User blog:BishoptheSingularity/Why Doctor Strange is Similar to Green Lantern (2011)

Doctor Strange was recently released in theaters to pretty awesome reviews. As the fourteenth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film presented audiences with a totally different side of the franchise that many have not been exposed to. Needless to say, amazing. However, even a great film like this can share familiar aspects to a true disappointment, like, say Martin Campbell's 2011 bomb, Green Lantern. Sure, both characters belong to totally separate studios and the intentions of the studios were to make a flick revolved solely around these personalities. Regardless, it's scary (and safe to say) that the features of both films are pretty similar.

Backstories: Before becoming the characters representative of their eponymously titled films, pilot Hal Jordan and neurosurgeon Stephen Strange were perceived as being among the best in their respective fields. They used questionable methods to achieve desired results, which put them at odds with superiors and colleagues. Additionally, both were considered arrogant and exuded a particular swagger that made them stand out from their relatively unappealing peers in clear ways. It is best to say that how well both characters performed their duties shaped their approach to others and themselves. Their air of superiority would not last, as both Jordan and Strange would eventually lose their jobs, albeit through different events (Jordan getting fired for the utilization of a dangerous maneuver during the first scene he's seen flying and Strange being involved in a car accident that affected his hands, which left him unable to perform any more surgeries), but both being a causation/representation of their ingeniousness and arrogance coming to a disastrous head.

Love Interests: Doctor Strange and Green Lantern are pretty powerful characters in their own right. This age-old addage does come into play, nonetheless: Behind every great man is a great woman. In both cases, behind every great man happens to be an attractive, but cinematically drab love interest. Both Carol Ferris and Christine Palmer fit into the useless girlfriend archtype quite snuggly. In both Doctor Strange and Green Lantern, the two aforementioned characters are written as colleagues to the main protagonist, but aren't necessarily seen as having romantic interest in them, despite any recounts or references to such possibilities occurring before. Both characters are also highly trained in their fields, like the heroes, but to a lesser extent due to them playing by the proverbial book. It can be argued that without Hal Jordan or Stephen Strange within their vincinity, Ferris and Palmer would not truly feel the need to showcase their potential to lead or suggest alternative methods to issues placed before them. As the films reach their climax, Ferris and Palmer finally see their knights in shining armor for the first time, rather puzzled at the sight of their new outfits, and converse in personal locations that reflect their professions: Jordan and Ferris meet near an airfield/airport and Palmer performs surgery on Strange while in the medical center they are/were both employed. In both instances, the heroes have to leave on a rather urgent mission/investigation, which don't include their lovers. Oh, and, of course, they eventually kiss to cement their care for one another. There are probably more similarities here, but moving on...

Powers of the Heroes: Both Doctor Strange and Green Lantern have different power sets. One is the Sorcerer Supreme, who utilizes magic at his disposal, and the other possesses a ring that allows him to create anything construct he wants from the Power of Will. However, that doesn't exactly exempt both Jordan and Strange from being similar. Throughout Doctor Strange, he conjures energy to make constructs of his own, like shields and whips. These aren't on par with Green Lantern's creations, such as race cars and planes, but are still constructs from energy, regardless. Through some means, both characters are able to fly (Doctor Strange through the Cloak of Levitation; Green Lantern through his Power Ring). Strange and Jordan can survive the environments of other dimensions, no matter how hazardous they might be. In Doctor Strange, the main hero could survive being in the Dark Dimension (the Marvel Cinematic Universe equivalent to the original Darkforce Dimension in the comics), which is another realm where time doesn't exist and there isn't any sign of other life that could provide oxygen. Nonethless, Strange was able to function as he does normally, which suggests that he might be able to due this in other dimensions, too, as well as space. Green Lantern survived being at close proximity to the Sun and in the vacuum of space without any noticeable complications whatsoever. Doctor Strange and Green Lantern also drew some of their abilities in the film from rather sacred objects that had multiple users. Strange could teleport to other locations through the use of his Sling Ring and had the power to redirect the flow of time from the Eye of Agamotto (which contained the Time Stone). Jordan drew all of his abilities directly from his Power Ring.

Mentors (Before They Turned the Other Cheek): In Doctor Strange and Green Lantern, another dimension is added to "Behind every great man, there is a great woman." Apparently, there is a mentor that respects and doesn't too much care for you, too. In Doctor Strange, Karl Mordo is introduced as a sorcerer and instructor at Kamar-Taj, as well as being a man who was once arrogant and lived with his demons. This backstory parallels Strange's, and even Mordo admits it. He sees the strength in the film's main protagonist, although he will not completely accept him. Mordo is the first person from Kamar-Taj to assist Strange and guide him on his heroic journey to save the world. He also pushes Strange to his limits in combat through sparring sessions that reveal more about their learned abilities. At the end of the film, after experiencing destructive events and revelations with nearly world-ending ramifications, Mordo turns his back on Strange and leads on a different, darker path. In Green Lantern, this scenario is mirrored. Jordan's mentor is Sinestro, a member of the Green Lantern Corps, who doesn't exactly show that much welcome when the former is introduced, but realizes his potential. Sinestro trains Jordan and bests him, much like Mordo defeats Strange in a brief battle on the grounds of Kamar-Taj during a training session. However, by the end of the film, Sinestro turns his back on Jordan and the Corps and migrates to becoming the villain indentifiable by comic book fans. Again, like Mordo. Villains: Ah, the villains. Where would the heroes be without them? Doing absolutely nothing or using the their powers irresponsibly. In Doctor Strange and Green Lantern, both villains are pretty different in their origins. In Doctor Strange, Kaecilius is a former Master of the Mystic Arts, who breaks away from the sect and embarks on a journey to cease the negative effects of time, which he views as insulting to life. Prior to gaining his powers, Kaecilius was a broken Danish man who lost his everything, including his family. In Green Lantern, Hector Hammond is a reclusive scientist, who happens to be affected by the yellow energy of Fear and develops superhuman abilities and a strong connection to the entity known as Parallax. Well, despite both villains' differences, there are a lot of similarities. Kaecilius and Hector Hammond have the ability to affect aspects of their respective realities in certain ways. Kaecilius has abilities similar to Doctor Strange; he can shape reality, and that makes him one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Hector Hammond affects reality in that he can exert influence over pretty much anything, like a much more powerful form of psychokinesis. Kaecilius and Hammond have physiological connections to their energy-adjacent superiors (Dormammu and Parallax, respectively, which are portrayed in both films as also being made from elements of their dimensions/homeworlds), and this allows them to use power from those entities to achieve their goals. However, this advantage doesn't come without physical changes. As Kaecilus maintains his connection with Dormammu, he keeps a strange marking on the center of his forehead that signifies his relation with the dimensional overlord. Also, his eyes, as well as those of his followers, appear to be shattered and indicative of the Dark Dimension's influence over them. Hammond's cranium size doubles in length and width as a result of Parallax's influence over him.

Conclusively, Doctor Strange and Green Lantern are certainly different movies in their own rights. One was positively acclaimed, featured stellar performances, and amazing visual effects, and the other had Ryan Reynolds. Of course, there are bound to similarities along the lines, though, as expected. These similarities aren't even exclusive to these two films alone, but one can't help but draw comparisons. Ultimately, it depends on which films audiences like better (cough, Doctor Strange was better, cough), not how many similarities there might be. - BishoptheSingularity