After DC released the debut trailers for their next two cinematic events, Marvel took a swing with the second trailer for Doctor Strange, and it is something to behold!
Those who say that every super-hero film looks the same may have had a point, up until now, as Doctor Strange looks like Marvel’s game changing Winter blockbuster.
Watch it now:
Opening through an establishing shot, it introduces Dr Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game, Star Trek: Into Darkness) as he washes his hands, lifts his hygiene mask, plays the piano and crosses his suit in a full suit. As he does this, the sound of his piano is layered underneath a voice-over of The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton – The Chronicles of Narnia, Moonrise Kingdom) saying “Doctor Strange, you think you know how the world works.” The scenery then changes to a shot of him in his Lamborghini, crashing into another car, followed by him laying in a hospital bed with a damaged face, but absolutely crushed and destroyed hands. At this point, his wife Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams – Spotlight, Red Eye) is sat heartbroken next to his hospital bed. The Ancient One continues, “What if I told you, the reality you know is one of many?” At this point, Strange is seen with long hair and a beard, inside a dojo in front of The Ancient One. As she approaches him, with him stepping backwards for every step forward she takes, part of the reality behind him opens, with him backing through it. As he realises what has happened, he states “This doesn’t make any sense” to which The Ancient One immediately replies “Not everything does. Not everything has to”. Just as the camera is about to pass through the reality, it fades to a newly styled ‘Marvel Studios’ title with a kaleidoscope-esque background.
With another establishing shot of the city it returns to the mountain top dojo with another voice-over of The Ancient One, as she stands central in the courtyard “Through the mystic arts, we harness energy an shape reality.” As the sentence closes, a monk in yellow robes stands in the middle of the street waving his hand, causing the buildings begin to change and manipulate their exterior form. An orange portal then forms around him, before cutting to The Ancient One and Strange walking through a similar portal on top of snowy mountains, “We travel great distances in an instant.” Impressed, Strange gazes over the mountain scape. Returning to the dojo, Strange asks “How do I get from here to there?” as the courtyard is seen to be full of monks doing martial arts, with Strange amongst them, learning. The Ancient One responds, “How did you become a doctor?” as she grabs what can only be assumed to be an Encantus, as Strange opens it, he replies “Study and practice. Years of it” With The Ancient One agreeing, it cuts to a shot of Strange’s hand over the Encantus, casting a spell, causing a mystic wall to be placed in front of him. Asking “What the?”, the wall retracts and disappears.
For the first time, Baron Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave, The Martian) enters the screen stating “There’s a strength to him”, to which Wong (Benedict Wong – The Martian, Prometheus) asks “But is he ready?”. As if to suggest that he is, Strange approaches a glass cage holding the characters iconic red cape. Upon Strange looking out of his window, it cuts to Wong warning him “Be careful which path you travel down Strange, stronger men than you have tried.” As he says this, it shows Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen – Hannibal, Casino Royale) with two henchmen, amongst a destroyed street, signifying their power. After announcing its release ‘This Fall’ it shows a birds-eye-view of a city under attack, to which Kaecilius announces “I am death and pain” after which he performs a spell similar to that of the monk in the middle of the street earlier in the trailer. Showing Christine to be vulnerable, it briefly shows a close up the city under attack, followed by her in a hospital attending to a patient as the equipment sparks around her. Returning to Kaecilius, as he walks through a church he states “You will die protecting this world”, before a rotating shot of a city with buildings bending and another orange portal. Strange (now in his red robes) claims “I can’t do this” to which Mordo warns him “There is no other way.” It then displays Strange against one of Kaecilius’ henchmen in a battle of sorcery.
After an intertitle telling you to ‘Question Reality’, it shows Strange casting a spell, reversing the destruction of an area, fixing buildings, as another title says to ‘Change Your Destiny’. Strange and Mordo are side by side as they run down the street, before we see a bending building with Kaecilius and his henchmen jumping over it towards the camera, landing on another building, causing a ripple down it, followed by an incredible shot of a triad of the same city, each opening up on itself. The Ancient One then delivers the graviy of the situation by telling Strange that “I’ve spent so many years, hearing through time… Looking for you.” As the sentence closes we witness Strange throwing his cape onto himself in an impressive manner, before he runs alongside a building with Mordo, watching it unfold. Literally. Cue the title, ‘Doctor Strange’. Once the music has calmed through the title, it shows Mordo handing Strange a piece of paper reading ‘shamballa’, causing Strange to ask, “What’s this, my mantra?” As he leaves the room, Mordo simply replies, “It’s the wifi password. We’re not savages” before closing the door and briefly cutting to Strange in full power.
That is an incredibly difficult trailer to comprehend as it unfolds and is full of mind-meltingly impressive visuals and concepts.
The first major thing you may notice when watching this is it’s very impressive cast line-up with Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton, as well as Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams and Chiwetel Ejiofor who have been nominated for academy Awards, on top of other cast members such as Benedict Wong and Mads Mikkelson who are likely to bring in audience members on their own.
A thought that came to mind, as well as being the leading thought of others is how similar this seems to be to Nolan’s masterpiece Inception, on the basis that there are bending buildings and manipulated earth-structure, and rightly so as it is incredibly uncanny. On the other hand, it is clear that this film’s likeness to Inception will most likely only be through the previously stated factors, and the certainty that it will force you to make full use of your brain to make sense of it as it plays out. One thing is for sure, and that’s the fact that this is going to be even more mesmerizing in 3D.
An intelligent piece of editing (apart from the entire trailer) is at the very beginning and the emphasis on the use of Strange’s hands, given his occupation as a surgeon, before they are seen to be destroyed. It’s very subtle yet very obvious at the same time, and is clearly shown to be why he can no longer continue as a surgeon, eventually causing him to go on his journey to attempt to fix them, staying true to the comics.
A growing complaint people have had with Marvel films is the level and quantity of humour within their films, and the ability for the humour to retract the intensity of the situation. However, there is only one piece of humour in this trailer, and it is placed right at the very end after the intensity and power of the action packed trailer, as to not ruin the momentum and rhythm of the editing. As for the amount of humour within the film itself is yet to be seen, but by the looks of the first two trailer, Marvel appear to have perfected the balance.
This is also supported by the fact that it is written and directed by Scott Derrickson. Derrickson currently has 7 feature film directorial roles credited on IMDB (including Doctor Strange), 5 of which are horror films with the other two (including Doctor Strange) being sci-fi. Although this does not mean that there won’t be any humour, it means that it is likely to be a lot more serious, as well as the chance of prolonged suspense and edge of your seat moments.
Doctor Strange is set to be released on 28th October in the UK, and 4th November in the US.
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