Sometimes, the best fight scenes in movies, does not necessarily mean involving two masculine fighters with pumped-up muscles slugging it out to the very end. Sometimes, we have to give credit to those older people who with their experience and knowledge throughout the years have mastered their craft and will certainly give their opponent, one hell of a fight. Now in Dateline Movies, we will tackle those awesome fight scenes involving two elderlies, fist VS fist, cane VS cane, mind VS might, whichever you prefer. Mr. Carl Fredricksen VS Charles F. Muntz - UP
Up is a computer-animated, comedy, drama and adventure movie all rolled into one made by Pixar Animation Studios and was released on May 29, 2009. It stars the voices of Ed Asner as the elderly widower Carl Fredricksen, Christopher Plummer as the old explorer Charles Muntz and Jordan Nagai as the young Wilderness Explorer scout named Russell.
In this hilarious fight scene, Fredricksen who is 78 years old and Charles Muntz, aged about 92, battle it out, using sword against an improvised quadropod (and some dentures), inspite of their back problems. * age of characters courtesy of pixar talk at http://www.pixartalk.com/2009/07/fredricksn-muntz-age/
Henry "Razor" Sharp VS Billy "The Kid" McDonnen - Grudge Match
Grudge Match is a comedy movie released in 2013 and stars Robert De Niro as Billy "The Kid" McDonnen and Sylvester Stallone as Henry "Razor" Sharp, two aging Pittsburgh boxers, back to the ring again, after almost 30 years of retiring as boxers, fighting for one last time to settle their differences in a finale called "Grudgement Day".
I cannot find a video of their fight scene. Instead the video here shows the agonizing and the grueling pains these two men willingly undergo to be in a proper shape to act as really boxers in spite of their ages. As we all know Sylvester Stallone is famous as Rocky Balboa for his Rocky movies, which as of last counting has already 7 film franchises and another one is set to be released next year 2017 for Creed 2. Robert De Niro, on the other hand, made his mark in the movieworld with his black and white sports drama flick about the life of Jake LaMotta in 1980, Raging Bull. For his portrayal of the role as Jake LaMotta, Robert de Niro won the Best Actor Award at the 53rd Academy Award. So this two are really worth watching and colliding as boxers and they know how to kick one's ass. Their dedication to bring this movie into fruition is something worth seeing. Agent Frank Horrigan VS Mitch Leary - In the Line of Fire
A movie directed by German film director and screenwriter Wolfgang Petersen, In the Line of Fire stars multi-talented Clint Eastwood as the aging Secret Service Agent Frank Horrigan who is haunted by his past due to his failure to protect then President John F. Kennedy and John Malkovich as the former psychotic CIA agent hellbent on assassinating the present President of the United States.
Angered that Frank was able to foil his attempt to kill the President of the United States, Mitch dragged Frank to the external elevator of the hotel, stops it midway and knocks out the lights to prevent sharpshooters in taking a clear shot at him. Wisely using his earpiece to communicate with his team below, Frank gives instructions to them to aim high and fire at the elevator. As the glasses of the elevator shatters, Mitch falls but was caught by Frank. Unfortunately, Mitch decided to die instead of spending life in prison. A memorable scene and a great example of using mind against might.
Yoda VSSenator Palpatine (Darth Sidious) - Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released on May 19, 2005 and was directed by George Lucas. It was the third and the last installment of the Star Wars Prequel trilogy that started with Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 1999 and followed by Star Wars Episode II: Attack of The Clones in 2002. It stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker and Frank Oz. It is set in a galaxy far, far away.
874 year old Jedi Grand Master Yoda (played by Frank Oz) engages in a ferocious battle against the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious (played by Ian McDiarmid) under the guise of Senator Palpatine at the Senate Building. After waiting for a long time to this battle against Yoda, Darth Sidious unleashes the full power of the Dark Side and Yoda countering it with his full Jedi force, green lightsaber against red lightsaber duel, Force Lightning against Force Push . An epic battle nonetheless (complete with the orchestral and choral accompaniment) that unfortunately ends in a stalemate.
Gandalf VS Saruman - Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is an adventure-fantasy film based upon the book of JRR Tolkien and was made into a film by Peter Jackson. It was released in 2001 and stars Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm and Andy Serkis. It is set in an imaginary world called Middle Earth where Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Orcs, Hobbits, Dark Lords, dragons and magic exists.
Of all the fight scenes in these countdown, I think this is the best of them all. Ian McKellen as the Istari Wizard named Gandalf the Grey and Sir Christopher Lee as the fallen head of the Istari Order named Saruman the White, fighting it out with their magic staff. At first Gandalf was seeking the help of Saruman against the coming threat of Sauron. But unfortunately, Gandalf becomes aware that the head of his order has succumbed to the dark side. There you have it folks, my countdown of the Best Senior Battles in Movies. How about you, what's your favorite Senior Battle?
Welcome to Dateline Movies and we are helping the local movie industry by promoting a new flick by Bossing, the one and only Vic Sotto. He's back for the 10th time as Enteng Kabisote together with his friends from the popular noon-time show Eat Bulaga.
In the tradition of offering family-friendly fare, Vic Sotto and his Dabarkads are back for another blockbuster fantasy-adventure movie based on the well-loved Pinoy pop culture icon! Kids are in for a treat as Bossing reprises his beloved role as Enteng Kabisote in the latest installment of the movie series titled: Enteng Kabisote 10 and The Abangers.
The comedy-adventure movie follows the reluctant hero in his latest fantastical escapade. Through hard work and determination, Enteng Kabisote has used his talent to “butingting everything” to become an ironworks and robotics magnate. Since his last adventure in Engkantasya, he has settled down to becoming a successful businessman, community leader, and a doting grandfather to his cute and bubbly grandchild Benokis, as his son Benok (Oyo Boy Sotto) tackles fatherhood and his duty as a law enforcer. Little does he know that trouble is brewing and he will be called on once again to save the world.
Enteng’s nemesis is Kwak-kwak (played by Epi Quizon), a power-obsessed villain who was booted out from Engkantasya. He has the capability to control minds who has launched a virtual reality game that transmits his mind control to anyone who plays it. The villainous plot is helped along by Bibi, Kwak-kwak’s devoted second-in-command and Bibe, his moronic but useful sibling, along with A1/ALLAN & A2/ALLAINE, the two creators of the viral game app which Kwak-Kwak uses as a channel to spread his psychic powers to control humankind.
To defeat Kwak-kwak and restore order in the real world, Enteng calls upon a team of misfits, who form his Abangers team. They are individuals who have unusual special powers and have been waiting for a long time to put these powers into good use. The Abangers are actually OEWs (overseas engkantasya workers), whose powers Kwak-kwak needs to harness in order to fulfill his nefarious mission.
On his team, Enteng has three inimitable sisters: Nidora (Wally Bayola), a fierce but values-centric granny who possesses an equally fierce loud voice called "The Incredible Voice"; Tinidora (Jose Manalo), who has very quick reflexes and engaging dance moves called "The Flash Dance", and Tidora (Paolo Ballesteros), a flirtatious hot granny who channels her hot flashes to other persons through her stare. They are joined by Remy or “The Mister Iron", a tour guide and family guy who can seemingly flatten any tangible materials, Oring, a spunky female fortune teller in Quiapo who can perfectly predict anyone’s future but only for a span of two minutes, Lucas, a muscled handsome guy from Tondo who possesses incredible strength and a high pitched voice, and Bistika, a standup gay comedian who can perfectly blend himself with his surroundings -- while doing some pakganern splits!
Will Enteng and the Abangers be able to save the world? Moviegoers can find out in theaters on November 30, 2016. The movie is directed by Marlon Rivera and Tony Y. Reyes, and produced by OctoArts Films, M-Zet Productions and APT Entertainment.
Enjoy this movie together with your family and friends. Vic Sotto and the rest of the Dabarkads have always something under their sleeves that will surely entertain people of all ages. Until next time.
*all promotional materials provided by Audrey Infante of Love and Light
What is this? Is there a ripple in the timeline, or did The Flash just messed-up the time stream yet again? Thankfully it is none of those. We are getting a little bit tired from all of the Marvel Comics-centric posts, so we decided to skip our Spotted! post for Logan, and instead hop over to DC's upcoming wonderful super heroine movie. With a new trailer recently released, we have all the more reason to make a post about this one. Join Dateline Movies as we potentially spoil about half of the movie for you, in our latest Spotted! post of Wonder Woman!
It is now the dawn of the First World War, and Steve Trevor, played by Pine (Star Trek Beyond), accompanied by his band of soldiers of peace, played by Taghmaoui, and Bremner (Trainspotting), are assigned to stop the revolution, before the war decimates the world! One day, in the middle of a battle, Steve and his friends crash land in the secluded island of Themyscira, a place inhabited exclusively by powerful women. There, they find an unlikely alliance in the form of Diana Prince, also known as Wonder Woman, played by Gadot (Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice), the daughter of Queen Hippolyta, played by Nielsen (Gladiator), niece of General Antiope, played by Wright (Forrest Gump), and a colleague of Menalippe, played by Kongsli (The Orheim Company). When the fate of the world is threatened by a deadly new weapon, created by a sinister army general, played by Huston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), and an enigmatic masked assailant, played by Anaya (Both Taghmaoui and Anaya appeared in The Infiltrator), Diana must join forces with Steve and his allies, and save the world from total annhilation, with some probable help, or some possible doom, from an unnamed figure, played by Thewlis (Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban)! In addition, Diana encounters what it is like to live in the new world around her when she gets a job as an assistant of Steve, alongside Etta Candy, played by Davis (Shaun of the Dead). Spotted!: Hidden Surprises and Trivia (Spoiler Alert!)
1. Meet Ares, The God of War!: In the two trailers, we see Danny Huston play as an unnamed army general, obviously working for the enemy factions, and in one shot of the second teaser, he is seen experimenting with a new deadly chemical agent. Wonder Woman's stories are deeply rooted in Greek mythology, and the film is set during the First World War. From these two hints, we can only pinpoint the only possible supervillain that fits the profile, and that is none other than Ares, the Greek God of War. In the comics, Ares is a recurring force of antagonism for Wonder Woman, and he does evil things for the sake of war. In the New 52 reboot, wherein all of the characters are retooled, complete with updated origin stories and costumes, and used as a basis for most DC Extended Universe flicks, Ares is a timid elderly man, who is a mentor to Wonder Woman. We might say that he could just be an average evil general with sinister ends, but if you look closely in some shots, it appears that he can put-up a fight with Wonder Woman, and judging by the scenes that featured soldiers attacking Themyscira, Ares might have lead them there. As such, it is most likely that Danny Huston is set to play Ares.
2. Pretty Doctor Poison (Just as Toxic as Love): Unlike Danny Huston's probable role as Ares, Elena Anaya's role was confirmed to be Doctor Poison, as said in the aforementioned character's Wikipedia page. That is until someone realized that they might have said way too much, and decided to delete my one and only piece of evidence. While we are out of clues, except for other forms of speculation, most of the clues still point to this nearly obscure antagonist, with one of those hints include the use of a chemical weapon as the story's main plot device. In the comics, Doctor Poison is the alter-ego of Princess Maru, the leader of a Nazi spy that was active during the Second World War, whose ultimate master plan involves the use of "Reverso", a chemical that forces people to do the exact opposite of what they are told to do. Oh, did we mention that she pretended to be a male throughout all of her appearances? It is obvious that they would not be completely and faithfully translating this character to the big screen, so instead, we might see a World War One spy slash chemist iteration of the character, who is permanently scarred by one of her experiments.
Another question that ponders the thought of many fans out there is, "Who are Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor's other allies?", or "What is their team name?" You might be expecting to find some interesting answers here, were you not? Unfortunately, neither me or Dad here knows the exact answer, but we do have a few interesting guesses up our sleeves. Heads-up for some moments of confusion, because we are about to scrape the bottom of DC Comics' very ancient barrel here.
The Easy Company was a World War Two fighting unit lead by Sergeant Frank Rock. While this group has more ties with the Second World War, like the other guesses here, it is possible that they will be reimagined to fit-in the First World War narrative. In the near right of the image of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor's currently unnamed team, we can see a Native-American character, who could likely be "Little Sure Shot" of the Easy Company. This is a little bit of a stretch, as much of the roster of the Easy Company are Americans, and Little Sure Shot in the comics is, well, shorter compared to the one that we see in the image, although their comicbook counterparts might be altered slightly.
A group of failed soldiers, each experiencing various traumatic experiences such as losing limbs and friends, all brought upon by the rise of the Second World War. The Losers banded together to save the world from various sinister forces. We might say that this is the likeliest, as the Native-American character here could be Johnny Cloud, a Navajo fighter pilot, and each of the members' personalities can match the actors' profiles, although slightly.
Our last guess would have to be the Blackhawk Squadron, a group of fighter pilots during the Second World War, and among all of the war-based comicbooks at the time, these heroes of the air were the most popular. Also, we could have added the Haunted Tank here, wherein we would get to see a tank protected by a ghost of a Confederate general, but seriously, let us not get in way over our heads.
4. The Terror of Pandora's (Mother) Box Next, we will be discussing the possibility of the presence of a Mother Box in the flick, which is not only the main plot device for the upcoming Justice League flick, but is also one of its kind. In the comics, Mother Boxes are certain otherworldly, multipurpose artifacts of mass destruction created by the New Gods, with one of them being the sinister Darkseid. As it is teased in a deleted scene from Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, it would appear that Darkseid, and his lackey Steppenwolf, to be played by Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones), and as revealed in the official synopsis of Justice League, are seeking the three Mother Boxes located on Earth, and one of them is located in Themyscira. While it is possible that the Mother Box could simply be teased in just a single scene, we believe that the chemical weapon might have been a product of the Mother Box, which in this case, as the film revolves around Greek mythology, is the Pandora's Box of this universe. If this is true, then we have found the reason why the soldiers attacked Themyscira in the first place. The enemy forces might have been manipulated by Ares to launch a full-scale attack on the island in order to obtain the Mother Box, and with the Mother Box placed in the wrong hands, Wonder Woman is forced to join in the action. Also, given that the movie Wonder Woman comes before the big, highly anticipated crossover, it would be a wise choice for the studio to tease the MacGuffin of the succeeding flick.
For our last hidden surprise, we have David Thewlis' mystery character to tackle next. Unfortunately, this section would be extremely lengthy. Seriously, I had to delete this entire segment and transfer it in another post just because of its unexpected length. Not to worry readers, we have already said that we are cooking-up a post just to tackle this conundrum, so stay tuned!
Well, I guess this is where we conclude our latest Spotted! post. Things are indeed starting to get "Wonderful". Do you know what I am saying? Before we part ways, here is the complete, unaired pilot episode of the originally planned Wonder Woman television program, starring Adrianne Palicki as the titular heroine. Be wary though, as the campy nature of the episode is off the charts! Given that we have some access to some pretty obscure works such as this one, we might as well write some Inside posts about other canceled properties such as this one. Shall we start with the unaired Justice League of America pilot perhaps? Hey, it still counts as a movie given its length. Stay tuned for more Dateline Movies!
Remember the iconic and beloved blockbuster science-fantasy-fiction movie by Steven Spielberg titled E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial way back in 1982.
source This is young Henry Thomas as Elliot and ET way back in 1982.
The movie was about an alien who was accidentally left behind by his fellow aliens in a Californian forest. He was left alone and stranded here on earth. He was befriended by a young 10 year old boy named Elliot, who together with the help of his other siblings, took care of him and helped him find his way home. Elliot was played by Henry Thomas.
source Henry Thomas as John Adams in Sons of Liberty
Henry Thomas, a Golden Globe, BAFTA Film Award and Saturn Award nominee, has appeared in a number of television series and has made numerous diverse and wide-range of films after E.T. such as Legends of the Fall, Niagara, Niagara, All The Pretty Horses, Gangs of New York, Dear John, Sons of Liberty, and the Jack Kerouac biopic - Big Sur, just to name a few. The prolific actor was born on September 9, 1971. He is also a good musician.
His latest film is the terrifying horror movie, Ouija: Origin of Evil.
Henry Thomas appears as Father Tom Hogan. Ouija: Origin of Evil is the prequel to the commercially-successful horror movie Ouija which was released on October 24, 2014 and was directed by Stiles White. Now Ouija: Origin of Evil is co-written and directed by Mike Flanagan (who directed the hit psychological horror movie in 2013 - Oculus) and tells the story about a fortune teller and her two daughters set in 1967 Los Angeles and uses Ouija Board in her seances to contact dead spirit.
Here is Henry Thomas as the troubled and tormented Father Tom Hogan in Universal Pictures' Ouija: Origin of Evil. E! Hollywood made a list of the 50 Cutest Child Stars All Grown Up List in 2005 and ranked Henry Thomas as Number 4. Incidentally, Drew Barrymore, who also appeared with Henry Thomas in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial as his younger sister is included in the list and is ranked number 3. Watch the video below for your added entertainment.
Entries are now being accepted for the third season of the Sinag Maynila Film Festival!
Sinag Maynila 2017 Teaser Animation Category
Sinag Maynila and its featured local indie films have been gaining traction and recognition in various international film festivals like the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema in France, the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, and the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada among others. Under the supervision of Sinag Maynila CEO and Founder Wilson Tieng, and world-renowned and internationally acclaimed film director Brillante Ma Mendoza, the diverse and captivating stories of the produced films garnered attention and fame overseas.
Sinag Maynila 2017 Teaser Documentary Category
With the tremendous success of the film festival’s debut in March 2015, more talented filmmakers took their chance in getting a nod to be part of the competing roster for the following season. Being selected for Sinag Maynila has been closely associated with the opportunity for international recognition, hence the new tagline “Sine Lokal, Pang-Internasyonal”.
Sinag Maynila 2017 Teaser Feature Film Category
For Sinag Maynila Film Festival 2017, it is opening more doors for the immensely talented and artistic crowd. Apart from the Full-Length, Short Film, and Cinefone, two new categories are now on deck — Animated Films and Documentary. To get the full mechanics, log on to http://sinagmaynila.com/2017-mechanics/. Deadline for submission of all entries for all categories is December 12, 2016.
Sinag Maynila 2017 Teaser Short Film Category
Do you have a compelling story to tell the world? Send it to us at Solar Entertainment Corporation, 3/F Worldwide Corporate Center, EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City, 1552. All entries must be submitted in a long brown envelope properly labeled with the filmmaker’s name, title of film, contact details and indicating the category. Entries sent via online links will not be entertained.
Well, we are back here in Dateline Movies, with a new local feature just for you! The only difference this time around, however, is that this is most definitely not for kids. So without further ado, Dateline Movies presents to you, Mulat (Awaken), which has been Rated A by the Cinema Evaluation Board.
Mulat (2016)
Rated R-13: For Sensitive Themes
Running Time: 70 minutes (1 hour and 10 minutes)
Genre/s: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Released on November 2, 2016 (PH Release Date; Limited Release Only)
Presented by DVent Productions and Solar Pictures
Writer and Director: Maria Diane Ventura
Starring:
Loren Burgos as Sam
Jake Cuenca as Jake
Ryan Eigenmann as Vince
Candy Pangilinan as Cathy
Logan Goodchild as Logan
Madeleine Nicolas as Sam's Mother
Loren Burgos, Jake Cuenca, Ryan Eigenmann
What is the movie about?
When she discovers that her relationship with the initial love of here life, Vince, played by Eigenmann (José Rizal), is heading towards nowhere else but endless pain and misery, Sam, played by Burgos in her debut role, decides to go on a "rebound", as called by everyone else, and her mother, played by Nicolas (The Bourne Legacy). She now has a relationship with the ill-tempered Jake, played by Cuenca (In The Name of Love).
However, her entire world begins to turn upside-down, when she begins to see various terrifying visions! Questioning her sanity, can she be able to Awaken from this nightmare, or will she be trapped in that hellish dreamscape forever?
Also featured in this movie are the on-screen couple Cathy, played byCandy Pangilinan (Distrito De Molo), and Logan, played by, well, Logan Goodchild.
I guess that is all for this post. But wait, that was too tame for you? Hold on, ladies and gentlemen. We are not finished yet, apparently. Accompanying Mulat (Awaken) in the theaters is another film, but this one is only fifteen minutes in run time. Not only is it written by the same screenwriter and director of Mulat (Awaken), but it is also the reason why the flick received an R-16 rating, which means those who are thirteen years old and below cannot see Mulat (Awaken). In fact, it is so controversially mature, we cannot even put the trailer here. But if you are old enough, click here to see the red band trailer. Anyway, this is TheRapist.
TheRapist (2016)
Rated R-16: For Extremely Sensitive Themes Running Time: 15 minutes Genre/s: Crime,Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense Released on November 2, 2016 (PH Release Date; Limited Release Only) Presented by DVent Productions and Solar Pictures Writer and Director: Maria Diane Ventura
Starring:
Cherie Gil as The Therapist
Marco Morales as The Rapist
What is the movie about? Included in the commercial screening of MULAT (Rated A by the CEB) is the award-winning short film by Maria Diane Ventura entitled TheRapist (which has a rating of R16). The film is about the story of a young man, played by Morales (Paano Kita Ibigin?) who is accused of rape and is then sent to a therapist for a psychiatric evaluation. As he recalls and narrates the details of what has happened on the night of the alleged assault, his therapist, played by Gil (Ekstra) investigates and analyzes through psychoanalysis the truth of his story.
Well this is where we really end our post, but before you leave, you can take a look at the press release for writer and director Maria Diane Ventura's two new flicks. Be sure to check-out the latest updates from Solar Pictures, and catch Mulat (Awaken) in theaters near you! Stay tuned for more Dateline Movies!
Of all the triumphs going for Diane Ventura’s first feature-length film, Mulat (Awaken), its genre-bending narrative style and the ace performances of its actors perhaps take the cake. Chief in this long list are its two lead actors—Jake Cuenca (who plays the morose Jake) and Ryan Eigenmann (who is dynamite as Vince)—both of whom effectively quash any preconceived notions viewers may have of their abilities due to their notoriety in more mass-leaning vehicles. Newcomer Loren Burgos is also not to be shrugged off, and it is her impassioned turn as Sam, in equal doses forceful and vulnerable, which serves as the movie’s anchor. Supporting cast members such as the sparring couple of Logan Goodchild (Logan) and Candy Pangilinan (Cathy), as well as theater mainstay Madeleine Nicolas (Sam’s mom), also deserve kudos.
But let’s not kid ourselves here: Ventura’s material is topnotch, and it is our good fortune that she is adamant in presenting things, well, differently. What in lesser hands will be a straightforward three-way love story gets a shot in the arm with the young director at the helm. What we have instead in Mulat is a psychological thriller, a time-hopping mystery, and a perspective-rich romance rolled into one, where linearity is challenged and logic is refashioned. Some may view it as difficult, but any worthwhile experiment is worth some work. And the critics agree: Mulat is worth laboring over. Since its global debut a while back, Ventura has bagged Best Director for Global Feature, while Jake Cuenca took home Best Actor at the International Film Festival Manhattan 2015. The film also won Best Narrative Feature at the World Cinema Festival in Brazil, where Cuenca once again snagged Best Actor honors. Mulat was also given the “A” rating by the Cinema Evaluation Board.
In retrospect, Diane Ventura’s previous output, the Cherie Gil starrer TheRapist, was a portent of fine things to come. Another psychological vehicle, the short film is yet another triumph in less-is-more craftsmanship, and it approached weighty issues (rape, abuse, sexuality, psychoanalysis) with deft hands. A new trailer for said film, which got a G rating from the MTRCB after initially being deemed unfit for public viewing, will also be shown in local screenings of Mulat.
Released on October 26, 2016 (PH Release Date, Available For Worldwide Viewing)
Presented by Marvel Studios
Writers: C. Robert Cargill, Scott Derrickson and Jon Spaihts
Director: Scott Derrickson
Starring:
Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Stephen Strange
Chiwetal Ejiofor as Karl Mordo
Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer
Benedict Wong as Wong
Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius
Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One
Suicide Squad-mates - Gabe Cruz, Reuben Pio Martinez, Von Castillejos, Terel Crisostomo
Strange times are upon us, and with the year coming to an end, I believe now is the best time to review the last superhero movie of the year. Once again, I was able to hang-out with three of my "Suicide Squad-mates" (It is just how I call our little gang of friends, and definitely not the other way around) last October 28, 2016, and aside from the particularly good nachos and popcorn, the movie was a visual thrill ride, but there are still some flaws to its design. What are these "flaws", you ask? I think that is not the right question, but rather it is, "Is this a worthy addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise?" Let us find out in Dateline Movies' review of Doctor Strange! Also, since this movie was screened earlier than other countries, spoilersahead, so don't say I didn't warn you!
The brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange, played by Cumberbatch, had everything, from riches that are far beyond his imagination, that he was able to purchase a nice apartment, and a Lamborghini, to a beautiful on-again-off-again love interest in the form of Doctor Christine Palmer, played by McAdams (Spotlight). He did have all of those things, until a fatal car accident renders his hands unable to function properly. Desperate, he loses his fortune in search of a cure for his condition, and even Christine from his life, which then forces him to seek a former patient of his, who then pointed him to the direction of The Ancient One, played by Swinton (We Need To Talk About Kevin). On a trip to Nepal, Strange is greeted to a brave new world when The Ancient One gives him a glimpse of the magical side of the universe. Discovering that he can be more than what just an average doctor, Strange decides to train with The Ancient One's other colleagues in the Masters of the Mystic Arts. These colleagues are Karl Mordo, played by Ejiofor (Cumberbatch and Ejiofor both appeared in 12 Years a Slave), a veteran student of The Ancient One, and Wong, played by (What a funny coincidence this is) Wong (The Martian), Strange's mystical drill sergeant. But when a powerful sorcerer named Kaecilius, played by Mikkelsen (Hannibal) sets out to rule the world with the power of the Dark Dimension, Mister Strange... I mean... Mister Doctor... Oh sorry... Doctor Strange must team-up with Wong and Mordo and must save the world before time runs out for both the world, and the rest of the universe!
Acting = (4/5) From the moment Benedict Cumberbatch was confirmed to star as the one and only Sorcerer Supreme, I knew immediately that the movie would be lead by a fairly charismatic performance, and I was not disappointed. Combining the same energy that he displayed in all of his on-screen portrayals of self-destructive gifted individuals, including Sherlock Holmes in BBC's hit crime procedural Sherlock, Julian Assange in the autobiographical flick The Fifth Estate, and Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, with the latter now one of my favorite films yet, which I also just added to my Magnificent Ten list. His trademark suave nature, added with a dash of an American accent, is easily amplified here. While his role is just as arrogant as any other superhero in the making before the titular protagonist's big screen debut, Cumberbatch's performance as Doctor Strange adds a tint of desperation to the character, as well as a little gravitas and humanity. Here, we do not see an average overconfident fellow who suddenly had a reality check, we see a man who lost purpose, and is now clawing his way back to his own paradise. I really do wish I could see more of his portrayal of Doctor Strange in upcoming releases, because his performance here is unbelievably awesome!
Is it not weird that both Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetal Ejiofor appeared in the autobiopic 12 Years a Slave, wherein Ejiofor's character, Solomon Northup, was the slave of Cumberbatch's persona, William Ford, and now they are partners-in-magic here? What a coincidence? Anyway, with regards to Ejiofor's portrayal of Baron Karl Mordo, it was a very decent performance, despite the character being reduced to the same old villain in the making role. Aside from being just a mentor to a still-training Strange, Ejiofor's Mordo, complete with a personality shaped in mystery, is seen here as a morally conflicted human, who abides strictly to the teachings that were taught to him by The Ancient One, but is oftentimes unsure if he is doing the right thing. He delivers a really good job at upgrading a cliched sorcerer gone mad in the comics, to a three-dimensional human being with actual real life motivations and at some points, ambivalence, which really makes you ponder what does he really want. I am pretty sure he is going to take Tom Hiddleston's Loki's place as a morally ambigiuous antagonist. But the difference from Loki is that Mordo would follow a more anti-heroic light.
Another coincidence! Man, I am starting to think that Marvel is putting all of these in-jokes on purpose. Indeed, Benedict Wong's portrayal of Wong (See? I told you that this may be intentional) is limited in terms of screen time, and is also reduced to another cliched no-nonsense mentor trope, but his engaging appearances, especially with Strange on their first encounter, which we would be talking about later, is just as colorful and lively as the film's superb and innovative visuals. Here, we see an updated version of Wong, who is now Strange's co-teacher with a slight funny bone, which is admittedly better than just being Strange's chaufeur as in the comics, although I would want to see some parts of that just for the sake of comic-accuracy. While we do not see him experiencing some form of inner conflict, Wong's (The actor, not the character) performance is just enough to leave an impression.
Oh, where would our heroes be without their significant others? In one of the more serious parts of a very lighthearted flick, Rachel McAdams adds some emotional resonance to the film as Chrsitine Palmer, the loving confidant of Stephen Strange, and also his love interest, but that is mostly just how she is portrayed here, unfortunately. However, despite her lack of character development and limited screen time, McAdams' portrayal of a person who loves someone who cannot love easily is every bit heart-wrenching, and her on-screen chemistry with Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange is really believable and very effective. Also, very funny Marvel! Casting Rachel McAdams, who played Sherlock Holmes' love interest Irene Adler in the aforementioned detective's film that starred Robert Downey Jr., who plays Iron Man, to be the love interest of Doctor Strange, who also plays Sherlock Holmes in another adaptation, would seem like a subtle enough in-joke, but it did not pass me.
In the modern world of cinema, no one is safe from both reasonable and unreasonable criticism, and casting Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One, who is an Asian male character in the comics, attracted judgments of both kinds. But put the controversy aside, Swinton's portrayal of Doctor Strange's wise mystical teacher is still particularly intriguing, and the plot twist, which I did not entirely anticipate and will again be tackled later on, made her a character with priorities and layers of morality, despite being again undeniably cliched. Overall, Swinton delivers a performance that is memorable at the very least, and one that is also sadly underused.
And finally, for our main villain, I can agree with a lot of other fans out there that Mads Mikkelsen is unbelievably underused here too. From playing the titular psychologist and cannibalistic serial killer in Hannibal, you can immediately conclude that Mikkelsen has the capability to deliver a breathtaking sinister performance. But here, almost nothing is given to further expand Mikkelsen's character, except that he dislikes The Ancient One, and is hellbent on "saving" the world in the most twisted sense as possible, and that is by bringing forth an ancient evil in the form of the dreadful Dormammu into our world! Despite Kaecilius' lackluster two-dimensional characterization in the flick, at least Mikkelsen did the best that he can to make a worthwhile villain, especially in the part wherein Kaecilius explains to Strange his motivations. He managed to deliver some emotional raw power that is really needed for a villain to make a mark, even if it is unfortunately overshadowed by the film's formulaic nature. Also, it was somewhat of a waste for Michael Stuhlbarg's, Benjamin Bratt's and Scott Adkins' talents, given that Stuhlbarg's Nicodemus West is just an extra, Bratt's Jonathan Pangborn just had one scene, and Adkins' Lucian is killed without a single dialogue. Oh well, I hope their characters can develop as the franchise' progresses, and by them, I meant only Stuhlbarg, because Lucian is dead, while Pangborn has been stripped of his powers (Oops, spoiler alert).
Raise your hand if you are a huge fan of the movies The Matrix, Inception and the anime flick Paprika? If so, then you are in for one heck of a ride, as Doctor Strange makes use of the most psychedelic imagery possible, and it is not only brilliantly crafted, but you could also see that it is quite a breath of fresh air from the nowadays grounded realism of most superhero tales. Although to be fair, Doctor Strange debuted many years prior to the release of the aforementioned flicks. So basically, the visuals are mostly straight out of the comics.
One of my most favorite sequences in the flick, which I also call as the highlight scene of the entire movie, is Strange's first experience crossing dimensions after The Ancient One gave him a glimpse of the world beyond. Mixing bright and dark colors with tons of flashing, eye-popping lights, the result was a very, very polished and bizarre concoction of sugar-coated beauty and delirium that is all and more, but terrible. It is slightly dizzying, however, as the wonderful and artistic graphics could make a few heads ache. In just mere minutes of viewing the sequence, one can immediately feel as if they are in a dream-like realm because of just how imaginative the visuals are.
Another very well done scene would have to be the fight scene between Strange and Mordo, and Kaecilius with his Zealots in the mind-numbling ecstatic Mirror Dimension. The idea of the New York cityscapes formed into cube-like structures as our heroes and their adversaries hop around the alternate reality as they chant various incantations is just as weird as how you understood what I just typed, but in execution, it is admittedly really great, and fairly entertaining. These two main scenes really did deliver the promise of a much more bizarre superhero adventure, despite again being filled with many areas of familiarity. In addition, the fight that took place before the Mirror Dimension throw-down, which is Lucian and Strange's fight in the astral plane, was expertly shot and choreographed. Some funny moments are present, especially with Strange's rival Nicodemus West taking advantage of the extra chips dropped from a vending machine that was hit by Strange and Lucian in the astral plane. While this one is my least favored part in the flick, given that it is more of a form of anticlimax, the CGI and special effects used for these sequences are undeniably superb. In Strange and Mordo's final battle against Kaecilius and his sect in Hong Kong, Strange makes use of the Eye of Agamotto to reverse time and undo the damage done by Kaecilius after he has unleashed the wrath of Dormammu, and what we see next is a series of the usual time-warping effects that we see from other movies. However, we do get to feast our eyes on a trippy sequence that is just pleasing to our visions.
Realizing that Kaecilius is too powerful to defeat, Strange takes a trip to the Dark Dimension to confront Kaecilius' master, Dormammu. I cannot spoil it here, because that part is going to be tackled in the next section. But I can say that the designs for the Dark Dimension, even Dormammu, as well as the effects used to detail Dormammu and Strange's "battle", is indeed very well done. Although I would say that Dormammu's look here is a tad disappointing, because he is transformed into yet another colored cloud formation, similar to Parallax in Green Lantern, and Galactus in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, unlike the fire-based look that I am more familiar with. Only this time, this one looks actually okay, and unlike the previously mentioned villains, it is properly rendered. In all honesty, the visuals are the best parts about this movie, aside from the acting performance, of course. It is innovative. It is eye-catching, a feast for the senses. It is phenomenal. The costume designs are perfectly made, just look how the outfits are similarly done in DC's Suicide Squad (I forgot to mention that one last time), and how Strange's Cloak of Levitation behaved like the Magic Carpet from the Aladdin animated movie was indeed Strange (That was intentional), but it was all around entertaining from a visual point, and it was humorous from a story's concept point of view. Also, Michael Giacchino's is more or less passable, and fitting enough for a flick such as this one. It is not the most memorable, similar to the other soundtracks of previous Marvel movies, but it is pretty decent enough to amplify the distinct weirdness of Doctor Strange.
The following section, as well as the next one, contains a lot of major spoilers! You have been warned! If you might have noticed from some previous posts, I am really excited to see Doctor Strange. Not because I am a huge fan of the character, but rather I expected something new from Marvel Studios, especially since they are finally taking a few steps away from the usual scientific realm of the superhero genre, and instead embracing the weird world of magic. While the visuals are indeed spectacles to behold, overly familiar tropes plague the story, which I will explain detail per detail. The script does a good job, though, at grasping my attention until the end, especially since the dialogues are quirky and full of heart, even if the movie just becomes more and more predictable as the run time passes by.
The characters, as I have mentioned before, are reduced to mere stereotypes, and while it would not normally be a bothersome element, the lack of character development for the supporting cast mates can turn you off at some points. And once more, the villain is once again full of potential, but is ultimately underdeveloped, just like all of the other villains, outside Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston (Kong: Skull Island) and Zemo, played by Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War) Marvel has used. I did have some high hopes that Kaecilius would be a remarkable adversary, mainly because I have read about his origin story in a canon tie-in comicbook titled "The Zealot", wherein it is explained that Kaecilius wanted to put an end to sickness and death after experiencing the passing of his only son, then later his wife, who succumbed to a terminal ailment. This was the kind of antagonist that I have always been wanting to see, a man reborn from tragedy. Unfortunately, the movie did not bother to expand his backstory, aside from a well-acted conversation with Strange that vaguely explained what he really desires. His plan is also every bit cliched, as we are, for the third flipping consecutive movie review in a row, introduced to yet another swirling vortex of doom in the sky, although in this movie, this one is multicolored, and is not technically "in the sky", in a sense. Unlike most devious plans that are not clearly defined, which if you want to know about them, you can refer to our two previous movie reviews, Kaecilius' master plan is too simple, it does not even require any form of explanation. His grand scheme involves him stealing a couple of pages from something known as the Book of Cogiostro to gain some powers, destroy all the other three Sanctums so that Dormammu can break into Earth, and... That is it, really. No unique twists, or anything that could add some intrigue to a usual world-dominating evil plan. On the bright side, it is not obscurely expounded like some certain movie supervillains.
However, like I said earlier, underneath the banality of it all, the script's comedic dialogue, complete with modern pop-culture references most youngsters would understand, and a side of slightly familiar jokes that never seem to age, and various shades of emotions, is one of the other aspects made the movie worth watching. Some of the funniest scenes in the movie, even if at times feels shoehorned to the point that it seems like a priority for Marvel to insert them, include the following. When Strange is brought to his room, Mordo offers him a card with the word "Shamballa", which Strange asked if it was his mantra. Laughter ensues when Mordo replies with a calm smirk, and a snarky "The wifi password. We're not savages". In an interesting note, the word "Shamballa" is a reference to a graphic novel called "Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa", written by J.M. DeMatteis and Dan Green, exploring Strange's adventure to The Ancient One's homeland. What this means is currently a mystery, but I am willing to bet that this could be a teaser for upcoming events. Another humorous gem would have to be Strange's first meeting with Wong, wherein Strange wonders if Wong has only a single name, similar to famous musicians like Adele, Drake, Bono, Eminem, and even Beyoncé, with the latter being listened to by Wong in his past time. The last one is something that felt really underwhelming once I started to think about it, but I believe it is best saved for the last section, and I guarantee that you might feel the same way as much as I did when I first saw it.
Also, as I said earlier, I personally find various ideas included in the story really interesting, and while not much detail is given, especially since it would butcher the plot, these concepts made the movie all the more interesting. For starters, the debut of multiple dimensions here is excellent, and it open up many new possibilities that the Marvel Cinematic Universe could take in the near future. The Mirror and Dark Dimensions could just be the stepping stones for other potential alternate realities, including parallel Earths such as the Ultimate Universe, or the Marvel Zombies Universe, and other currently unexplored realms such as the Dream Dimension. To quote The Ancient One in a way, what I see in their future, a possibility to tackle much more complex and enigmatic elements of the Marvel Universe, and create much more spectacular movies in dear time. The introduction of the Masters of the Mystical Arts as a secret alliance protecting Earth from the shadows is kind of done-to-death, but here, it is done smoothly. The idea that various magical individuals, with three Sanctums, are guarding us from mystical threats is not only a fairly interesting concept, but it also perfectly explains why none of The Avengers have encountered the much darker aspects of their realities, aside from aliens and a few Asgardian adversaries.
By now, you might be wondering about what are these familiar tropes that are cluttered all throughout, which makes the overall plot somewhat dull and wasted of potential?
First, we have Strange, who like every character, only cares about fame and success, and not about responsibility, despite his many gifts. After a certain tragic event in his life drove him to the point of desperation and pain, which cost not only his career, but also some of his friends and loved ones (Christine Palmer). From the pain, similar to every other superhero out there, they discover a new leash on life when they receive their new abilities, which they will now use to save the world from all forms of evil. Because he is still not used to his newfound powers, he is being mentored by a wise old mentor with a dark secret (The Ancient One), aided by a strict drill instructor (Wong), and is partnered with a boy scout (Mordo) who tries his best to impress his teacher. Along the way, he must come face-to-face with a turncoat associate, who despises the protagonist's mentor after some misunderstandings before (Kaecilius). Inevitably, the mentor is killed by the traitor, and the protagonist must then take over her mantle, and by the end, someone decides to be a lone wolf after the events of the movie.
All of these cliches managed to make the movie fun, and at some points predictably weak, which is very unfortunate since this really had a lot of interesting story concepts that would really have been particularly amazing had the mythology been expanded further in a balanced way. But then again, I believe that it would have been for the better if it was never expanded further as the focus on Strange himself would be lost amidst the magical details.
Now that we have discussed the cliches, which we regularly talked about in the second to the last chapter, but is now, from here on tackled in this section, we get to the ending.
After engaging in a duel with Kaecilius and his remaining Zealots in the Mirror Dimension, The Ancient One offers her aid, only to reveal that she indeed harnesses the power of the Dark Dimension to retain her immortality. While she is able to put up a fight, The Ancient One was no match for Kaecilius' might, and is killed by the mad man, despite the several attempts to be revived by Strange, West and Christine, with Strange even journeying to the astral plane to convince her to return to the mortal realm. It is revealed prior to her death that while she is immortal, she only retains her youth, and she can still die at any moment.
The tension builds-up when Mordo is disillusioned by the revelation, and he now believes that he may be siding with the wrong kinds of people. With the Hong Kong Sanctum Sanctorum, which with the one in New York City and the other in London create a shield that prevents Dormammu and other magical fiends from entering Earth, is under attack, Strange and Mordo swing into action. Things do not turn out as planned as once they arrived, they discovered that the Sanctum Sanctorum has been destroyed, and now Dormammu is making his way to our world with the previously mentioned swirling vortex of doom in the sky.
Fortunately, they have time on their side, and with the Eye of Agamotto, Strange turns back time and undoes Kaecilius' actions, but Kaecilius regains control, and Mordo, a revived Wong and Strange try to fight him. But because of his power, they were no match against him, but there is still a chance, and that is to fight Dormammu in the Dark Dimension.
This is it. An epic duel between Doctor Strange and the dread Dormammu. Just imagine, a visually stunning battle against a giant demon and a mortal sorcerer. It would have been epic, but instead, we get Doctor Strange trying to strike a deal with Dormammu so as to spare Earth in exchange for Kaecilius and the gang's lives, by annoying him endlessly with a time loop. Well, that was really, really anticlimactic.
Okay, I might be nitpicking here, but here me out. This part is undoubtedly funny in an Edge of Tomorrow kind of way, and it is an admittedly cool sequence which reminded me a lot about the video game re-spawning function, but the final battle is ultimately disappointing once you realize that the only way to outsmart an all-powerful ancient hellish force is by pushing all of his buttons by cheating death over, and over, and over again. Seriously, did Dormammu even try to break the time loop?
With Kaecilius and his cohorts dead after being absorbed into the Dark Dimension, Mordo becomes disillusioned, and decides to work alone, and save the world the only way he knows how, and that is to solve the world's problem. That problem is none other than "too many sorcerers", which is revealed in the post-credits scene of the movie, when he steals Jonathan Pangborn's powers.
In the mid-credits scene, but not before revealing that the Eye of Agamotto has been an Infinity Stone all along, specifically the Time Stone (Man, I should really thank a friend of mine for that speculation, because when I posted about it, it turned out to be right), Strange gets an unexpected visit from the God of Thunder Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth (Vacation), who seeks Strange's assistance to find his father Odin, played by Anthony Hopkins (Westworld).
Overall, there is not much tint of originality to be found here, and the ending is pretty much anticlimactic for the sake of laughs, but the movie is just as entertaining as your average Marvel movie outing. I got to agree with Gabe, Von and Terel though, it was still pretty entertaining, despite the cliches.
Overall Evaluation = (4/5) Despite being a clear example of potential superhero fatigue, storywise, notably because of its overabundance of the usual origin story cliches, this film manages to overcome its formulaic nature with highly stylized CGI and great performances from its cast mates. TOTAL = 18/25 (Pleasant Entertainment) If you are looking for a superhero movie that takes a new and fresher spin on the genre, you might want to sit this one out. But if you love stunning, psychedelic visuals, and fine acting, courtesy of Benedict Cumberbatch and company, then Doctor Strange is the flick for you! And that concludes our movie review of Doctor Strange. Be sure to catch the movie in theaters near you, while you still can. And what do you know? It is only ten posts left, and we would finally hit the two hundred posts mark! Wow, I never really thought we would make it this far. The two-hundredth post is nothing special or anything, but hey, it is our two-hundredth blog article. So while you wait for our upcoming remaining ten posts, take a look at Jimmy Kimmel's latest sketch, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch reprising his role as Doctor Strange, to attend a birthday party for kids. Good thing they did not hire Sherlock for the job. And speaking of Sherlock, who else is excited for their fourth season? Stay tuned for more Dateline Movies!
