Spoiler Review of Thor:Ragnarok

By: Jim Scroggs

            November 8, 2017
            JHScroggs on Twitter/Instagam

Edited by Katie Westbrooks

 This franchise hasn’t been the best in the MCU and we all know how kind of lackluster Thor: The Dark World was. In fact, Chris Hemsworth wasn’t all that happy with the direction of the movies but Thor: Ragnarok featured some amazing cast additions along with an out of left field director. So, let’s get into what Thor: Ragnarok and all of it’s metalness has to offer.

What I liked

Chris Hemsworth/Thor

He took so well to Taika Waititi's direction and humor that I’m convinced a fairly sizable portion of his lines/quips were ad libbed. When Hela destroyed Mjolnir, I was wondering how this would affect him going forward and it turns out, not very much. He wasn’t even in a position to use/need his hammer until the final battle with Hela when, through a vision with Odin, it was revealed that the hammer was merely a means to help channel being the God of Thunder. We saw a glimpse of what power he truly possessed early on when some lightning was on his fingers but I didn’t expect that moment to turn into a similar plot point to Wonder Woman – being that the true power was really in him the whole time. In the last 2 films, he’s wavered back and forth about wanting to be king but I feel like he’s really grown up as a character. When the people of Asgard were in imminent danger from Hela, that’s when I felt Thor became the leader we’ve been waiting for. And in that very battle with her, he loses his right eye. He and the rest of the team end up trying to figure out where to go after the destruction of Asgard but abruptly getting confronted by a giant ship, which could be a connection to Thanos as a tease for Infinity War.

Cate Blanchett/Hela

I was already ecstatic when she was cast but I’m glad that a new villain isn’t being treated as a throw away character. Her portrayal of Hela was great although, she wasn’t given a whole lot to do. I wish we spent more time with her but I really hope the speculation of her being the representation of death for Thanos to court keeps her in the MCU and in Infinity War. When Odin died, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Hela was the first born of Odin and when she started to take control of Asgard there was a painting that showed the true story of how Asgard rose to power and shows Hela holding Mjolnir. She was powerful, completely in control of her character, very formidable foe for Thor and even went toe to toe with Surter when he turned into a mountain and destroyed Asgard. I seriously don’t know if I can hate her as a villain.

 

The supporting cast

Mark Ruffalo’s appearance as Bruce Banner proves that as much as we love to see Science Bro’s with him and Tony, the real friendship, in my opinion, is with him and Thor. We get a little hint of what happened to him between the end of Age of Ultron and now. There’s a cameo from Black Widow and that video that he turned off before the jet took off into space. One of my favorite moments from him is when he gave a suplex to Hela’s giant wolf that she resurrected – the WWE fan in me perked up.  This is probably the best performance from Bruce in the entire MCU and I’m glad we get to see this version of Hulk and Bruce before Infinity War. Also, I can’t forget to mention, we saw Hulk butt.

Tessa Thompson gave a great performance of Valkyrie. She not only showed how much of an amazing warrior she is but she showed how strong she could be on a planet that wasn’t her home and was still able to connect with Thor through their shared history on Asgard. Seeing her history as a warrior in that battle, which looked like a painting, was an amazing sequence and I’m glad that kind of technology was used so well. I really hope we get more of her in Infinity War and in future films since she is such a strong character.

Jeff Goldblum in a Marvel movie is the dream we’ve all had but I hate to say this, I was expecting a tad more from him. This is probably since I was hyping the idea in my head of how awesome this is but I would have loved to see more of his eclectic nature. He still had a sense of humor mixed into the Grandmaster's dictatorship but the most important thing is he didn’t die and we get more of him in the post credit scene.

Heimdall was going to be my most intriguing character because of how little he has been used in the past. I’m glad that Idris Elba was given more to do and actually have a purpose in this film. He became the man on the ground for Thor – as he was taking care of the remaining Asgard citizens since Hela was taking over everything. Heimdall even helped fight in the last battle on the Rainbow Bridge to help rescue his fellow Asgardians. He showed how powerful of an asset and friend that he could be and I hope this will give more confidence in Marvel Studios from Idris Elba.

Karl Urban’s Skurge was a very solid addition to the cast, including his stash of things that he’s collected since he took over for Heimdall. In one scene, he uses a shake-weight (insert joke here) but he was very quick to join Hela as her executioner. But once he went to actually perform the job, he was saved by someone speaking up. Later on, he knew he made a mistake by joining her and tried to make up for that by helping fight the zombie army that she resurrected. He ended up dying but he certainly didn't die in vain.

Loki wasn’t selfish as much in this film but I fully attribute that to the popularity of Tom Hiddleston in this role. I know this is short but come on, it’s Loki. Who hates Loki?

Humor/Easter Eggs

I knew going in that this would have that special type of humor that some people might not get but I’m glad to see how special Taika Waititi is. There’s almost too many to pick from without giving this movie a second watch, but my favorite 3rd tier character in this movie is Korg. He’s voiced by Watiti and when you see this monstrous rock creature with a high pitched New Zealand accent, it’s almost too spot on. I really think he stole the movie for me.  When you watch it or even re-watch it, New Doug is probably my favorite running joke in the movie. A moment when Thor is captured and pretty down on his situation, Loki comes to talk to him in his own little way. The whole time Thor is sitting there throwing rocks at this image of Loki and they are going straight through him. He tries it later for a nice payoff of that joke. Even off the bat, there was a great scene when Thor is captured and talking to Surtur but since he was spinning, the humor was definitely there get the film to a great start.

There are a number of surprise cameos in this film that I didn’t expect – or just forgot about. I remember Sam Neill being cast but was surprised to see he was cast as Odin in a fake performance of the end of The Dark World that’s being lead by Loki (disguised as Odin). But that’s not the most surprising, Luke Hemsworth was cast as Thor in that performance and who played Loki you ask? Matt Damon. Yep, THAT Matt Damon. When Thor and Banner are trying to get the Quinjet off the ground, Bruce’s name in the jet is Strongest Avenger – the name Thor tried for himself among many names including Point Break. During the gladiatorial battle with Thor and Hulk, Thor tries to calm down Hulk by using Natasha’s AOU technique by saying “The sun's getting real low”. I almost thought that would work… until Hulk grabs Thor and tosses him like a rag doll like he did Loki in Avengers. And of course, Loki had a great reaction to that as he’s watching with The Grandmaster. I can’t leave out when Thor is about to be introduced to The Grandmaster and he’s in this chair going through a tunnel ala Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. If I forgot your favorite moment, please forgive me.

Not so much

The CG backdrops weren’t great looking all the time and that kind of took me out of it at some points. I fully understand that this is a space/cosmic movie and those kinds of effects are necessary but that’s just a little thing for me.

The Doctor Strange cameo was something that I was really looking forward to but I felt like it was a tad forced into the story line. I understand that Strange can see what others can’t but I’m glad it didn’t go longer than it did. There was a nice comedic moment with Stephen, Thor and Loki but overall, I’d say it was fan service but it didn’t help or hurt the plot.

Oden’s death early on wasn’t as much of an event as I would have expected. Thor finds him on a cliff in Norway reflecting on his life and what legacy he’ll leave. Loki is there with him as well so I’m glad he passed away – or in this case dissolved away – into the wind in front of his sons.

Final Verdict

I’m glad that Thor finally got his Jack Kirby-like cosmic movie that finally took advantage of the casts strengths but I don’t necessarily agree with the score on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s easily one of the most enjoyable movies in the MCU, probably the funniest of the group. It was course correcting for the franchise and was the best move on how to end this series. They took plenty of risks going in this direction with this director and while some of the jokes didn’t land and some of the emotional moments were a tad lackluster, I’d put it in my top 8 of the MCU.

Thor: Ragnarok is in theaters now.

Geektified's review of the Thor: Ragnarok trailer

 

By Jim Scroggs
April 10, 2017
JHScroggs on Twitter and Instagram




      It's funny how this trailer dropped today because the last few weeks, I've said to friends and family that expect a trailer for this film soon. I mean, it's seven months out and we hadn't gotten anything. But now we've gotten our first look at some amazing characters and pretty sweet moments, so let's dive into the retro-ness that is the Thor:Ragnarok trailer, shall we?


     The trailer opens with a shot of someone being dangled down into a cavern. Turns out, that someone is our favorite god of thunder. Thor's voice is heard saying "I know what you're thinking. How did this happen?" The next shot is someone walking toward the camera but it cuts off right before we see their face. Thor throws Mjolnir and is caught by a bare hand. Let that sink in for a second. Someone caught Mjolnir. Cuts to black and Thor continues his sentence by saying "Well, it's a long story" and then fades up to the first glimpse of Cate Blanchett as Hela as she is stopping Mjolnir, in mid throw mind you,  with a smirk on her face. She then channels energy to destroy the hammer and that's why we've seen Thor wield other weapons in the concept art for Infinity War. The pieces of hammer hit the floor, the Marvel Studios logo pops up, the amazing sounds of Led Zepplelin's "Immigrant Song" take over and transitions into another style of logo, similar to what was shown in the first GOTG Vol 2 trailer. It's a blue background with the words being beams of light and it definitely is in tune with what this trailer is.

     Hella is shown again, this time in full headdress with the look of a 20 point buck (that's for my southern friends who hunt) and we also see Asgard but before Hela starts her take over. There's an Asgardian army ready for battle as she approaches them but she already claims that Asgard is dead. She pops her sword, a wave of fire and destruction rushes over Asgard but Thor is shown landing on another planet or city that has a bit of a Guardians of the Galaxy feel to it so he greets the natives but is promptly captured in an electric net. Our first look at Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie is of her dragging Thor away. The next few shots are a little out of place in a way but nothing bad by any means. Hela is shown in battle, possibly in Hel but it looks spectacular. A ship flies across a body of water then Thor is shown being drug and placed into a chair with some restraints to get his hair cut as Valkyrie walks away.

       This is a sentence I've waited so long to type out. We see our first look at Jeff Goldblum as The Grandmaster and he's wanting to know what Valkyrie brought him. Her response: "A Contender" as a shot of Thor being taken away is shown. The next shot kind of surprised me at first considering who I thought it was. It's Heimdall, played by Idris Elba fighting in the wilderness but at first, It looked an awful lot like Bishop from Days of Future Past. I'm glad that Heimdal is here and I really hope he gets more to do and is used better. The next few shots are of a ship flying across a body of water, Karl Urban as Skurge shooting weapons at someone, Hela doing a back flip in the Asgard battle scene and Loki flipping daggers in his hands looking into the camera.

     The voice of the Grandmaster is heard declaring "It's main event time" as Thor walks into the arena with shorter hair and red face paint. The door across from him opens, he puts on the helmet, The Grandmaster announces "And now, I give you, your incredible' and the door is smashed open by The Hulk as he roars to enter the arena dressed in battle armor. This is easily the best part of the trailer, even topping the destruction of Mjolnir. Thor's face lights up with joy and shouts "Yes!!!" Nobody else understands, especially The Grandmaster who looks confused with Loki sitting with him. Thor declares "We know each other. He's a friend from work" Hulk might not like that very much and Thor backs away. The ending sequence is Thor and Hulk running to each other ready to fight.


    The Thor films have been a hard egg to crack and rightfully so. It wasn't quite Lord of the Rings or even Game of Thrones but I think with Taika Waititi and his vision, this will be the crazy, adrenaline filled ride that this franchise has needed but to be quite honest, I wanted a weird, metal and retro Thor movie and that's exactly what this is. Add that vision with the cast of Jeff Goldblum, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett and an appearance from (Spoiler) Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, I really think Ragnarok will be the perfect lead in to Infinity War in May of 2018.

Thor:Ragnarok hits theaters on November 3, 2017

2017 Movie Preview: Part 3

You can read Part 2 of this series here: 2017 Movie Preview: Part 2

by Jim Scroggs
December 2, 2016

Thor: Ragnarok

The Thor franchise has been the hardest egg to crack in the MCU and I can certainly understand that. It’s not quite Game of Thrones but it isn't quite a space epic. The first film in the trilogy is the best one so far and The Dark World is considered by many to the worst film in the MCU. The heads at Marvel Studios had to think outside the box on this one and I think they accomplished that given some of the rumors/confirmations of appearances from new actors and MCU staples. Jeff Goldblum will be the Grandmaster, an eccentric character that can go across the galaxy to learn as many gaming styles as he can so he can outsmart anyone that he comes across. I think this is perfect for an actor like Goldblum, especially with his history of playing Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park. Other notables that shouldn’t be downplayed are Cate Blanchett as Hela, who could be the “Death” that Thanos is courting, Tessa Thompson will play Valkyrie, Sam Neill has been cast in the film as well and I’m praying there is a scene between him and Jeff Goldblum.  Mark Ruffalo will appear in as Hulk and maybe Bruce Banner in a small adaptation of the Planet Hulk/World War Hulk storyline. (My next sentence contains a spoiler for Doctor Strange so i’m giving you the chance to stop reading if you haven’t seen it…..Ready……...Ok.) Thor will get some help from Doctor Strange as they both search for Odin and probably come across the final Infinity Stone as well so add those arcs with the direction of Taika Waititi and Ragnarok will clearly be something new and desperately what the Thor franchise needs. Thor:Ragnarok will be in theaters on November 3rd, 2017

Justice League

I’ll file this under “Cautiously Optimistic”. The usual analogy when something doesn't perform is saying it hasn’t been a home run. It’s fair to say that in the eyes of some, the DC Films have been a base hit that strands the lead runner because he collided with the 3rd base coach who couldn’t get out of the way in time. Man of Steel was fine, BVS should only be judged by the Ultimate Edition meaning I'll never watch the theatrical version ever again and Suicide Squad had some interesting choices in regards to editing, song placement and writing but it’s a passable film for fans. I think this is when we’ll see the first couple but not full changes with the structure at DC/WB with Geoff Johns in charge. If I’m playing Marketing Executive for a second, the first thing that needs to be done is only release 2 trailers. That's it. I count what was released at Comic-Con as a full trailer so you've got 1 more to release before November of next year. In my opinion, one of the many reasons why BVS didn't perform as well was the amount of trailers and we didn't need to see 4 full trailers for that movie. Leave something to the imagination and you could actually have more excitement for this than what we saw leading up to March. The casting has never been an issue and I really hope they focus on Arthur Curry, Barry Allen, Victor Stone and how they come into play in all this.  Maybe get some insight on Bruce and if he has regrets on the amount of killing that he’s done and with the news of the Green Lantern Corp possibly making an appearance, this could be a nice redirection that DC/WB needs going forward. Justice League will be in theaters on November 17th, 2017

Star Wars: Episode 8

I'm going to be upfront about this. I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan and that's not to say that I don't appreciate and care about the characters. I know that compared to some of my friends, I will never come close to their level of knowledge and fandom, which I greatly respect. I thought Episode 7 was a great start to this new era of films and even with the loss of a major character, the new cast of Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac should give fans plenty of confidence in the next 2 films that could close out the Skywalker saga. The questions of how does Luke play into story along with is Rey a Skywalker have been asked ever since opening night and to be honest, I hope Rey has her own family name, own roots and not part of the Skywalker legacy just to show that there is much more to this universe that one family. I have faith in what Kathleen Kennedy is doing and along with the influence of JJ Abrams that will continue on with Rian Johnson into another chapter of this epic series. Star Wars: Episode VIII will be in theaters on December 15th, 2017



This truly is the Golden Age of movies for geeks and nerds alike but we should always remember that it wasn’t like this a decade ago. All it takes is a few less than stellar films in a row to put an end to this gravy train so as I write this, cherish each moment that we see Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man and even Hawkeye because it won’t be like this forever. The characters will probably survive but the way we see and experience them will change before we know it so even if you hate Superman or Spider-Man, I hope you can appreciate their appearances on the silver screen

DOCTOR STRANGE/PUNISHER: MAGIC BULLETS #1 Unites Two Unlikely Heroes!

New York, NY—November 9^th, 2016 — The team-up to end all team-ups is here! That’s right True Believers, the Mater of the Mystic Arts and the One Man War on Crime collide this December – with combustible results! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look at DOCTOR STRANGE/PUNISHER: MAGIC BULLETS #1 – the new four issue limited series coming to comic shops everywhere on December 7^th! From creators John Barber, Andrea Broccardo and Jason Muhr – there are new players in the organized crime game, and they’re turning to magic to get the upper hand. Frank Castle is a bit out of his league so he’s calling in a little help from the Sorcerer Supreme himself! Is it time for the Punisher to use a little magic? Or is it time for Doctor Strange to adapt to Frank Castle’s lethal way of thinking? Be there as the Marvel Universe’s newest odd couple embarks on a new adventure in DOCTOR STRANGE/PUNISHER: MAGIC BULLETS #1 – coming to comic shops everywhere on December 7^th! 

DOCTOR STRANGE/PUNISHER: MAGIC BULLETS #1 (of 4) (OCT160923)

Written by JOHN BARBER

Art by ANDREA BROCCARDO & JASON MUHR

Cover by MICHAEL WALSH

Variant Cover by ALEX MALEEV (OCT160924)

FOC – 11/14/16, On-Sale – 12/7/16

To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook.

MONSTERS UNLEASHED Lets Loose Four New Tie-Ins!

Four New Oversized One-Shots For February!

New York, NY—November 8^th, 2016 — As skyscraper-sized behemoths rampage across the Marvel Universe – it’s all hands on deck as heroes from across the globe mobilize to combat endless monster hordes! Cullen Bunn and five superstar artists are poised to bring you a blockbuster epic that has to be seen to be believed beginning in MONSTERS UNLEASHED #1. With action so big, it’s spilling out into the rest of the Marvel Universe! Today, Marvel is pleased to announce the next four Monsters Unleashed tie-in one-shots for the month of February – DOCTOR STRANGE #1.MU, CHAMPIONS #1.MU,UNCANNY INHUMANS #1.MU and ALL-NEW X-MEN #1.MU! 

First up, it’s massive monster mayhem in DOCTOR STRANGE #1.MU. The good doctor would have a hard time taking down these monsters at peak strength – how do you think he’ll do now that his magic has been diminished? Next, Marvel’s newest teen team supreme goes head-to-head with giant monsters in CHAMPIONS #1.MU. As they crash headlong into their first big conflict, will they find they’re in over their heads? Then, she’s the best there is at what she does – but what she does ISN’T fighting giant monsters. As the X-Men head to New Orleans in ALL-NEW X-MEN #1.MU, what they uncover deep in the bayou could help turn the tide before it’s too late! Finally, Crystal and her crew head to Italy for an epic throw down in UNCANNY INHUMANS #1.MU. They’ll have a hard enough time shutting down one monster, but when two make landfall in Rome – Crystal and her crew of Inhumans will have to dig deep if they want to save the city and everyone in it!

These four blockbuster titles join January’s Spider-Man/Deadpool #1.MU and Avengers #1.MU! Something big is coming to the Marvel Universe, True Believers. You won’t want to miss a moment of the monster madness whenDOCTOR STRANGE #1.MU, CHAMPIONS #1.MU, UNCANNY INHUMANS #1.MU and ALL-NEW X-MEN #1.MU come to comic shops and digital devices everywhere throughout the month of February! Plus, look for the final .MU one-shots coming in March!

DOCTOR STRANGE #1.MU

Written by CHIP ZDARSKY

Art by JULIAN LOPEZ

Cover by CHIP ZDARSKY
40 pgs. – On Sale in February!

CHAMPIONS #1.MU

Written by JEREMY WHITLEY

Art by RO STEIN & TED BRANDT

Cover by SIMONE BIANCHI
40 pgs. – On Sale in February!

UNCANNY INHUMANS #1.MU

Written by PAUL ALLOR

Art by BRIAN LEVEL

Cover by MICHAEL WALSH
40 pgs. – On Sale in February!

ALL-NEW X-MEN #1.MU

Written by JEREMY WHITLEY

Art by CARLO BARBERI

Cover by ADAM KUBERT
40 pgs. – On Sale in February!

To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook.

Spoiler Review of Marvel Studios Doctor Strange

By: Jim Scroggs

November 10, 2016

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has shown us the power of a hammer, the ingenuity of a brilliant but anxiety riddled billionaire philanthropist and even the simplicity of a teenager trying to make it from day to day in Queens, New York but the one thing that we haven’t seen yet is how truly vast this universe truly is. We certainly have seen other realms in the travels of Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy but those alone don’t compare to the power of what a multiverse can hold and Doctor Strange has shown the entire world that anything is possible in the MCU.

(SPOILERS FOLLOW)

What I Liked:

Benedict Cumberbatch already had my attention when he was cast in this role. His acting resume alone should have gotten plenty of people excited but our introduction to him is as Doctor Stephen Strange, in an ER room performing surgery unsurprisingly, shows a little bit of the arrogance that the character is known for and I’m glad that director Scott Derrickson hit on that at the beginning. The way he tapped into his frustration for losing the use of his hands in an almost vengeful way was also well done and how he progressed into his new role by the use of his most powerful tool, his mind. He claims to have a photographic memory so in a world of genius’s like Tony Stark, Bruce Banner and to an extent, Peter Parker, Stephen Strange could go toe to toe with any of them on a intellectual level. It’s clear that in this universe that there are certain actors born to play these roles and even after his first go as Doctor Strange, I can’t see anyone else stepping into that cloak.

Tilda Swinton's portrayal of The Ancient One was an interesting one when announced but I was on board with it then and I don’t regret my vote in confidence now. She’s an amazing actress in general but to play such a peaceful, zen and still quite dangerous character, she really showed that maybe some gender swapped roles could be a thing of beauty. In an era where we’ve seen powerful and strong women characters in the MCU like Peggy Carter, Black Widow and Scarlet Witch, I’m glad to see another make her mark on the MCU.

Baron Mordo is a bit of an interesting character because in the books, He’s started out as an ally to Stephen but eventually became an enemy over time. In this film, Mordo helps Stephen find Kamar-Taj, the location of The Ancient One in Nepal, and helps him train to find his way in these new surroundings. Later on, Mordo finds out that The Ancient One isn’t exactly what he thought and that sends him down a dark path but the breaking point was during a fight in the 3rd act in Hong Kong. When Strange breaks a rule, Mordo gets fed up with how things have been swept under the rug and goes off on his own to do things how he thinks they should be done. I think Chiwetel Ejiofor did a good job in this role but if I had to nitpick, I would like to have seen more of what he was like before he got to Kamar-Taj. Overall, I think he will be a sound foe for Stephen to face in the future.

Mads Mikkelsen's character, Kaecilius, who is a former student of The Ancient One, is already pretty busy as the film starts. His zealots help him find out the darkest secret of The Ancient One and in fact, he kills the librarian of Kamar Taj to get this secret. It’s revealed at the end of the film that The Ancient One’s secret to long life is from pulling energy from the Dark Dimension and it’s overseer, Dormammu, who is Doctor Strange’s arch enemy in the books. Dormammu can be summoned to earth if three of the Sanctum Sanctorum, which are in New York, London and Hong Kong, are destroyed on Earth.  Marvel’s villains have not been the strongest and I know that’s been discussed at length but Mads seems to be the first in a while that is really intriguing. He’s really good at making his case for eternal life, absolute power and It’s got a bit of a spiritual aspect, which makes sense for this film. He’s not Loki good but there is some potential. There’s a tiny battle between Dormammu and Strange when the Doctor fools Dormammu into a time loop. The moment of  Strange dying over and over again for eternity is used to stall Dormammu instead of harming earth which leads to  striking a deal between the two. When he was “destroyed” by Strange at the Hong Kong fight, Kaecilius floats away into the dark dimension so I think we could see him again in later films.

Doctor Christine Palmer, played by Rachel McAdams, is the closest person to Stephen during his time as neurosurgeon and I think she gave a good performance at calling him on things when nobody else would, being by his side and helping him when he needed it most. If I had to nitpick, I wish there was a little more development in her character and I’d like to see more of her in action considering it seemed like she and Stephen were close intellectually as well but I hope they explore more of her in movies to come.

Wong, which is played by Benedict Wong, was a character that, along with The Ancient One, was updated for the MCU. In the comics, Wong is a, for lack of a better term, man servant to Stephen and I can see how that role wouldn’t be appealing now to an actor. Instead, this portrayal of Wong is a by the book drill sergeant type and trying to keep Strange in line during his training in Kamar-Taj. He’s a fighter and the relationship between him and Strange comes together at the end of the film when he reveals to Stephen that the Eye of Agamotto is indeed an Infinity Stone. I wish I had seen more of Wong and how he came into Kamar Taj but it looks like we could get more of him in the future which is exciting.

The Visuals of this film were some of the most incredible things I’ve seen and this is the definition of lifting source material from the pages of a comic book to the big screen. The art from Steve Ditko came to life in so many ways, especially in 3D. Most people probably would guess “Oh, this is like Inception so I know what to expect” The only similarity of this and Inception is the folding cities and the spinning rooms. Everything else is a complete mind bend. Buildings bend and split in half, Floors become elongated, the streets of New York become upside down and right side up at the same time, Stephen falls into his own eye and hangs inside the pupil like a ledge, and the craziest one of all, tiny hands come out of Stephens finger tips and they keep multiplying over and over. The smallest of details including how amazing Strange looked while floating in the Cloak of Levitation adds so much more to what Doctor Strange fans love about the character. I saw this twice in both 2D as well as 3D and it was worth every second to get the full experience of such an amazing trip.

The Mid and Post Credit Scenes have become a staple with Marvel Studios and these certainly didn’t disappoint. It opens with Thor’s voice stating the earth has wizards now. He’s sitting with Strange and they are discussing over tea, which turns to refillable beer because come on, he’s a sorcerer and he can do that. Stephen mentions that he’s got a list of threats and surprise, Loki is on that list. Thor asks if Strange can help find Odin and in return, Thor, Loki and Odin will see themselves back to Asgard. Strange agrees and it looks like we’ll see those two characters next November in Thor: Ragnarok. The post credit scene opens in a metal shop where the man that told Strange about Kamar Taj is working. He was paralyzed from the chest down and went to The Ancient One to walk again. Mordo comes to see him and after a brief discussion, the man attacks Mordo and Mordo takes the power that helps him walk. Mordo says there are too many sorcerers in the world and he has to eliminate them. This all but sets up one of the villains in the next installment of the Doctor Strange franchise

Not So Much

I felt like some of the humor was a little forced. Two jokes that come to mind is when Strange meets Wong. Strange asks his name and Wong simply responds with Wong. That lead to an overstayed joke about celebrities with one name like Drake, Bono, Aristotle, Adele and Eminem. It went about 5 seconds too long in my opinion and the same goes for the Cloak of Levitation. While the cloak chose Strange during an earlier battle with Caecilius and certainly lead to some amazing effects, it had a lot of personality, which I wasn’t aware of. It kind of acted like a magic carpet at times and some of the bits were kind of slapstick-y.

Verdict

I said a few months back that this film was the perfect entry to come off the high of Captain America: Civil War. In a year of so many movies involving infighting, audiences needed to see a film that could stand alone in a universe, not have too much hype going into it and most of all, be different. Personally, I loved Civil War more than any other film in the MCU because of the addition of Spider-Man and how that movie handled everything that was going on but I think Doctor Strange is up there as an origin story and I would put it in my top 7. This film shows that Marvel Studios is capable of scaling back and still delivering a good story with amazing visuals that isn’t a typical comic book film. An entire new world has opened up so sit back and enjoy this long, strange trip that you won’t regret.

Marvel Studios Doctor Strange is in theaters now.