For what it’s worth, I didn’t see it in 3D, but I did see it in Omnimax. And if you’re on a normal-sized screen anyway, RealD is far superior to IMAX 3D.
And since I apparently missed this thread back when I did see it, I’ll just say that I love the way Strange won. Yes, he was so totally outclassed by Dormmamu that the only possible outcome was getting his butt kicked. So what does he do? He gets his butt kicked so thoroughly that it works in his favor.
I suppose one could wonder how he made sure Dormammu would keep his end of the deal. Maybe there’s some kind of magic contractual agreement, signed in blood, that cannot be broken?
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I believe the three cities were seals that helped keep him out. Once they struck the deal and Strange rewound time, he rewound it so that the Hong Kong seal was still unbroken and Dormammu is still boxed out. Presumably, if that seal ever fails, though…
In the comics, Strange explicitly comments that though Dormammu is evil by our standards, he still adheres to a strict moral code of his own, one which does honor bargains.
Really, it’s a long-established trope in general that powerful supernatural entities, even ones that would otherwise be regarded as evil, still keep their bargains. See also deals with the devil and fae who cannot lie.
Interesting.
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Okay, I’m late to this party, I know. I watched it last night on Netflix.
I am a casual fan of MCU films, meaning I haven’t seen all of them, I’m not plugged into the extended mythology, and I’m not worried about seeing them in the proper order - but I’ve generally enjoyed myself when I do watch one. This one, though, kind of left me flat.
There were definitely some good things about it; I enjoyed Cumberbatch’s performance and he did have an interesting character arc. (The accent didn’t bother me at all.) Some of the visual effects were stunning, but as others have said, they became repetitive very quickly. I think if I had seen the 3D version I may have been more impressed.
But in general, the whole premise just didn’t resonate with me. I was previously unfamiliar with the character, so an origin story should have been just the ticket. But his origin is basically: He goes to Nepal and learns how to do magic. He’s good at it. That’s pretty much it.
Somehow, a radioactive spider I can buy. A billionaire techie building a flying suit of armor I can buy. Even a Norse god with a magic hammer I can buy. This whole sorcery thing just didn’t seem to mesh with the rest of that universe for me.
The time-loop gambit at the end was clever. But before that, reversing time to restore the sanctum after it was destroyed just felt like cheating. (Superman I anybody?) And when your protagonist can do virtually anything with a wave of his hand - literally by magic - it’s tough to feel meaningful stakes.
I dunno, maybe I’m just cranky.
Nah; it wasn’t all that. I was unimpressed with the character (he’s a dick & he stays a dick), thought the “learning magic” thing happened way too fast and easily with absolutely no thought given to how magic happens in this universe. It was pretty much just “wow; you just walked in the door and you’re better than anyone that has ever existed”. :rolleyes: Not a lot of drama in that ‘arc’, eh.
The boss plot was just dumb. Everything & everyone in the multiverse apparently wants to take over Earth, usually to destroy it or turn it into something it isn’t, but this was literally as far as the plot went for this film.
And I love Tilda Swinton, but casting her was a big WTF. Not because she can’t act but because she just wasn’t right for that part. I wouldn’t hire Steve Buscemi to play Wilt Chamberlain FFS (or to play Bill Walton, for that matter).
The movie wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t at all as big a deal as I was led to believe.
And that’s why I haven’t paid for (or seen) Black Panther yet. 
I think the biggest assurance that The Big D stays away comes from his annoyance of the time loop, which he has to presume could be reapplied any time he came back.
The biggest disappointment was the implication that any chum can become a sorcerer by reading some textbooks. It’s not a unique quality of rare individuals.
From this clip, starting at 7 seconds, you can see a wound on each of Strange’s cheeks. I thought the cloak was nurturing those wounds.