Doctor Strange is an exciting movie that thrills you, entertains you, and challenges you. While watching it, I couldn’t help but pray in worry and in awe.
Just a brief background (spoilers ahead):
Dr. Stephen Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) is a brilliant neuro-surgeon who went through a horrific accident that impaired his hands and ended his career. His search for a cure leads him to Nepal where he finds The Ancient One (played by Tilda Swinton) who opens his eyes that to a world beyond human sight. Under the training of the Ancient One, Dr. Strange learns to harness powers from other worlds that enable him to transport himself to other places, master astral projection and martial arts, and even turn back time. However, he has been continually warned that he has to be careful because the line between good and evil is very narrow. The Ancient One struggles with the fear that in equipping Dr. Strange with the otherworldly skills, he might turn to the dark side and become a very powerful enemy, which was what happened to her previous student.
The casting and performance of the actors were point on. The storyline and humor was entertaining. And the fears and struggles portrayed were thought provoking.
There was one major thing that made me pray with worry, though, and this was:
- The portrayal of the dark arts as enticing. Watching the movie, I felt the pull to wanting that same power and skill also. This is quite disturbing, especially for the younger audience as some of these things are actual practices in the occult (Astral Projection is one of them). Parents, I urge you to watch the movie first or at least watch with your teenagers so that you can discuss with them the movie’s different elements. I don’t recommend this movie for young children.
The thought provoking elements in this movie that made me pray in awe were:
- The movie tackles about the fear of death and desire for immortality. Kaecilius is the adversary in the movie. He is one of the students of the Ancient One who pledged his soul to the evil celestial being called Dormammu in exchange for the promise of eternity. However, at the end of the movie, when Dr. Strange saves the world and Dormammu retreats from earth, Dormammu also takes with him Kaecilius and his followers. As Kaecilius sees his body being slowly ‘taken’, he turns to Dr. Strange in shock. Dr. Strange tells him, “Welcome to your eternity.” (Or something like that.) Kaecilius got exactly what he wanted but not what he expected. To me, this was the perfect depiction of Satan who lures many with his promises but in the end, his promises aren’t life-giving but life-draining.
- In the movie, Dr. Strange is severely warned not to practice the art of turning back time as it will result into unexpected time loops and unimaginable consequences in the future. But in the end, in order to save the world, Dr. Strange had to do it. Two of his mentors have different reactions. Wong, the guardian of the books, later agrees that it’s ok to break that rule if it will save the greater good. The other mentor Baron Mordo disagrees and insists that breaking the rules will result into an unforeseen negative consequence in the future. For me, this was the part of the movie that was really thought provoking. When GOD created man…and man sinned, God could have changed His mind about sin and said, “Ok, never mind about sin. Let’s just brush it aside and make a new rule.” But GOD did not. God’s holiness could not permit Him to embrace man’s sin. But God’s love is so great that HE did not abandon us in our sin. He chose to abide by the rule and paid for the penalty of sin by His death on the Cross. That’s what astounds me. God is perfectly holy yet perfectly loving.
While watching the movie, I kept asking myself, could I be steadfast in following God? Could I be steadfast and not compromise? Certain situations come to my mind and I find myself wondering how I might truly respond when it arises. For example, is lying ok when it will save a life? Is it ok to tattle on your colleagues when you know they’re doing something wrong? If a client is gay, do I call him sir and offend him or call him ma’am to encourage him? If a friend is getting married to the wrong person and asks me to be part of her entourage, should I accept her request or should I refuse?
In this world where so many rights are now being labeled as wrong, and so many wrongs are being labeled as right, God’s unchanging Truth is so needed by all, especially me. I pray that we who know God’s Truth will apply it in our daily lives and become lamps that point the way to Jesus. I pray that we will each be just like Jesus…whose life was a portrait of complete holiness and immeasurable love of God.