Five Part Finale of Doctor Strange

In my quest to conquer the Five Part Finale, I'm taking on spelling Benedict Cumberbatch. Ha! I did it ~thanks spellcheck. Today, I'm doing a deep dive on the film Doctor Strange. It has a bit of a love story, though like most Marvel movies it's a hero's journey where by definition the hero ends up alone at the end so that he can go on another journey.

There's barely a kiss, but it tickled my romance bone enough to hold my attention all the way to the end.

The film introduces audiences to the character of Strange, a brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon who, after a devastating car accident that ruins his hands, embarks on a journey to rehabilitate himself and regain his life as a world reknown doctor. 

After Western Medicine fails him, he turns East. His quest leads him to Kamar-Taj, a mystical place where he learns about the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.

You'll notice it has the Mirror Dimension (Mirror Moment anyone?) and Dark Dimension (any relations to the Dark Moment perhaps?) 

Before things get Strange, let's recap the components of the five part finale.

FIVE STEP FINALE REMINDER

Step 1: The hero gathers his team come up with a plan to “storm the castle” and “free the princess” or whatever reward he's after that's “trapped in the highest tower of the castle.”

Step 2: The plan begins. The wall of the castle is broached. The heroes enter the Bad Guys’ fort. All is going according to plan.

Step 3: Finally reaching the tower where the princess/reward is being kept, the hero finds… she’s or it's not there! And not only that, it’s a trap! It looks like the Bad Guy has won.

Step 4: The hero now has to come up with a new plan. And it’s all part and parcel of the overall transformation of the hero and his need to “dig deep down” to find that last ounce of strength to win the day.

Step 5: Thinking on the fly, and discovering his best self, the hero executes the new plan, and wins! Princess freed, friends avenged, Bad Guy sent back to wherever Bad Guys go when they are defeated our hero has triumphed. Only to be left alone before the credits roles.

So how does this all play out in Doctor Strange? Well, let's follow the cat to get to the end of this journey.

1.  Opening Image : The film opens with a scene showing the Ancient One battling Kaecilius, her misguided former student, and his followers in the Mirror Dimension. This scene sets the tone for the film's mystical and magical elements.

2.  Theme Stated : Dr. Stephen Strange, a successful but arrogant neurosurgeon, dismisses a colleague's suggestion to help others in less lucrative ways. The theme of humility and the limits of scientific knowledge is introduced. As is the notion that he does not like to fail.

3.  Set-Up : We see Strange’s skill as a surgeon and his ego-driven life. We're also introduced to the not-love-interest Christine who is his perfect foil and would easily be a great Grumpy Sunshine, Alpha who yields to the Beauty. Except I'll spoil it now to say the grump won't shine.

4.  Catalyst : The scene of his success is promptly followed by his car accident, which severely damages his hands, and upends his life. The car crash is the catalyst that destroys Strange's his career, prompting him to seek unconventional means to heal himself.

5.  Debate : Strange spends all his resources on experimental surgeries to no avail. He then learns about Jonathan Pangborn, a paraplegic who mysteriously regained his ability to walk. Pangborn points him Eastward.

6.  Break into Two : Strange travels to Kamar-Taj and meets the Ancient One, entering the world of magic and mysticism – a stark contrast to his previous life grounded in science and materialism.

7.  B Story : The B story, which would have been the love story if this truly was one, involves Strange's relationships with the Ancient One and Mordo, and his training in the mystic arts. Because he is an Alpha, the best in his career, he quickly excels in the mystic arts and begins outperforming everyone around him. 

8.  Fun and Games : Strange's training in the mystic arts, learning to open portals, manipulate time, and his struggles with his own skepticism, make up the Fun and Games section. 

9.  Midpoint : The Midpoint is a 'false victory' where Strange, though still in training, successfully reads from the Book of Cagliostro and uses the Eye of Agamotto, which manipulates time. It shows his potential but also his recklessness.

10.  Bad Guys Close In : Kaecilius attacks the New York sanctum, leading to Strange defending it. The threat posed by Kaecilius and his plan to bring the Dark Dimension to Earth comes to light.

11.  All Is Lost : The Ancient One is mortally wounded during a battle with Kaecilius, and Strange feels lost without his mentor. This is the "whiff of death" moment in the story. It's also my favorite line of the film with the Ancient One says the biggest lesson Strange has failed to learn was; "It's not about you."

12.  Dark Night of the Soul : Strange, feeling defeated and uncertain, must decide whether to uphold the Ancient One’s teachings or abandon his new responsibilities. He has the power to heal his hands and return to his life. But a greater harm would be done if Kaecilius and the Dormammu of the Dark Dimension take over Earth.

13.  Break into Three : Armed with a deeper understanding of his role -and perhaps realizing it's not about him- and the nature of the mystic arts, Strange decides to confront Kaecilius and Dormammu to save the world.

14.  Finale : Strange uses his newfound knowledge and skills to battle Kaecilius in Hong Kong and confronts Dormammu in the Dark Dimension, employing a clever time loop to defeat him. 

FIVE PART FINALE

Let's break down the Finale to it's five parts.

1. Gathering the Team

Definition : The protagonist prepares for the final battle, often assembling allies or resources.

With the London and New York sanctuaries having fallen, Strange aligns with his allies – Mordo and Wong to protect the final sanctuary in Hong Kong.

2. Executing the Plan

Definition : The protagonist puts their plan into action, often leading to an initial success.

Strange's plan involves defending the Hong Kong sanctum from Kaecilius and his zealots. But he arrives to find the sanctum destroyed and time running out. Here, he uses the Eye of Agamotto to reverse time and resurrect the sanctum, initiating a battle with Kaecilius in the process. This is the execution of his plan to stop the immediate threat.

3. High Tower Surprise

Definition : An unexpected twist that makes the situation worse or more complicated.

The twist comes when Kaecilius and his followers break free from the time manipulation and continue their attack, overpowering Strange and his allies. The situation escalates further when Dormammu begins to merge the Dark Dimension with Earth, indicating that Strange's plan is failing.

4. Dig Deep Down

Definition : The protagonist musters inner strength or realizes a key insight to address the challenge.

Realizing that conventional fighting won't suffice, Strange decides to confront Dormammu directly in the Dark Dimension. His key insight is using the time loop as a weapon against the timeless Dormammu, showcasing his growth from a self-centered surgeon to a selfless hero.

5. Execution of the New Plan

Definition : Armed with new strength or insight, the protagonist executes a revised strategy.

Strange traps Dormammu in a time loop, forcing him to relive the same moment repeatedly. This clever use of the Eye of Agamotto and his newfound understanding of time and sacrifice compels Dormammu to agree to leave Earth and take Kaecilius with him. Strange's new plan hinges not on overpowering the enemy but on outsmarting him, demonstrating his transformation and strategic acumen.

Which brings us to…

15.  Final Image : The film ends with Strange, now the protector of the New York sanctum, fully embracing his role as a sorcerer, a stark contrast to the arrogant surgeon seen at the beginning of the film.

One of my favorite components of the Save the Cat method is it's scientific nature of thesis of act one, the antithesis of act two, and synthesis of act three.

The film opens with the thesis that knowledge will keep Strange safe and on top.

In act two, this is disproven with the Antithesis in the new world of karmataj that all the things he doesn't know about the multiverse and mystical world could kill him.

It's brought together into Synthesis when Strange Uses his fear of failure to his advantage by continually losing to Dormamu which is how he frees himself and everyone on Earth.

I also want to note that Strange keeps the broken watch Christine gave to him even though he's lost her as per the rules of the Hero's Journey, which, when followed strictly, is not a friend of romance.

There's three more Marvelous break downs to go.

Up next is The Black Panther -finally, a heroine's journey where love will triumph!

So if you haven't watched it in a while, or you've never seen it, be sure and pop some popcorn and see it before the next post!