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Marvel Comics always seems to come up short in the comics-to-movies transition, often because their adaptations veer away from both their comic book feel and their original story. This lesser-known conversion--which didn't even air in some parts of the country back in 1978--is the most faithful of the '70s Marvel adaptations, from a lead actor who looks the part to specific sets and some moderately decent effects. Peter Hooten stars as psychiatrist Stephen Strange, an unwitting heir to mystical powers which aging sorcerer Lindmer seeks to bestow on him (it's his destiny). When the evil Morgan LeFay is sent by an evil demon from another dimension to snuff out the aging sorcerer and begin the takeover of Earth, Linder fends her off as his pupil, Wong, seeks out Strange for his initiation into the mystic arts. When the reluctant Strange learns that one of his patients, student Clea Lake, has become an unwitting pawn in this cross-dimensional war, he tries to save her and then attempts to fend off LeFay before she bridges the gap between dimensions.
Admitted, this movie is more suited to fans of the comic than to outsiders, but that said, it is the Marvel adaptation most likely to entice people into investigating its source material. Hooten delivers an appealing performance as the compassionate Strange; his acting is what drives this piece. John Mills is decent as Lindmer, and Anne-Marie Martin emphatically plays the victimized Lake, but Jessica Walter is a bit too cold and distant as sinister sorceress LeFay, despite her cool, icy stare. Luckily, Paul Chihara's moody electronic score (reminiscent of Goblin's music in Dario Argento films) adds tension to the movie. You can tell the filmmakers were setting up a series that never came, and it's too bad because there was a lot of potential here. --Bryan Reesman
