Short Attention Span Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

Short Attention Span Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

As an avid fan of the character, it may be a bit of a surprise that it took this long for me to finally sit down with Doctor Strange, but I have five children and movie tickets are expensive.  Anyhow, I recently viewed Marvel's latest blockbuster, and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed.  In all honesty, while I'm a big fan of the character, this was a situation where I wondered how well the property would translate to the screen.  Of course, I felt the same way about Guardians of the Galaxy and we all know how that turned out--and I guess maybe I should stop worrying about them fouling Iron Fist up.  While I may have wanted a to see a bit more horror in the proceedings, particularly with Scott Derrickson serving as director, I can't complain about the final product.  Doctor Strange may not be a classic, but it is a polished feature film with a wealth of excitement and an ever greater array of impressive special effects.  The characters were well-drawn, the plot delivered far more action than we often see in a typical origin tale, and the picture seems to fit nicely within the Marvel cinematic universe.  Benedict Cumberbatch was a fine choice for the title role, deftly portraying the arrogance, the vanity, and the expertise that make this hero so prickly yet remarkable.  Bonus points: the costume is positively magnificent and the Cloak of Levitation may have stolen a few scenes along the way.  Tilda Swinton was a nifty choice for the part of Strange's mentor, the Ancient One, and Mads Mikkelson oozed menace as the villain.  Casting the versatile Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo was another inspired choice, and his role in the franchise could yield some monumental storylines moving forward.  No, this one wasn't on the same level as Guardians of the Galaxy or Captain America: Civil War (or Captain America: The Winter Soldier), but it was a rock solid beginning for a kooky character who brings something decidedly different to Marvel's wildly successful cinematic landscape.

Final Grade: B+

I don't really have any complaints about Doctor Strange, but I would single out star Benedict Cumberbatch and the mind-boggling special effects as the biggest keys to its success.

Don't Blame Vince for True Detective's Woes

Full Disclosure: I'm a big Vince Vaughn fan.  I believe he has serious chops in addition to his obvious gift for comedy.  I thought he was really good in both The Cell and Return to Paradise and I definitely have a lot of love for Clay Pigeons.  When it comes to the comedy, I probably dig this dude more than anyone else in the laugh business these days, but that's another story.  All of this brings me to the second season of True Detective on HBO, which has been a moderately entertaining disappointment thus far--and we're skating downhill at this point.  Now, I saw this coming, so I'm not as distraught as some of the show's biggest critics.  Did anyone really think there was anything they could do to top last year's kooky Bayou blitz?  I sure as hell didn't.  That plot was golden and we got Woody Harrelson at his steady best getting absolutely blown away by Matthew McConaughey as he hit new levels of creepy cool.  There was no way that Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, and Taylor Kitsch were going to match that shit.  Now, Farrell has been awesome as a slimy cop on the take, McAdams has excelled with her sex-obsessed hothead detective, and Kitsch isn't necessarily mucking things up as a gay homophobe with a death wish (if you don't like my description of the character, please give me a better one).  Yet at their very best, none of these cats stood a chance of going toe to toe with Mad McConaughey. 

Anyway, the show hasn't lived up to expectations and I've read a lot of bad press regarding Vince Vaughn as the heavy.  Some seem to think that he is largely to blame for the fact that this season is a far cry from the glory of that marvelous first season, one of the best seasons of television ever produced.  Look, whatever shortcomings the show has, it isn't on Vince.  Some of his dialogue has been a bit overwrought (his basement monologue was certainly uneven in spots), but I think he's killing it.  There's definitely a The Long Good Friday vibe to his mobster who wanted to go legit only to get forced back into the game in a big way, but the role remains fresh and I think his arc is the best thing about this season of True Detective.  I like the cops, but I would watch this show if it was strictly centered on Vaughn's character.  Frank Semyon is a manipulative bastard who is fully capable of getting his hands dirty, but he's mostly successful at masking his destructive prowess, and at his best he is actually a warm and charismatic human being.  As his best laid plans continue to unravel, I find myself rooting for the guy even though he deserves exactly what's coming to him. 

In closing, the second season of True Detective isn't as good as the first one.  It isn't really all that close, but shame on those who thought that wouldn't be the case.  Regardless, it's a solid show and the talent is delivering the goods, particularly Vince Vaughn, who is stealing the show in a rare non-comedic role.  Dude is money.  That's my take, anyway.  Let me know if you disagree.