Into the Blu

Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme

Posted on 10. Oct, 2007 by Brian Wortz in 1.78:1, 1080p, AVC MPEG-4, Action, Anime, DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 7.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (Spanish), Dolby Digital EX (English), Lionsgate, Reviews

As a kid, I always hoped for more attention for my favorite superheroes. Yeah, we had the MEGO action figures, Underoos, and a few cartoons and made for TV movies of questionable quality, but that’s not close to what is available to fans today. With new toys, clothes, and big-budget movies hitting us rapidly, depending on one’s perspective, it is either a very good time to be a comic book fan, or a very bad time. What I mean to say is that with more mainstream attention being paid to our heroes, our expectations are not always met. For every Batman Begins, there is a Spidey 3 (OK, I did enjoy it, but you know where I’m coming from). I can understand that a live action movie has to appeal to a broad audience, and tinkering is often needed (I didn’t say always). On the other hand, if Marvel and DC are expanding into direct-to-DVD animated features, it seems this would be the place to cater to the comic fanboys. While previous entries from Marvel, such as the Ultimates and Iron Man features and DC’s Superman Doomsday have been hit-or-miss, I’m happy to report that Doctor Strange may be the best entry yet.

The good Doctor Strange is probably the most obscure character to get his own movie so far (unless you include a failed TV/movie pilot in the 70s based on the character), but I think that’s an advantage. There are less expectations on a character who is less established in the minds of the masses. I must admit that I am not a longtime fan of Doctor Strange, but this movie has peaked my interest.

Based on the Marvel comic created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Doctor Stephen Strange (voice of Bryce Johnson) is a world renowned neurosurgeon. Thing is, he’s also an arrogant bastard. He’s the stereotypical doctor with a god-complex. He also has some untapped magical abilities which fate will lead him to explore.

After a serious car accident, Strange no longer has the fine motor skills in his hands that he needs to continue being a super-surgeon. He scours the world seeking someone who may give him back the full use of his hands. During this time, Strange becomes penniless and homeless. He is approached by a man named Wong who has been following him and told if he travels to Tibet, there is a man who can help him there. Really, this is just a set up to help Strange learn the mystical arts.

From here, the film adds a unique Eastern flair as Strange develops his powers. During his training he discovers fellow mystic Mordo (Kevin Michael Richardson) has partnered with the demon Dormammu to open a gateway in order to free him into the world (because you know, demons, that’s what they do). To make matters worse, our villains are using children to create the gateway. Having lost his own sister, Doctor Strange and the other mystics must defeat Mordo and Dormammu.

Similar to the Ultimates releases, Lionsgate has given us Doctor Strangeon Blu-ray Disc. It’s a nice overall presentation, but far from perfect. Read on…

Video

Presented via AVC/1080p encode, much of the world of Doctor Strange looks very good. Colors are bright and vibrant as one would expect from an animated comic book. Lines are generally crisp, however the high-def presentation does expose some faults there. As with previous Marvel animated entries, the animation is fairly poor. The use of CGI mixed with traditional animation is mostly lackluster, and banding is prevalent throughout the film. Despite these faults, I’d still choose it over standard definition just for the nice pop of the colors.

Audio

With the Ultimate Avengers, we got 7.1 uncompressed PCM. Here, we get DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. Early reports by those lucky enough to be able to fully decode DTS-HD MA have been extremely positive, so I look forward to being able to put this track to the test in the future. For now, I’m listening to a downmixed DTS 5.1 track. There is also a Dolby Digital-EX 5.1 track. They seemed fairly comparable to me, and I had no issues with either track. Hopefully the DTS-HD MA track will be at least as good as what could have been included as an uncompressed PCM track.

Extra Features

Not much here, but it least it’s presented in 1080i. There is a collection of CGI pieces collected from various Marvel based video games, which are interesting for anyone who hasn’t played the games (me, I’ve seen most of them before). The most worthwhile feature is The Origins of Doctor Strange, a brief overview of the character by Stan Lee and others. A First Look at Avengers Reborn is a preview of the next animated film to come. Personally, I’m not too sure about that one. I think the Young Avengers would have made a much better film than these “Teen Avengers”. Lastly is some Doctor Strange concept art.

Overall

Despite a few qualms I had with the presentation, I enjoyed this film. If Marvel can keep up the momentum building with each release, hopefully we can some really good stuff in the future. OK, Marvel, how bout Moon Knight next? I’m serious! Forget Avengers Reborn…