Doctor Strange (2016)

Wonderful Movie

Sadly Over-hyped

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The visuals are undoubtably fantastic, leading to some very unique action set-pieces that have enough style to set them apart from other superhero films, and its outstanding soundtrack is one of the best of the MCU. It's a shame, then, that the story and tone of 'Doctor Strange' drag it down to be one of the worst films of the Marvel cinematic universe. Stephen Strange is an unlikeable protagonist, one who we can never root for, and this means that the audience doesn't really have any reason to care about the story. Also, the narrative is very predictable and the film doesn't have a proper grasp on time; the 'training montage' is over very quickly and because there is no indication of how much time has passed, it seems as if Strange has gone from a nobody to the sorcerer supreme in mere days. Therefore, it feels entirely unbelievable that Strange can masterfully use his powers and save the world by the end of this film. Throughout the picture, Strange should have been struggling to use his powers, indicating to the audience that he is still learning and developing over time. Another big issue with the movie is its ham-fisted attempts at comedy. It is never funny, yet its 'humour' is always prevalent, even undermining serious moments on several occasions, and this becomes extremely annoying. Sure, a few comedic moments wouldn't have gone amiss, but since the character of 'Doctor Strange' isn't a funny one, this film should have had more of a focus on its serious elements and getting them to be successful. Without its superb visual elements and soundtrack, this could have been a disaster. 6/10

One of the worst Class A super hero action films................................................................................................

Doctor Strange, one of the better efforts of the Marvel Movie-Makers, really delivers the goods. I am fairly tough on Superhero movies; there are only three recent ones I felt are high-quality: Wonder Woman, Iron Man, and Doctor Strange. Cumberbatch does a great job, and is made for the role. You can see how comfortably he delivers his lines and mannerisms. The rest of the cast is good as well. The special effects are among the best ever created for a film; up there with Star Wars, The Matrix, and The Sound of Music (just kidding; wanted to get a cheap laugh from you). Looking forward to the sequel.

So Marvel told the basic origin story of Doctor Strange (Earth's supposed Sorcerer Supreme). But, didn't it feel a bit undeserved? Like really, what did Dr. Strange have to suffer through in order to become the master of mysticism? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! However, Marvel does have a chance to rectify this situation and make this character one of their better franchise movies by simply following up the first movie and making the classic magnum opus Triumph and Torment. If they made this as their second movie, not only would it flesh out Dr. Strange more by showing that he actually deserved the title, but it would also introduce Marvel to the something that it has sorely lacked throughout ALL it's movies; a complex villain more worthy than all of its heroes put together: Dr. Doom. After butchering nearly all of the Thor movies and killing off Odin like some B-rate character, the fans deserve this movie! Stop being lazy Marvel and finally do your films some justice!