Doctor Strange: Holy Cow, I Love It!

Movie Review: Doctor Strange (2016)
Version: Library Borrow

Holy cow! I'm tired of Marvel Comics superhero movie conversions, but I loved Doctor Strange!

Benedict Cumberbatch, always larger than life in his character portrayals, is the perfect choice to play the lead in this futuristic fantasy superhero film that also delves into martial arts mysticism.

Dr. Stephen Strange is a world class surgeon with an extreme focus on his work. When he's more focused on his work than on driving, he gets into a horrible accident, the consequences of which are damage to the nerves and tendons in his talented hands. Seeking redemption through Eastern Mysticism, Dr. Strange heads to Nepal, where he is taken under the tutelage of The Ancient One, a sorcerer played by Tilda Swinton. Dr. Strange learns the ancient arts of defending the Earth from attack by other dimensions in the multiverse.

Dr. Strange is more than adept at learning the arts and becomes a top student, consuming knowledge from ancient books at a furious rate. It ultimately brings him into conflict with Dormammu, the lord of the Dark Dimension, who has been plotting to take over the Earth and foil The Ancient One. Being a genius, Dr. Strange uses his smarts to overcome Dormammu. As is usual in a Marvel Comics superhero story, the hero's mentor dies in defending the Earth and a colleague turns to the dark side after becoming disillusioned by the hero's actions.

I won't say more about the story line to ensure I don't spoil anything. (Wikipedia explains Dr. Strange (film).)

The film features lots of martial arts battles and cheeky dialog. The special effects are great, and the cast is a winner, too. I can't think of anyone in the family this film isn't great for, unless it's someone who doesn't like fight scenes, fantasy films, superhero movies, or fun. Our whole family loved it and I think your family will, too.

Washington Post Best Books Lists

Looking for a good read or two to get you through the doldrums of the coming winter? Here are the lists of 10-best books from The Washington Post. Some great sounding titles.

• The 10 best books of 2015
• Notable fiction books of 2015
• Notable nonfiction books of 2015
• Best mystery and thriller books of 2015
• Best science fiction and fantasy books of 2015
• Best romance novels of 2015
• Best audiobooks of 2015

If you can't find something entertaining to read here...

Enjoy!