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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 309696" data-attributes="member: 23">Doctor Strange (2016) <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-PRM6cBT6rhM%2FWsrx1jkpc9I%2FAAAAAAABhmE%2F-pJWNtCUvGMS6Kmh0ehVPOL87CpMg00fgCLcBGAs%2Fs1600%2FMatt-Ferguson-Dr-Strange-Movie-Poster-Glow-in-The-Dark-2018-Grey-Matter-Art.jpg&f=1&nofb=1" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 412px" />Strange is yet another character who was a recurring constant presence in my comics-reading days but to whom I never particularly connected. I found both the character and his powers to be inaccessible and difficult to relate to. Apart from some of his appearances in The Avengers or other guest-appearances, the closest I came to reading him on a regular basis was buying the Strange Tales title in the late-Eighties, but even here I bought that comic for the Cloak & Dagger strip and tended to either skim over his half or skip it altogether. I didn’t actually know his origin (indeed, I wasn’t sure whether he even had one, or he was just this mystical presence that materialised) which was almost certainly an asset in approaching the film (especially with the inevitable changes made to race and gender of supporting characters). I found the background interesting enough. There’s lots about the film I enjoyed far more than expected: As mentioned a post or two ago, Michael Giacchino’s score is great and balanced the traditional with the contemporary really well. I also liked that he incorporated traditional Eastern sounds in at times. The mysticism felt rooted in relatable philosophies with the concepts of energies being accessed and used, and the concept of things just beyond our understanding, and I really enjoyed Strange’s journey of self-discovery as his mind opened to look past the science to the possible. There was even time for a few existential questions to be pondered, which added a little substance. Less enjoyable for me - though not entirely unexpected given the subject matter - were the effects. With reality warping inherent to the story and character, this was always going to be an effects extravaganza and it really does feel as though the effects crew threw pretty much everything at this film. This is where it lost me. Intellectually I can rationalise that this is exactly what warped or alternative realities may look like. But the bottom line is that I thought they looked really cheap and silly. The same goes for Dormammu. It felt a bit like watching an old film that’s used animation to enhance the live-action story. It has its own kind of vintage charm, but it hasn’t dated well. This one looks dated to begin with, so I wonder how it will look to people in fifty years’ time. On the plus side, I really did love the animation for the Cloak Of Levitation. It almost felt like its own character - like the Magic Carpet in Aladdin. I’d always imagined Strange speaking with a mid-Atlantic accent (think of a toned down version of Sideshow Bob). British Benedict Cumberbatch would seem the ideal person to tap into this kind of upmarket sound. The accent he used, while convincingly American to my ears, didn’t fit the character for me. I didn't envisage him so smart-mouthed, either. The vocal fry surprised me (unpleasantly), but according to <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/best-of-science-friday-2021/" target="_blank">some sources</a> it seems he’s known for it. I learn something new every day. In many ways, this film surpassed my expectations. It was certainly enjoyable enough. The abundance of obvious CGI, though, is never going to endear me. </blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?