I was one of the thousands that went to the IMAX fifteen-minute sneak-peek of “Doctor Strange” tonight and I was loaded with curiosity going into this. Fifteen-minutes was a nice chuck of the film to see, but going to the theater and waiting in line for it, did have me slightly apprehensive. But I am so glad I went because this was a short, but breathtaking look at what this film will deliver.
After a short introduction from Benedict Cumberbatch, the clips begin to roll and the fifteen-minutes ended up feeling like five because I was so pulled into what I was seeing. This sneak-peek introduced the character of Dr. Stephen Strange, an arrogant man who has in a way taken his medical skills for granted. He is out of touch with the concept of helping people and more focused on statistics and types of medical issues with patients he doesn’t feel are sexy enough for his time. Basically he thinks everything is beneath him, and with the strong writing and the delivery from Cumberbatch, he sells this side of the character perfectly.
Not since the development of Tony Starks character by Downey Jr., will a character’s origins story be as deep as this one may be given the quality of the dialogue, and Cumberbatch in the lead. I also think this could be a great origins story to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the first “Iron Man” and “Captain America” films. I also think with the strong cast, and in particular with the charm of Cumberbatch and Ejiofor will work wonders with the dialogue. The subtle humor that will laced throughout this story to break the tension, will be absolutely effective in my opinion, and will help give this film an enjoyable tone, and flow.
Mads Mikkelsen looks great as the villain and with his range I hope he can create one of the stronger villains in the MCU, something that has been a weakness over the years. This sneak-peek also showed some eye-popping action, mind-bending set-pieces and all the magic this character is known for. I think Cumberbatch will be able to pull off both sides of his role with ease, in this footage he showed a range of different emotional states for his character and he looked commanding in them all.
As for the visuals, where to even start. They were something to behold, and with the deep 3D layering and IMAX quality, this film has the potential to be a visual ride unlike anything we have seen on the screen before. The vivid colors and design of the layers of the multiverse were like they came right off the pages of the comic-books and despite just getting a few minutes to see, I was completely pulled into it.
I think this will be a unique film that will create these universes from the comics in monumental scale, and will be as immersive as a film we have seen in the MCU. I can’t wait to see it, it’s going to blow people away including myself, and the magic of the pulled from the comics will be adventurous, and about as immersive as a film can get.
Release Date: November 4, 2016