Doctor Strange (2016)

[Michael*]

The reviews are starting to roll in and the consensus is mostly positive so far. Praise has been heaped on the effects, in particular one of the centrepiece action sequences, with Cumberbatch's performance drawing comparisons to Robert Downey's first outing as Tony Stark. Not all cared for the Marvel brand of humour or the fact that it was another superhero origin story, but those things struck me as coming with the territory anyway. Looking forward to going.

[Shepherd]

Promo stills

 

[Michael*]

Did anyone end up seeing this one, then?

 

I felt like it was a solid introduction to the character as we move towards Infinity War, nothing particularly risky for an origin story, but easily one of the most efficient entries in the Marvel stable. I don't mean for that to sound like faint praise either, because in a world where superhero movies are getting more and more unwieldy, the tightness of Strange makes it feel very fresh, despite being packed with familiar reference points.

 

Easily some of the trippiest visual sequences I've seen all year too (the only film that comes close for me is The Neon Demon), with the twisting buildings, floors, cars bending around corners, and the climax in general. Cumberbatch, Swinton and Ejiofor all excelled, as they almost always do. Cumberbatch in particular was terrific.

 

What was interesting as well, much like Guardians of the Galaxy which was also very much its own thing, is that you could easily see the character carving his own niche and developing in his own self-contained universe. There were of course some minor references to other parts of the shared continuity, but no spoilers or required watching beforehand. Overall, I'd place it in the middle of the MCU pack, but towards the top end.