I have seen two movies from Disney Marvel Studios that represent rather radical departures from what I had watched before. Doctor Strange is one of them, and I will take a look at the other next week.
Featuring a stellar cast and mind-bending special effects in an intriguing blend of eastern mysticism and science fiction, this was complexly designed, and appropriate attention was paid to the philosophical concepts underlying the strange physics. Even though there were no references to my own faith, my Christian orientation helped me to track with some of the themes – most notably, that of hidden dimensions within our everyday surroundings.
I also related to the theme of the arrogant but talented doctor who receives his come-uppance and learns humility as his understanding of the universe is expanded.
I’m a college professor, and I have humorously thought what it would be like to hear any of my students exclaim to me Strange’s earnest petition to The Ancient One: “Teach me!”
What a lineup: Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo, Benedict Wong as (well…) Wong, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, and Mads Mikkelson as Kaecillius, etc.
Owing to the busy (but, strangely, not distracting) visuals and dense concepts, this is one movie that merits repeated viewings. This character makes an interesting addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The doctor is in.
PNEUMYTHOLOGY 
I was surprised to find that I liked this movie. I’m not a fan of Cumberbatch so I was all set to dislike it, but while he is still an annoying actor, the movie was still very watchable.
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I’ve had the opportunity to see him in a number of roles in which he was able to demonstrate considerable range as an actor. In one, he was hard to recognize, so he has the chops. My brother also gave him credit for very good motion capture work as Smaug (I can acknowledge that much while saying that I thought the movie was an abomination). It seems that he gets cast to play obnoxious, arrogant characters much of the time.
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Maybe that’s it, because I had no trouble with his version of Smaug, although I disliked the rest of the movie. Go figure!
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Professor I appreciate these weekly Monday posts on comics, heroes, mythical characters, etc
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It’s a fun topic and a chance to feed my inner ten-year-old…
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Maybe I need to see this one again. I had been looking forward to it but found it more flash than inner oomph. Though some of the flash was spectacular!
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I felt that there was plenty of concept, but that could be at least partly due to my nodding exposure to comparative religion. I often think beyond what a movie is specifically saying, but I did like the abstraction between physics and religion.
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