Last night I had the opportunity to see 15 minutes of IMAX 3D footage of the upcoming Doctor Strange. The day before I saw it in a fairly regular 3D screen at Disney California Adventure. I got a little pumped up seeing it at DCA. I was chomping at the bit for tickets after seeing the IMAX footage.
There were some similar scenes in the DCA preview as in the IMAX version. But, there were a few great new things to see. Strange’s beginnings were shown. A graphic car crash followed the set up of his being an egotistical top surgeon. Also within all this was a nod to the recent Captain America: Civil War, and a reference to War Machine specifically. It was a nice touch.
After these pivotal scenes came his meeting with the Ancient One. This was the part that sold me to see the film in all its glorious IMAX 3D-ness. The Ancient One sends him on a reality bending trip through the infinite alternate realities. In a huge screen and 3D it was a trip. It really made me feel more of what Stephen Strange went through on this sudden journey. These scenes were bizarre and beautiful. Having a gigantic screen captures its essence wonderfully.
There were a little bit more shown than the Sunset Showcase Preview after this, but generally the same stuff. However, seeing the world warping chase scene was amazing in the large screen format! Plus the 3D made it that much more of a reality warped. It was, again, trippy, but in an amazing, blow the audience away film. And, we got to see Stan Lee’s cameo in this city hopping chase.
Doctor Strange looks to be Marvel’s Matrix with Strange being Neo. But, it would be as if the Matrix were an acid trip inside Christopher Nolan’s Inception. I hate to reference these films, but it’s the best that I can equate it to. I knew a day would come that Doctor Strange would come to the big screen. Though I’m not the biggest Strange fan, I was fine with it. When I saw the preview at Sunset Showcase I got excited. Now seeing the IMAX footage I’m ready to buy tickets today. This is a game changer, in my opinion. When we’ve seen so many super hero movies full of the same general fight sequences and general good guy vs. bad guy, Doctor Strange is now different. It’s a journey. A drug-like journey where hands come out of fingernails. Yes. Crazy stuff. But, it looks amazing on this ginormous screen in 3D. Get tickets now. See it in November. It will be worth it.
