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Doctor Strange pushes the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a bold new direction

Cool Reloaded with Swagga T

Some people say we are already living in hell because of much heat, but we just have to understand about global warming. After all, I hope wherever you are going, you always have a sun hat, sunscreen or sunglasses.There is no need to curse God for the weather because we are blessed, some are languishing in floods.

The exams are almost complete and now the headache is what’s next after school.

This is the time when most parents have headaches over the long holiday, especially in trying to keep their children out of mischief. Stay off drugs and sexual activities.

We say happy birthday to our girl Kendall Jenner. She celebrated her birthday in style as she wore a tiny plunging silver dress worth $9k as she celebrates her 21st with friends and family.

Kendall risked a serious wardrobe malfunction as she arrived to celebrate her 21st birthday at trendy Delilah in Hollywood.

The reality star wore an extreme plunging silver glittering Swarovski crystal mini dress worth $9 000 which was carefully placed to protect her modesty and showed off her assets.

The party girl carried a cute little perspex bag and had a thin grey cord necklace which was wrapped around her neck.

Many thanks to the teens who thronged the Ster Kinekor theatres for the Halloween “Trick or Treat” event. However, some still have questions on why we celebrate Halloween when it is a borrowed phenomenon.

Yes, it is not part of our culture but those who choose to believe it had a good time, scaring each other and dressing up.

Our movie of the week is “Doctor Strange”, which is already showing on all Ster Kinekor theatres.

The movie was directed by Scott Derrickson under Marvel Studios with storyline by Scott Derrickson, C Robert Cargill and Jon Spaihts.

It stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Scott Adkins and Benedict Wong.

According to AA Dowd, there has never been anything particularly special about the special effects in the Marvel movies as “Doctor Strange” is different.

On the surface, “Doctor Strange” pushes the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a bold new direction.

By eschewing the usual stories of technologically-gifted playboys and noble super soldiers for a world ruled by magic, “Doctor Strange” feels fresh.

It crackles with energy, moving from one plot point to the next, not wasting any moment.

This was also the first time we ever noticed the musical score on first viewing of a Marvel film — it doesn’t create an iconic theme for its hero but imbues the film with the appropriate mood.

The visuals are electrifying and CGI is used very well to build a world far different than anything else we’ve seen in superhero adaptations recently.

But for all of its wondrous world-building and trippy effects, “Doctor Strange” isn’t the evolutionary step forward for Marvel that it needs to be storytelling-wise.

Underneath all of its improvements, the core narrative is something we’ve seen countless times.

It is an action, adventure, fantasy and science fiction film.

Plot

Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a genius, rich neurosurgeon with an ego that could rival Tony Stark’s.

He moves through the world with little regard for the people around him. After being distracted looking at medical documents while driving (he may be smart but his ego makes him think he’s invulnerable), Strange gets into a brutal car accident that wrecks his hands.

His scarred, trembling hands are a constant reminder of the man he once was and never will be again. This doesn’t make Strange rethink the way he lives.

Instead, as one surgery after another fails, he becomes crueller and more withdrawn, even lashing out at ex-lover or co-worker Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), who is the last person on whom he can depend; his world of medicine and science has failed him.

But after receiving a tip from Jonathan Pangborn (a charismatic, underutilised Benjamin Bratt), Strange finds himself under the tutelage of The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) in Nepal, who opens him up to worlds he never believed existed.

The visual landscape of their first encounter is the film at its most daring. He bounces between dimensions that resemble the dark beauty of outer space to those that are a kaleidoscope of colours.

Make a date at the movies and cool off this exam stress.

I am out and keep swaggering.