Movie Reviews

The film opens with two City Workers, is what we'll call them, running for their lives from something they cant see in the sewers. One of which falls prey to whatever is chasing them, while the other gets away. Then we see the good guys who use some sort of cloaking spell to hide the creature, after making it appear, in a tornado. That's right a tornado, in the middle of Manhattan (I assume.), but whatevs right, it's magical.

The Good guys, one of which is Mordo another who is Wong (which really are the only two important ones of the "Good Guys" at this point.), do defeat the shadow creature, where Steven Strange, Ph.D has his first encounter with the magical world.

By this point in Dr. Strange's life he's kinda a douchbag (as all good pre-super heroes are.) and his douchbagery is called into question when he refuses to give a medical consult to a fellow doctor in pediatrics. When the Cheif of Medicene scolds him for this he resigns and sees to the issue. Which we find out is a crap ton of children in "a coma-like state" all with the same symptoms. Now since Dr. Stange has been exposed to magic, somehow he sees that all the children are dreaming about some firey demon thing (We learn later that he's called Dormomu and is sealed in a dark dimension within the Nexus), and freaks out, cause who wouldn't really. It's magical!

In his frustration and being totally freaked out, Strange gets into a car wreck coming home, where his hands get crushed and unable to perform as a surgeon. He drains every bit of wealth he has looking for any sort of fix for his hands. None of them work, and in a fit of self loathing tries to hurl himself from the Brooklyn Bridge, and gets saved by Wong in the process. Wong tells him that he might be able to help him but first he has to go to Tibet...really? But hey, it's magical!

Strange goes on a search for this place, lead only by a map given to him by Wong. It's after a grueling trek montage that Strange finds this place, kinda like the stories of Shangri La. Here he begin his magical studies but first has to overcome the crutch of seeing things like he has in the past (ooohhh magical!!)

After finding out how to perform magical feats he also learns while sparing with the headstrong and insubordonate Mordo, that he can absorb magic as well as shape it. This allows him to defeat Dormomu when he tries to take over the world, by entering through a nexus of dimensions. Though not before Mordo turns on them by helping Dormomu, and killing Dr. Stange and Wong's master. Magical!!

nWoD Inspriations
Well obivously this film deals with magic. Though not in the D&D sort of magic, but really ones perception of reality and how to bend, perhaps even break it. Also the Sanctum in which mages in the film strive to protect is similar to maybe a cabal, order or even legacy of Mages the Awakening.

The basic story that follows Strange as he comes to terms with his own perceptions is the structure of any novice Mage in the WoD setting.