,276,340,349,477,580,622,633,1008],"class_list":["post-22702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-collectors-den","category-movie-reviews","tag-action","tag-adaptation","tag-adventure","tag-animation","tag-d","tag-demonic","tag-demons","tag-family","tag-fantasy","tag-horror","tag-kids","tag-magic","tag-marvel","tag-supernatural"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22702"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22702\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22704,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22702\/revisions\/22704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}