Doctor Strange (2007)

I decided to give this a watch to get learn some background on Doctor Strange before the new movie comes out. I was very disappointed with this. I was hoping to see some cool animated magic fights but there was only one and it comes with eight minutes left in the movie. There are a lot of sword fights that do look good but are not what I wanted to see with a character that deals with magic. I was also hoping to see some other different worlds but again there was only one scene that was on a different world. The credits did show some images that I am guessing that are from Doctor Strange comics that were more interesting looking than what we got.

Adaptations of comics books are often the object of debates on the truthfulness and adherence to the original panels. However I won't go into that discussion or repeat the synopsis of "Doctor Strange". Instead I'd like to talk about the animation of this film.I believe what sets animation films apart from other visual arts is the poetic flight of fantasy they offer: the voluntary self-delusion that lines and dots can emote and convey sentiments. The illusion (self-delusion) is achieved mainly through fluid and trompe-l'oeil-like techniques that turn static drawings into kinetic characters.When measured on that self-delusion gauge, I'm afraid "Doctor Strange" is a very inert movie. The animation is jerky, the bodies are disjointed. The characters are all angular(even Wong's face is all corners and angles). Is this to compensate for the bluntness of the script?Why "Doctor Strange" so often appears on personal recommendation lists is a puzzle to me. Perhaps those people are engrossed with the "stop-motion" rendition of their favourite comics. The fact remains that Marvel Studios seem to have lost their ability to make animated movies. I for one am sad about this and eagerly await the day Marvel produces a "Spirited Away".PS: If you're looking for a more fluidly animated comic, have a look at "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1"

As someone who is aware of who Doctor Strange is but not much beyond that, I greatly enjoyed this well told, well animated telling of his origin.There is a good balance between action and story in this film, and Strange's battle with the flaws of his character is well portrayed. The action sequences are well choreographed and imaginatively staged, and it is good to see magic as the basis of super-hero action sequences rather than simply physical powers.Mordo and Dormammu are, of course, excellent antagonists, and the film finishes well set up for a sequel.I rather hope it gets it.

This is by far the best animated movie Marvel has produced so far. It takes a lot from Batman Begins as we watch Stephen Strange go on a similar journey. We have a man who is a cold-hearted surgeon (and as we find out later, has good reason to be) yet he is tasked with helping people on a daily basis. This makes for some great drama when we see how people react to Stephen Strange knowing this to be his personality. It is only when Dr. Strange becomes broken does he learn how to truly heal and it is that kind of spiritual journey that makes this story so interesting. As with most origin stories there is a slow build as the character learns about himself and what he must become in order to overcome his current situation. There is also influence from 'The Matrix' here as Dr. Strange is introduced to a world which is invisible to most but is all around us. This is where the action comes in as we see The Ancient One's warriors take on creatures from another world that are at the command of one of Dr. Strange's classic nemesis, Dormammu! It all leads up to a climactic battle that will not disappoint. Marvel is definitely learning how to improve with each new animated film and I hope this trend continues.