A new doctor joins the universe

13 Nov, 2016 - 00:11 0 Views
A new doctor joins the universe

The Sunday Mail

Tinashe  Kusema The Big & Small Screen —
IS Benedict Cumberbatch the new leading man of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? If his first offering in “Dr Strange” is anything to go by, then the answer is he is in with a shout.

For a little over three years now, one cannot help but get the feeling that each time we see Robert Downey Jnr or Chris Evans on screen could very well be the last.

Every time it is rumoured that there is going to be a big movie death, it is always linked to their Iron Man and Captain America characters. Downey Jr may have given his swansong in that depressing last scene of 2013’s “Iron Man 3”.

We will see the Iron Man suit fly again in 2018 and 2019 in “Avengers — Infinity War” parts one and two. But will there be a future for Iron Man after that? It’s anyone’s guess. The guessing game also applies to the longevity of Captain America. Again, it is all conjecture.

What we do know is that Marvel always has a bigger plan in play. And that play could be Cumberbatch’s take on Marvel’s “Dr Strange”, which opened a fortnight ago. The film follows the trials of Dr Steven Strange (Cumberbatch), a renowned neurosurgeon involved in a car crash that results in him losing the use of his hands.

After exhausting all medical knowledge in a futile pursuit of regaining function of said limbs, Dr Strange traverses the world in search of an alternative cure. He ends up in Kathmandu, Nepal where he meets the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). The Ancient One opens his mind to a new reality, a new world in which Good and Evil have different meaning and different ways of waging their war.

Thus begins the battle between Dr Strange and Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), another protege of the Ancient One. Like other Marvel movies, “Dr Strange” demands that you suspend disbelief, this time for 115 minutes of top notch CGI and action. The plot is well built and has parallels to the first “Iron Man”, the film that launched the whole Marvel shindig.

The dialogue perfectly blends wit and intelligence, and Cumberbatch positively shines. This could be the man who leads Marvel into its next phase. The supporting acts hold their own: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Karl Mordo), Benedict Wong (Wong) and Swinton know their roles.

Mikkelsen joins the list of disappointing villains, as the 50-year-old puts up yet another lifeless and one-dimensional performance. After “Dr Strange” opened with US$89 million, the ball is now in DC Comics’ court to respond when “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League” hit the screens next year.

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