In truth, movies Marvel Studios possessed their enchanting and mind-obscuring magic long before the appearance of Doctor Strange. They constantly managed to inexplicably combine in their products high-quality entertaining films, non-trivial presentation of new, interesting characters, often witty humor and talented actors. It’s hard to resist the charm of Marvel films, and even harder to get tired of them, because they don’t forget to periodically introduce us to new characters of this universe, each time revealing its next amazing component - after the minimalistic and unexpectedly cozy for a blockbuster “Ant-Man”, we get acquainted with the magical "Doctor Strange", after taking which the expansion of consciousness is just one of the pleasant side effects.
The best story of the development of a hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is rightfully considered the first “Iron Man”, which actually launched this universe. More than eight years have passed since its release, but there has never been a worthy opponent for Tony Stark... until this day. Leaving aside the actors for now, Stephen Strange is a very colorful character in himself - a talented but arrogant neurosurgeon, and the best in his profession. Even being so arrogant and cynical, he does not lose his charm and the affection of his work colleagues. Possessing far from the most attractive character traits, he constantly wins the audience and everyone’s attention with his intelligence, professionalism and natural magic - charisma. One day he gets into serious trouble car accident, where he breaks both hands, which effectively puts an end to his successful career surgeon But even here, Strange’s stubbornness overcomes despair, sadness and fear - he spends all his fortune on dubious operations, places his hopes on Chinese experimental methods, but ultimately learns about a strange eastern practice, which exists somewhere in Nepal and helped return a paralyzed man to his body. Strange realizes that this is his last chance.
This is where the magic begins. For Strange, a man of science, religion is a very insignificant and dubious thing, but here they are trying to prove to him that there are some kind of spells, Parallel Worlds, astral projection, time loops. If Tony Stark turned into Iron Man Only thanks to himself, his knowledge and skills, the formation of Doctor Strange is completely opposite. He has to leave behind the threshold of the temple his rationalism, which he has relied on all his life, the surgical skills that he has honed for many years, and simply entrust himself into the hands of a certain Ancient One, a healer and supreme mentor. We are actually witnessing the rebirth of the hero, although he remains just as stubborn, sarcastic and cynical, humility in front of his delusion is clearly visible on his face. He admits that even great minds like him can make mistakes, can be absolutely powerless, and most importantly, they may not even realize the existence of something so significant that covers all previously acquired knowledge. From this alone we can conclude that the fourteenth MCU project boasts an exemplary study of its title character, impeccably written in the script. In my opinion, this should be included in the irrefutable merits of the film on a par with the special effects and magical musical accompaniment that are for some reason praised primarily.
But before we finally move on to a feast for the eyes and ears, let's officially welcome Benedict Cumberbatch in the cinematic universe. He fit in perfectly, both visually - the mantle, the beard, the gray hair at the temples (I remember the earliest fan art, where he already looked gorgeous), and in terms of acting. I don’t want to once again dwell on my favorite topic in film review articles, I’ll just say that seeing the mutual jokes of Stark and Strange on the screen is one of the most compelling reasons to start counting down the days to “Infinity War.” I also wouldn’t like to stir up another very lively association with Cumberbatch, but it’s hard not to notice how he straightens his cloak, like a coat, in a Sherlockian way. In addition to Benedict, Doctor Strange boasts an unprecedented number of Marvel theater actors or people from independent cinema. It is possible that Strange himself can be outshone here only by Tilda Swinton, who played the Ancient One. Her image is also well written, and I don’t think there’s even a need to stutter about her performance – it’s Tilda. Mads Mikkelsen tried on the role of a villain (one of two) with a very primitive motivation - “I knew strength, now I want more strength, but dark side always more power." But at least visually it looks very good. Another theater actor Chiwetel Ejiofor until the film's release it seemed like his " dark horse” (could be a good racist joke, but not this time), because he plays one of the most devoted followers of the Ancient One - Master Mordo. It is known from the comics that he will become one of Strange's main opponents, but it was interesting how the director would show their nascent relationship Scott Derrickson. As a result, it is still difficult to understand which Mordo will turn out to be a villain, but the moral breakdown that happened to him in the film, in my opinion, is shown impeccably. Once again, the characters are developed quite carefully. Moreover, even far from minor ones, such as the library curator and Beyoncé Wang fan ( Benedict Wong), who in the future will have to become the Tibetan version of Watson (sorry), and, not turning away in moments of grief and weakness, always ready to come to the rescue, in the past and, probably, in the present, Strange’s only love interest (after all, you have to love someone something else besides yourself) – Christina Palmer ( Rachel McAdams). Also got in among the medical staff talented actor independent cinema - Michael Stuhlbarg.
Phantasmagoria as the core of the entire visual of “Strange”, on which the hero’s psychedelic trips and his adventures in the mirror dimension were built, is capable of surprising even the most, excuse me, “snickering” viewer. The special effects really surprise, amaze and “God, whatever this is, I want more.” But all this is not without reason, and there is a logical and even historical explanation for everything. Doctor Strange first appeared in comics in the '60s in a series called Strange Tales(more precisely, it was issue 110, and it came out in July 1963). He was invented Stan Lee, but drew Steve Ditko, legendary couple, I agree. Lee and Ditko initially conceived of not just a set of standard drawings flowing into small stories, they emphasized surreal landscapes and striking visual effects (era Jim Morrison and him The Doors after all). For example, there was a character named Eternity, depicted as an abstract silhouette whose outlines were filled with space. The Doctor series stood out from other superhero comics due to its disorienting, hallucinogenic quality. The dimensions Strange found himself in resembled paintings Salvador Dali(there are references to him in the film), work by Lee and Ditko, inspired different stories magicians and the popular beat culture movement at that time, turned Doctor Strange into a kind of symbol of the youth counterculture of the 60s, with their total obsession with Eastern mysticism and psychedelia. Therefore, the riot of colors and slightly narcotic hypnosis of the viewer’s imagination in Derrickson’s film is, first of all, a tribute to the original and to the generation of entertainment culture that “Doctor Strange” absorbed.
Demonstration of magic, surprisingly, always has purely logical premises. That is, not here similar scenes, when, for example, in “The Avengers” alien ships aimlessly destroy missions, in “Strange” everything is natural: there is a threat - it must be eliminated, preferably so that no one notices it. For the most mind-blowing special effects, we are sent to a mirror dimension, where they show such action scenes that our heads begin to spin (literally, space and gravity are distorted). It's not a sin to spend money on IMAX, you definitely won’t see anything better visually this year. Fights are mainly characterized not only by massacres, but are conducted rather at the level of the brain. At least, Stephen often uses his mind to defeat his opponent; the scene of the final fight, when Strange “came to an agreement” with the supreme demon of the Dark Dimension, deserves special mention. Among the spells, we were not particularly spoiled with variety: invisible daggers, ropes, a two-fingered ring for movement and the Eye of Agamotto, which, for a second, is one of the infinity stones. Thanks to him, Strange knows how to control time, the scene in which he learns this is curious because he conducts the experiment on an apple, a fruit with the maximum allegorical status ( Adam And Eve, Jobs, Newton, Snow White and so on).
Finally, I would like to especially note the work of the composer Michael Giacchino(V to a greater extent) and director Scott Derrickson (to a lesser extent). Giacchino composed the best original film score Marvel, without a doubt. The composition is worthy of special mention The Master of the Mystics, played over the end credits, stands out for its psychedelic sound and is another reference to the 60s. Giacchino really wanted to insert music somehow Bob Dylan into the film, but did not find the right moment, but managed to find a place for Pink Floyd, processing them Interstellar Overdrive 1967, which perfectly matches the style of this comic book. The music is so beautiful (both in action scenes and in ordinary ones) that sometimes the thought creeps in while watching - “Is this music worthy of this film?” No, this in no way diminishes the quality of Derrickson's project, but the fact is that when you are shown perhaps the most amazing special effects and incredible scenes of your life, and at the same time you think how beautiful the music is - still it's a bit strange. But “strange” is exactly the word that can describe the film as a whole. Mysticism, ghosts, the astral dimension - all this is very close to Scott Derrickson, who had previously directed mainly horror films (The Six Demons of Emily Rose, Sinister, Deliver Us from Evil). Surprisingly, the studio producers, led by Kevin Feige decided not to shackle the director, which led to a rather bold result - at the beginning of the film, a man’s head is cut off, ghosts fight in the astral space, Strange comes to his senses with such abruptness, a dramatic pause and musical accompaniment that any horror film would envy. But overall, Derrickson uses his "genre" skills for comedic effect, such as the falling mop behind Christina. Humor, for some reason, is classified as weaknesses"Strange", although it is quite sharp and even rather distinctive for Marvel. But let me remind you once again that Scott Derrickson is not your Taika Waititi, whose third “Thor” can already boast an excellent sense of humor.
Scott Derrickson, armed with unparalleled visual effects and first-class actors, “Doctor Strange” turned out to be self-sufficient, and most importantly, an original comic book movie that can stand firmly on its own two feet. Following Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel are opening up a completely new, this time magical direction in their cinematic universe, led by a newly-made public favorite. Strange, magical, a little stormy after watching, but I want to repeat this mantra more than once.
Doctor Strange
Year: 2016
Genre: science fiction, fantasy, action
A country: USA
Director: Scott Derrickson
Scenario Stars: Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson, S. Robert Cargill
Operator: Ben Davis
Composer: Michael Giacchino
Artist Stars: Charles Wood, Jim Barr, Thomas Brown
Cast Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins, Zara Pitian
Budget: $165 000 000
Duration: 115 min. / 01:55
For the next pipeline project of the “Marvel Cinematic Universe,” “Doctor Strange” begins as a real mystical thriller along the lines of “Crimson Rivers.” But the illusory deception formed in your mind will not last long, quickly turning into a visually beautiful action. The opening battle scene featuring the main antagonist Kaecilius, played by the brilliant Mads Mikkelsen, not only sets a new tone, strikingly different from previous films in the “universe”, but also, in order to prepare for further surprises, allows you to look at what is happening from a different perspective. Having demonstrated the seed in the form of wonderful surrealism and unusual magic, the authors introduce us to the doctor - Doctor Stephen Strange.
As you might guess, the protagonist is a professional doctor who can take on almost any labor-intensive operation. The character's history is one of the most interesting from Marvel. In the shortest possible period of time, main screenwriters Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), S. Robert Cargill (Sinister) and director Scott Derrickson (The Day the Earth Stood Still) manage to show the detailed character of Strange, who stands out for his arrogance, pride , impressive self-esteem, rudeness, hot temper and, apparently, exceptional faith - faith in oneself. Yes, maybe Strange is an atheist. He is also not devoid of musical taste and knows many performers, from classical music to rap and RnB, which is very successfully reflected in very funny and intelligent jokes, supported by the hero’s tactless sense of humor. About such a character as Stephen Strange, in many moments I would like to say that he is his own guy - humane and makes mistakes.
After the accident in which Stephen got into a personal sports car, his attitude to life remains the same - inspiring, moderately sarcastic, and not changing at all, in some places the situation is only aggravated by a well-deserved anger at the world... a world in which he can no longer be a professional neurosurgeon in connection with injuries. Strange, on a tip from another doctor, finds a man - Jonathan, whom he once refused to operate on, thinking that he was hopeless. Jonathan points to one spiritually magical place - Kamar Taj, which offers limitless possibilities and reveals the secrets of the mind. This is where fateful events begin. Benedict Cumberbatch did an excellent job with his role, you can’t insist that this is his best reincarnation, and that he is playing at the end of his strength and talent, but you believe him.
Of course, the theme of love has not gone away, because Marvel cannot do otherwise. Rachel McAdams in this regard was perfect for the role of Strange's lover. Love line for once it doesn’t look a little ridiculous or forced, it feels like sincerity and not just passing interest. The characters have known each other for a long time, they once met, but with the events that happened, their feelings awaken again. Everything is good and not artificial, and most importantly, nothing distracts from the central plot path.
The picture, design and graphics may seem like the most beautiful of the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Transforming otherworldly worlds, working with fiction and imagination, have a truly hypnotizing effect. Just a fairy tale! But with magic and its use, everything is not so enthusiastic, although it also looks great. Stephen's training is quite standard, and sometimes some things are done a little absurdly, in the category of “throw someone who can’t swim into the water and he will swim.” Unfortunately, this approach is not very appropriate. But if you don’t think about various nonsense or such conventions, then there are no faults with the script and the actions of the characters. There are also dramatic episodes in Doctor Strange, which is the case when you get into the Marvel drama because of the well-developed and non-irritating characters.
The musical part from Michael Giacchino seems to be good, but it is good because the previous films, even with famous composers, did not have memorable tracks, there are none here either, it’s just that this time they are better than before. The fight scenes are vigorous - everything is juicy. Cinematographer Ben Davis (“Kick-Ass,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”) seems to have the magical abilities- the action under the control of his camera is transformed significantly.
“Hallucinogenic magic with psychotropic effects” - this is how one can describe all the chaos that is happening in Doctor Strange. It seems as if in the best moments of the running time, the creators are showing us someone’s dream - unreal and trippy. Unfortunately, not the entire tape is trippy, but it will do for the first run - there are still no analogues.
In the film Marvel comics, which hit theaters in October, stars Cumberbatch as a superhero. Doctor Strange is a neurosurgeon who... terrible accident I lost the opportunity to do what I loved. Going on a journey in search of healing, he discovers in himself miraculous abilities to transform space and time. And becomes a link between parallel dimensions and a fighter against evil...
In the story, Doctor Strange comes to the villain Dormammu to convince him to leave our planet alone. And he says the phrase: “I came to negotiate.” It became the main joke of the Internet.
The network was flooded with drawings, photos and videos in which this remark was played out in a wide variety of ways. Most often it is used in the context of negotiations with parents and teachers. And, according to user reviews, the effect of this constructive message is simply amazing!
“You know nothing, Jon Snow!” ("Game of Thrones")
His beloved Ygritte constantly reminded the hero of this, each time putting a new meaning into this phrase depending on the context. Which gave rise to a wave of the most incredible bullying of the hero on the Internet. “Well, at least I’m handsome...” John retorts in one of the photos. And it’s hard to disagree with this!
“You can’t just go and…” (“The Lord of the Rings”)
In the film, this phrase is put into Boromir's mouth. When the council meets to decide the fate of the ring of omnipotence, he says that you can’t just take the ring to Mordor - they say, this is a very dangerous and generally disastrous idea. It turns out that our non-fantasy reality is also full of things that are comparable to this adventure in terms of difficulty. And most importantly, “You can’t just take it and just take it,” that’s the thing!
“I Like to Take Risks, Too” (“Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery”)
In one of the scenes of the famous comedy, superspy Austin Powers sits down to play cards with a villain. He says that he likes to take risks, to which Powers replies that he also cannot live without risk. And then he loses. When the film was released, the line was left without due attention, but 15 years later, a screenshot with a grinning Powers and the phrase “I also like to take risks” appeared online and immediately became a hit, giving rise to many variations. This meme is still used to this day to tell someone that they are overconfident.
"And now you come and say..." (The Godfather)
There is a scene in the film: Vito Corleone scolds a gravedigger who came to him with a request to punish people acquitted by the court who offended his daughter. To his request, he receives an answer: “You found paradise in America: your business was doing well, the police protected you, and you didn’t need friends like me. And now you come and say: “Don Corleone, I need justice.” But you don't ask with respect, you don't offer friendship. It never occurred to you to call me godfather. No, you come to my house on my daughter’s wedding day and ask me to kill you for money.” The phrase “And now you come and say...” has gained enormous popularity among Internet comedians: it is accompanied, for example, by requests to take out the trash or tell what time it is. This meme once again reminds: if you ask for something that is not owed to you, you need to do it politely and with respect, no matter what nonsense we are talking about.
