After a car
accident leaves him with nerve damage that ends his career as a New York
neurosurgeon, Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) travels to Kathmandu in the hope
of finding an otherworldly cure for his injuries. There, a powerful mystic
known as the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) accepts him as her pupil and trains
him in the art of sorcery. Eventually, Strange must use his new powers to stop
a rival (Mads Mikkelsen) from causing chaos by accessing the Dark Dimension.
Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Benedict Wong co-star in this entry in
the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister). ~ Jack
Rodgers, Rovi
Director: Scott Derrickson
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams,
Michael Stuhlbarg, Benedict Wong, Tilda Swinton
Release Date: Nov
04, 2016
Rated PG-13 for Sci-Fi Violence and Action and an Intense
Crash Sequence
Runtime: 1 hr. 55 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
Doctor Strange is a visually
impressive origin story that’s better than it should be most due to its
cast.That’s not to say that director
Scott Derrickson doesn’t do some impressive cinematic gymnastics because he
does.Its just that when you peel back
all visual flourishes its plot feels incredibly familiar with magic taking the
place of superhero powers.Thankfully, the
film is a generally enjoyable thanks to some strong turns by Benedict
Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton.Benedict
Cumberbatch feels perfect for the roles and he’s clearly having a great time
throughout.The real stand out though is
Tilda Swinton who’s generally the most interesting actor on screen
throughout.It’s a bit of a
disappointment that the other great actors assembled aren’t given much to
do.Mads Mikkelsen, Rachel McAdams and
Chiwetel Ejiofor are all saddled with some terribly underwritten and generic
characters.It’s a shame because they
are all excellent actors and with better material this film could have been
something truly special.As is, the film
is a solid addition to the ever expanding Marvel Cinematic universe.
Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Doctor Strange and Hacksaw Ridge, two movies that I anticipated about as much as a fork in the eye. (Any 80s metal fans guess what I'm listening to as I write?) Fortunately, one of them had the decency to be better than expected.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
First on the agenda: Marvel's latest cinema smash, Doctor Strange.
Following a car accident that cost him his career, an arrogant doctor is awakened to a whole new world.
Ladies and gents, if I had to describe Doctor Strange in one word, that word would be "trippy."
Of course I'm gonna use a lot more words than that, but...yeah...trippy. I saw it in 2D, but I'll go on record as recommending the 3D unreservedly; I'm entirely convinced it's worth-the-upcharge spectacular. Inception-Meets-Pink-Floyd-Laser-Show special effects are Doctor Strange's primary virtue, but Marvel has hit it out of the park on casting again, as well.
Benedict Cumberbatch is mesmerising as Strange, and make no mistake, he HAS to be.
Strange is the Dr. House of comic books; he's abrasive and needs the right portrayal for fans to warm to him. In Cumberbatch, he's got it. Chiwetel Ejifor and Mads Mikkelsen lead a supporting cast that is almost uniformly terrific.
The movie could have done with more Rachel McAdams and less Tilda Swinton, but Benedict Wong nearly walks off with the whole thing anyway. Michael Giacchino's epic score provides perfect accompaniment to the huge set pieces and fantastic action.
The movie features the requisite Stan Lee cameo and a couple quick reminders that you're supposed to love it because it's from the people who gave you the Avengers. Guys...THE AVENGERS!!
Don't forget now! Marvel's trademark humor occasionally seems shoehorned into situations where it feels awkward, ill-fitting, and inappropriate, but it mostly hits the mark. Story-wise, Doctor Strange is a generic origins tale that dwells too long on certain bits, making it seem bloated even though it's not really that long. It's a movie with some great elements, but hardly a great movie.
Doctor Strange clocks in at 115 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sci-fi violence and action throughout, and an intense crash sequence."
Doctor Strange never fails to entertain, but, ultimately, it's nothing special.
And if that's not Marvel's corporate slogan...well...it should be.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Doctor Strange gets seven.
Fangirl points: Benjamin Bratt! Michael Stuhlbarg!
Next up: Hacksaw Ridge.
A young man whose faith keeps him from carrying a weapon hopes to serve as a combat medic in World War II. (A.K.A. "War is Hell. Literally.")
Hacksaw Ridge is an inspiring tale that, in someone else's hands, might have made a great movie. In director Mel Gibson's hands, it's two hours of being clubbed over the head with an agenda. Andrew Garfield heads a magnificent cast with zero weak links.
I'd hoped this might be Garfield's step up to a long-deserved Oscar nod, and I'm not sure it's that, but he is brilliant nonetheless. Hugo Weaving is heartbreaking in a scene-stealing turn that'll have you digging for the Kleenex, and Luke Bracey, Sam Worthington, and Vince Vaughn (you heard me) flesh out a memorable supporting cast with excellent chemistry. Sound mixing and editing are spectacular as well. That's the good news.
The bad news is, Hacksaw Ridge has little else going for it. An excessive runtime exacerbates the feeling that it never gets anywhere. The terrible physical toll of war is detailed in such up-close, prolonged excess that it strays into Tropic Thunder territory. War = Bad. We've got it. No need to spend half the film focused on men you can't tell from lunchmeat.
The faith angle gets full marks for its earnestness, but, again, is so unsubtle as to be comical. If I'd rolled my eyes any harder, I'd be writing this out the back of my head. Ultimately, you can't help feeling such an extraordinary story deserved better.
Hacksaw Ridge runs 131 minutes and is rated R for "intense, prolonged, realistically-graphic sequences of war violence, including grisly, bloody images."
Hacksaw Ridge is an inexcusably pedestrian telling of an amazing tale.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Hacksaw Ridge gets four.
A cop and a priest team up on a case of demonic possession in this Screen
Gems horror film. Scott Derrickson directs from a script he wrote with Paul
Harris Boardman. Eric Bana, Édgar Ramírez, and Olivia Munn star. ~ Jeremy
Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Scott Derrickson
Cast: Eric Bana, Edgar Ramirez, Olivia Munn, Sean Harris,
Joel McHale
Release Date: Jul
02, 2014
Runtime: 1 hr. 58 min.
Genres: Horror
Review:
Deliver Us from Evil has an interesting conceit of mixing police
procedural with an exorcism tale.Scott
Derrickson’s film establishes a nice bit of atmosphere at the start but the
tension and scares are rather lacking.The main issue at play is that everything is terribly routine for even
the greenest of genre fans.It’s a
difficult thing to take something you’ve seen millions of times before and make
it interesting, something that made last years The Conjuring so
impressive.Derrickson’s film is
watchable if a tad overlong.Sadly it’s
not terribly memorable either except for Bana and Munn’s mega NU YARK accents
and Jole McHale’s random inclusion.The
best thing about the film is obviously Edgar Ramirez who’s just effortless as
the coolest Jesuit priest this side of The Exorcist.Deliver Us from Evil is the kind of film that
show up on cable at some point in the future and you watch portions of it,
never actually watching the whole thing in the long run, cinematic purgatory.
A struggling true-crime novelist stumbles into a grim supernatural mystery that threatens the lives of his entire family in this nightmarish horror yarn from director Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Day the Earth Stood Still). Ellison (Ethan Hawke) is seeking inspiration for his latest book when he moves his wife and children into a home where an entire family perished under gruesome circumstances. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Scott Derrickson
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Fred Dalton Thompson, James Ransone, Michael Hall D'Addario, Rob Riley
Release Date: Oct 12, 2012
Rated R For some Terror and Disturbing Violent Images
Runtime: 1 hr. 49 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Sinister is the type of horror movie that’s heavy on atmosphere and tension with a sporadic sprinkling of gore and violence. Scott Derrickson returns the horror genre after his failed attempt at remaking a sci-fi classic. Derrickson understands mood and how to shoot a film in order to give it an overreacting sense of dread. It’s visually dark but beautiful as well capturing something a lot of horror films miss. Ethan Hawke is solid in the lead even if sweater loving character is written as an outright jerk. The script limits our empathy for him since he seems to have very little regard for his family and their wellbeing. The aforementioned family is terribly under developed which is a shame since it would have made the film stronger overall. Strangely, a police officer is given more meat than the writers wife. James Ransone plays the character about as hockey as possible killing the mood anytime he shows up on screen. The payoff is solid if a tab bit obvious due to the overuse of certain ghosts.
