10 Reasons Why You Should Definitely Watch The Doctor Strange Movie

When CB Cebulski of Marvel Comics brought some exclusive Marvel showcases in Manila through their so-called “Hall M” in the recently concluded AsiaPop Comicon, I knew that they will unveil something special about Doctor Strange. Unfortunately on my end, I wasn’t able to claim my tag on time and I failed to be part of their lucky 1,000 attendees who were all given a chance to witness those never before seen Marvel clips and trailers. Whatever these people saw from that event remains a mystery since they are not entitled to spoil anything.
Anyway, I may not able to witness that rare event but I was lucky and grateful enough to be part of a special movie screening of Doctor Strange yesterday at IMAX Theater in SM Mall of Asia. Finally, I got the chance to watch this highly anticipated movie and I know now the reason why this film is dubbed as one of the greatest Marvel movie of the year. Doctor Strange is the fourteenth film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is part of their third phase along with other Marvel movies like Captain America: Civil War, the upcoming Guardian of the Galaxy 2, Thor Ragnarok and the rumored Black Panther movie. The Phase three will introduce many new superheroes that we will all love and Doctor Strange is just one of them.
Doctor Strange will hit theaters this October 26, 2016 and allow me to give you TEN good reasons why you should NEVER miss this movie! Whether you are a big Marvel fan or not, Doctor Strange movie is something you will greatly enjoy without the need of digging to older Marvel films! Let’s start shall we?
10. It’s Sherlock Doing Magic!
Doctor Strange will be portrayed by no other than Sherlock Holmes star Benedict Cumberbatch. This time, however, our beloved detective is no longer solving mysteries and looking for clues but casting spells and doing magical rituals! Cumberbatch delivered a very impressive performance as Doctor Stephen Strange, a wealthy and arrogant neurosurgeon who suffered greatly after a merely fatal car accident. His desperation took him in a journey to India where he met Ancient One who taught him things that are all beyond his knowledge and imagination. Although Strange and Sherlock shares some notable similarities in terms of their undeniable charisma and incomparable intelligence, Cumberbatch however managed to isolate his iconic Tv role from this film and gave us an all new character to adore!
9. Because Ancient One Is One Cool Master You Want To Hangout With!
Despite of those controversies about the character’s intriguing casting, I personally think that Marvel made a perfect decision to cast Tilda Swinton to play the Ancient One. First, it is a very unique approach to cast a female actress to portray a role that is originally and traditionally depicted as male and Asian and I think it is a clever move from them. Second, Swinton is actually no stranger to such unique masculine roles much like what she did with Orlando and her androgynous angel role in Constantine. Oh and she’s also the White Witch of Narnia for God sake! Ancient One is the sorcerer who mentored Doctor Strange and helps him unleash his amazing capabilities. I’m not sure how exactly the character is depicted in the comics but in this film; they managed to perfectly combine humor and action. The coolness of Ancient One is truly overwhelming for me and I personally enjoy Strange and Ancient One’s first interaction in this movie! It is one of the best scenes in this film and I bet most of you guys will feel the same way!
8. Mind Blowing Visuals!
If there is one thing that makes this film more distinctive from the rest of the Marvel movies, it is probably the film’s strange, psychedelic yet highly impressive visual effects! You might have enjoyed that cool shrinking effect of Antman or that Intergalactic atmosphere of Guardian of the Galaxy but the one you will witness in this film is something you cannot easily forget. The film remained faithful to their original Doctor Strange Comics that was created by Steve Ditko. The transition from one dimension to another is truly mindblowing. The time manipulation and the slow motion sequences somehow remind me of The Matrix but in a larger and much more impressive visualization. I personally enjoyed the London scenes where Ancient One showcases her magical skills for the first time by turning the city into a psychedelic atmosphere! The film is best viewed in IMAX 3D as it provides you that highly realistic experience as if you are really part of those enigmatic dimensions.
7. Because Cloak of Levitation Is An Artifact to Die For!
The film will introduce some amazing relics that are meant to help the sorcerers in their combat but I am not going to give much spoiler about these amazing items so you better watch the movie on your own risk to find out more about them but of all the artifacts owned by Doctor Strange, the Cloak of Levitation is the one that really stood out. Much like any Marvel movies, the film knows where exactly to add humor and when is the right time to be serious. Apparently, the Cloak of levitation shared one of the film’s hilarious moments. As what the name suggests, this cloak has the ability to give the wearer an ability to levitate and to fly but the cloak of levitation has a lot more to offer simply because it has a life of its own. To perfectly describe this artifact, the cloak has the coolness factor of Harry Potter’s Cloak of Invisibility and the wittiness of the Magic Carpet of Disney’s Aladdin.
6. It’s One Hell of a Cast!
Usually for a Marvel movie, you will need a great ensemble of cast and most of the time they are different characters from different movies in Marvel Cinematic Universe! In Doctor Strange, however, it is an origin story and is not yet connected to other Marvel films so we were all introduced to an all new cast and we are expecting to see more of them in the upcoming Marvel movies. It is a perfect cast I must say! Aside from Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and Tildo Swinton as Ancient One, other cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo, the funny Benedict Wong as Wong, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer and Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecillius who act as the villain in the movie.
5. It Shows A Battle between Science and Mysticism
A guy who took a medical field, excelled in his chosen medical profession yet now embracing skills and abilities coming from an act of mysticism and magical rituals of some sort? Well that is Strange? The film clearly shows the huge and contradicting gap between Science and mysticism yet despite of the difference in terms of practice and beliefs, the film shows how each of them managed to benefit from each other. A struggling and desperate doctor who is looking for ways to heal him managed to find the answers through magic and rituals while a dying sorcerer find his way to survive through a medical operation (both are referring to Doctor Strange by the way).
4. It’s A Thought Provoking Film
How if it is true that the reality we know is just one of the many existing ones? What if there are really parallel dimensions and multiverse yet our knowledge and skills are not yet enough to uncover them? What if there is really such thing as magic and other unearthly skills like clairvoyance and the ability to separate physical to astral body really do exist yet we were just blinded by the kind of reality we grew up with. Well, these are just few of the questions that will run on your mind after watching this film but the question is will they make any sense? Don’t worry according to Ancient One, they do not have to! Haha
3. Strangely Compelling Plot
Doctor Strange is generally a great superhero movie and possibly one of the best Marvel films I have ever seen. It has a very different aspects compare to older Marvel movies yet still feature the same typical Marvel “formula” that we all grew up loving with, It features a dose of comedy, a bunch of action packed battle scenes, a pinch of love story, a touch of tearjerking moments and a drizzle of Easter eggs that brings out the inner geek in you. Doctor Strange however is not your ideal superhero and much like Ironman, he is a kind of superhero with an attitude! He could be arrogant and self centered at most times but he still has the heart and courage to protect the world even if it takes eternal suffering. The film is overall entertaining! Thanks to the creative mind of Scott Derrickson who directed and wrote the screenplay!
2. Don’t Miss the Mid and End Credit Scenes!
I do not want to spoil the fun here or ruin the magic so you better watch the film on your own risk to discover what this film has to offer. Marvel movies teaches me this kind of habit of watching the movie til the very end because you can never tell what kind of surprises awaits you! Doctor Strange movie is not an exemption. There is indeed a Mid-credit scene (which I personally like the most) and another scene after the credits (which will give you an idea on what to expect in the future Doctor Strange movies). So yeah, better not leave your seats early and watch the movie til the very end!
1. You Will Surely Crave for A Sequel!
With all the revelations in this film, you will definitely crave for more! Doctor Strange has so much more to offer! He has an overwhelming amount of impressive abilities and we only saw a portion of it in this movie and we just can’t wait to see how his character will progress and how much he can contribute in this wide world of Marvel Cinematic Universe! I’m not sure if it is just me but I would love to see Iron Man and Doctor Strange in one screen!

Feel free to watch the Doctor Strange trailer below! #OpenYourMind #DoctorStrangePH“We Never Get to choose our time! Death is what gives life a meaning to know that our time is limited…. ” ~ Ancient One