Doctor Strange (2016) User Reviews

Gets better and better every time

[wlbtraveler · 8/10 · 28 December 2020]

Personally, I find that every time I watch "Doctor Strange," I enjoy it slightly more than I did before. I suppose it comes down to my belief that "Doctor Strange" is far more rooted in reality than many other Marvel movies. Whereas many others have storylines that audiences and humanity in general cannot exactly relate to, "Doctor Strange" (simply put) follows a man who loses his way. After a bad car accident, Dr. Stephen Strange finds that he is unable to continue his work as a surgeon, and essentially spirals into despair. He eventually finds salvation in the mystic arts, finally understanding that the world does not revolve around him and becoming involved in a battle to save Earth. In terms of Marvel stories, that is fairly simplistic.

Let me make myself clear: "Doctor Strange" is in no way a simple movie. Many scenes (especially those in the mirror dimension) are some of the trippiest scenes to ever grace a Marvel title. We're talking "Inception"-level chaos. What I mean is that the story itself is fairly simplistic, which allows audiences to sympathize with Strange. Almost everyone has had or will have a crisis of faith. It's something we can understand, and I think that makes "Doctor Strange" a very solid film.

On another note, the characters and cast in this movie are spot-on. Benedict Cumberbatch is literally PERFECT at being an arrogant neurosurgeon-turned Master of the Mystic Arts, Rachel McAdams is perfect as the down-to-Earth and often extremely confused Christine, and Benedict Wong is wonderful as... Wong. Huh. I never noticed they had the same name. Anyways, they're all hilarious in some way. Tilda Swinton (The Ancient One) and Mads Mikkelsen (Kaecilius) are more serious in tone, but both still have marvelous performances. I won't really mention Mordo, because he's a little annoying (even though I suppose that's purposeful). Chiwetel Ejiofor still does a great job of playing him though.

So overall, I really enjoy "Doctor Strange" nowadays. I suppose its more realistic approach to characters was a little off-putting to me at first, but I think I've warmed up to it.

Most amazing CGI ever

[chinandchin · 8/10 · 16 December 2020]

The Jungle book won the Oscar for best visual effect, without a doubt it was very great.. but everything was predictable, it was just perfectly done. However, what Doctor Strange did was more than perfectly done, it's about the most craziest imagination that anyone had ever done in movie industry up to date.

"We never lose our demons, we only learn to live above them"

[Bored_Dragon · 8/10 · 26 February 2017]

I'm not a big fan of Marvel and, in my opinion, their movies are mostly overrated. This one isn't. This is probably the second best Marvel movie, after "Guardians of the Galaxy". If you expect a movie to have depth and the point, you should skip, not only this one, but whole Marvel production, but if you are looking for fun you are at the right place. Visually it is amazing. I recommend watching it in theater or at least on a TV as big as possible. Standard computer monitors or, God forbid, tablets are out of question. Although 90% of this movie is pure action and fighting scenes, compared to most of the genre, story and characterization are more complete and Benedict and Tilda are excellent. Sure, like in all Marvel movies, there is a certain amount of humor and finale is one of the funniest things I have ever seen in Marvel movies. The way Strange finally defeats the enemy is at the same time unbelievably stupid, unbelievably clever and funny to tears. I gave it 8/10 within all the movies I ever watched, but within the genre, it is pure 10/10.

8/10

Great

[0U · 24 February 2020]

I was not prepared for the visuals this movie offered. Nevertheless, I absorbed it in its full glory. It was easy to enjoy this movie not only because of its visuals but also because of the quirkiness and lovable characters. A must-watch!

One of Marvel's best

[maxnexus-97144 · 10/10 · 14 February 2017]

This movie is fantastic. I truly enjoyed watching it!

Unlike most other movies of Marvel franchise, there is a heavy emphasis on character development. This keeps audience glued to the story on a deep cellular level.

The movie is littered with spiritual themes which adds further depth to this already amazing story.

Those who like movies and TV series of medical genre are in for a treat. As the title suggests the story involves a doctor.

I also like how the story blends in and moves forward, in prefect synchronization. Particularly given the complexity of the plot. Quite a tribute to the three screenwriters.

Great movie, can't wait for the next one!

Superb Visuals Accompanied by a Solid Script

[SquigglyCrunch · 8/10 · 5 April 2017]

Doctor Strange follows a surgeon who, after suffering from a major injury, sets out to search for healing. Instead, he ends up learning about magic.

The movie opens with a scene that is both darker and funnier than most Marvel superhero movies I've seen. It sets the tone really well, and it actually manages to carry that all the way through. It is comedic, yet it maintains a level of urgency or threat to the entire situation that the characters constantly find themselves in, keeping the audience intrigued for most the entire duration.

The special effects were probably the biggest selling point for this movie. For me, anyway. I made a point of getting it on blu-ray, and it paid off. The effects are pretty trippy (for lack of a better word), and that's really all I'm going to say about them. I wasn't sure they always made sense in the context of the movie, but they were still pretty cool.

Unlike other Marvel superhero movies I've seen recently, this one is actually funny. The character of Stephen Strange is actually fleshed-out and realistic to an extent. He's an engaging character with plenty of faults and just as much charm. He's a fun character, and I get the feeling Eggs Benedict Cucumberpatch felt the same. In fact, basically the entire cast seems to be having a jolly ol' time making the movie. There's just this air of fun surrounding it.

The writing is actually pretty good, with dialogue that comes expected of a particular character, and a plot driven in a direction that makes sense and ceases to be boring. I never found myself questioning a character's decisions due to pure stupidity, nor did I find myself dozing like I have through the last few movies. It manages to build an intriguing world without revealing too much or boring the audience with lore and exposition, yet it gives us just enough to keep us interested.

Overall Doctor Strange is both fun and funny, clever and pretty, well acted and well-written, and is just an all-around great movie. It's a step in the right direction for Marvel, and I'm hoping to see them continue in this direction. In the end I would recommend this movie.

A good entry into the MCU

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 7/10 · 31 January 2021]

This one holds up surprisingly well on a rewatch. I was bummed to find some of the effects already looking dated in Civil War, but almost all of the visual effects-heavy shots in Doctor Strange hold up (probably thanks to how fantastical and decidedly not grounded in reality many of those shots are).

There are some very cool visuals and set pieces, the cast is very good, and it's paced well, clocking in well under two hours if you factor out the almost 10 minutes of credits.

Despite mostly working, I'd say as a screenplay it doesn't quite feel 100% satisfying, and great actors like Mikkelsen and Swinton are good but kind of under-utilised (Chiwetel Ejiofor is good but maybe goes a little too hard? He kinda sounds like a voice actor from the Elder Scrolls, the way he speaks in some scenes 😅)

Upper Echelon of the MCU

[DanLawson146 · 9/10 · 26 September 2021]

POSITIVES:

1) The cast is incredibly impressive and they all give amazing performances, for example I loved the fractured relationships that they are able to portray between the Order and the Zealots 2) The fight / action scenes are very well shot and choreographed and are able to occur in a way that doesn't feel silly 3) I thought the film did a very good job of world building and establishing lore - the conflict between the Ancient One and her relationship with The Dark Dimension was particularly engaging 4) The humour is a lot less 'in your face' that most MCU films and that made it land a lot more for me 5) The film stands on its own rather than relying on the other MCU films

NEGATIVES:

1) Not really this film's fault, but when there are powers like this that exist in the MCU, it makes people like Hawkeye and Black Widow just seem ridiculously weak 2) There are times where the film almost feels like it has too many characters that it is trying to flesh out; so some developments are skipped over rather quickly and it feels rushed 3) The final battle did not really satisfy me. It was certainly unique and well done to the film for that, but I felt that Mads Mikkelson was a brilliant villain so to see him be pretty irrelevant in the final battle was a bit disappointing.

A film with much potential, but the writers needed to understand what they were writing.

[laurenknight-58650 · 6/10 · 5 August 2017]

I actually really enjoyed this film. It was very entertaining, and a good way to spend two hours. Benedict Cumberbatch was good, the background of his character was very unique and interesting, and the other characters were complex and somewhat relatable. However, this movie had many flaws.

Firstly, the storyline. Now, the backstory for Dr. Strange was very interesting, however, it was after he stopped being a surgeon when things began to get odd. It is all too common for movies to not explain their stories, because there are, 'things you don't understand.' However, in movies such as The Matrix, that line is used to evoke mystery and keep the audience engaged. I found that in this particular film, this was a tactic used by the writers to not have to explain their own story that they wrote. It gave me the feeling that they conjured up a great storyline for a great film, but they were unable to think of what the characters were actually doing in the film. It was not really explained what the characters were doing, it was just all of a sudden, Dr. Strange could conjure up a gold weapon and they had to fight people who wanted to ruin the world for no particular reason, and ended up concluding the film using time travel, another tactic used for easy endings.

Now I am all for time travel movies. Films like Back to the Future are some of my favourite films of all time, but time in this film does not work for me. Time can be used to solve all of film's plot issues, and does not require any creativity to do so. I just felt that the messing with time in this film was not done cleverly, it was simply done to conclude a complex plot.

Overall, I did enjoy this film. It had some good elements such as the backstory and acting. However, I felt the storyline could use work, which would have made the film an 8 out of 10.

My review after second watch

[ubasarsahin · 9/10 · 9 September 2021]

Revisited this beauty today.

I forgot how massive this movie was with very well-done CGI works. It's just awesome. Normally this amount of visual effects would tire my eyes but they managed how to not do that to the audience by using a very professionally made color grading.

Don't think I NEED to mention how Benedict Cumberbatch fits his role. It's like he was born to play Doctor Strange.

More of the Same, But Different!

[spencergrande6 · 7/10 · 14 December 2016]

Perfectly enjoyable fun. Sound familiar? Doctor Strange being a different kind of hero doesn't really excuse most of this film's conventional plotting.

There's a much more interesting film in here, one in which Mads Mikkelsen isn't the main villain (yet) and getting in the way of the hero's journey and in which Tilda Swinton is even more ambiguous. Her obvious parallels to Stephen are perfectly apt and yet not allowed enough time to breathe and spin. It's all a last minute reveal and then a call to arms because plot and all is well because plot.

A lot has been made of the "trippy" special effects, and I guess they are compared to the traditional visuals employed in these types of movies. But let's not get carried away. Besides the travels through space and mind it's mostly buildings moving around like they're in Inception.

I didn't buy the last end credits scene. Useless and not earned. I'm sick of hero's with photographic memories. Let the hero be exceptional on their own merits. Action scenes could be less choppily edited. But still, it's fun in ways other recent Marvel movies haven't been.

Lots of magical and wondrous amazement!

[SPZMaxinema · 8/10 · 2 September 2021]

This movie's CGI is quite impressive and how well done the action scenes are, along with the origin of this character and the deeper messages provided regarding growth beyond limitations. Plus, an intimidating and cool villain who you can actually somewhat get! An impressive finally as well!

Not strange enough, Dr. Strange.

[cyraswest · 6/10 · 25 January 2019]

For a Marvel film, this is one of the weaker ones. Both Benedicts are great actors, the visuals are also great (though not as colourful as I would've liked) but the problem lies with the story... The plot is not even bad, but it wants to do funny; it wants to do strange; it wants to explore the characters in an emotional level; it wants to have a theme of "time"...... But none of them are done well. Personally, I would've liked a stranger movie with even weirder effects including a consistent theme with "time". And showcase how much more of a human training in the mystic arts has made him.

Visually impressive, but utterly uninspired. Could have been great

[aweynand96 · 3/10 · 6 November 2016]

After seeing this movie, and then seeing the other reviews for it online, I felt the need to write my opinion in order to share why some did not like it and why I feel it could have been far better under different direction.

First of all, I generally like Marvel's films. They manage to put out new stories virtually every year and incorporate new characters into their ensemble. They've also mastered the art of masking each film as original and fresh, and for the most part it's just a fun time at the cinema. But the problem is that eventually, while you will always be able to pick new heroes from the massive wealth Marvel has created through comics, the formula, the acting, the uninspired scripts and classic gimmicks will become stagnant and even begin to bore the audience.

I wanted to like Doctor Strange, and I, too, was convinced by the trailers that it would be captivating and interesting and thought- provoking. But twenty minutes into the movie and I could already tell how this was probably going to go.

The acting was to be expected given the cast they chose, but nothing stood out. Benedict Cumberbatch played a convincing Doctor Strange, but his character was completely static - I felt no indication that he had changed in the slightest by the end of the film (which is what the filmmakers were lazily trying to portray), and I couldn't even figure out why he suddenly wanted to fight the enemy in the first place. The rest of the characters were poorly fleshed out, and I found myself caring little for any of them, a phenomenon that did not occur when I watched "Iron Man" or "Guardians of the Galaxy". The jokes and wise-cracks felt especially childish this time around, and even out of place in the face of sincerely substantial ideas such as alternate dimensions and the fabric of time and space. Additionally, the pace simply felt rushed and awkward, and like I said before, I just couldn't find myself caring for any of the one- dimensional, superficial characters.

The plot was formulaic, which is typical and expected of Marvel; hero suddenly has powers, hero is confronted by conflict larger than himself, hero acts selflessly to save the day and the girl, hero returns and the film ends with some good old fashioned comic relief (Wang laughing, in this case). Normally I could enjoy this, but combined with the tepid acting, shallow characters and strange pacing, the whole plot and film just felt... tired. Even with the great visuals (which were truly impressive and to the benefit of the movie), I simply didn't enjoy it. I wanted more, a more interesting script that had at least a couple memorable or provocative lines rather than none, a stronger character arc, a better and more menacing villain (spoilers aside, the final confrontation was COMPLETELY underwhelming and mildly ridiculous), and, all-in-all, a more enticing movie.

I really think "Doctor Strange" could have been a lot better of a film, but I feel like the filmmakers were just flat-out lazy this time around. While I do recognize the cash-cow that is Marvel, I just hope this isn't the beginning of the end for their good movies, movies with at least a little bit of substance. They still plan to cram over a dozen heroes into Infinity War, and if as little heart and care is put into it as was put into this one, it could be a very bad, shallow, exhausted film.

3.5/10 for great visuals and a relatively coherent plot.

Well worth expanding your mind for

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 11 November 2017]

Saw 'Doctor Strange' (although fairly late perhaps) because of liking the cast a great deal, who can argue with Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton, and having liked a lot of what Marvel has done, something that one doesn't see people saying a lot here.

'Doctor Strange' is not a perfect film, but to me it was a thoroughly enjoyable one and is one of Marvel's best. Lets begin with the things that from personal opinion didn't quite work. Rachel McAdams does do a good job with what she has, but the character was underused and underwritten. Her screen time, while essential, was not large and her development was sketchy at best. Strange mastering magic does happen too fast, didn't buy how rushed that aspect was, and while there are a lot of fun and witty moments a few jokes felt random and out of place (i.e. Beyoncé).

However, the cast are a major asset. Had reservations about McAdams's character but not with her performance. Benedict Cumberbatch really makes the interesting title character his own and knocks it out the park. The standout of the rest of the cast is Tilda Swinton, wonderfully mysterious as the film's most interesting character and played with relish by her.

Chiwetel Ejiofor has a charismatic intensity and Benedict Wong has fun and enjoyed his chemistry with Cumberbatch. Do think that the villain Kaecilius could have been explored in more depth, but Mads Mikkelsen is intriguingly menacing.

The story, making the most of a great innovative concept, is never dull and is told with absorbing atmosphere, exuberance and very rarely sacrifices coherence or credulity. There are some really interesting ideas here, explored with thought-provoking intelligence. The action excites and thrills, as well as being visually stunning, instead of being drawn out even though quite long the climax is great fun to watch (or at least it was to me).

'Doctor Strange's' script has emotion, wit and tension and although he doesn't have the character growth one would like Strange is a well realised character and Cumberbatch has a lot to thank for that. The music score has great intensity, rousing excitement and nuance and Scott Derrickson clearly engaged hugely with the material.

Where 'Doctor Strange' is particularly good is in the production values. It's very stylishly shot and edited and handsomely mounted in production design but it's the incredible special effects (particularly jaw-dropping in the climax) that take centre stage.

Overall, while not quite finding it a masterpiece of film-making and having a few problems with it 'Doctor Strange' was a thoroughly enjoyable film and among Marvel's best. 8/10 Bethany Cox

IMAX must

[jimsunrisefl · 10/10 · 8 September 2021]

The most amazing visuals I have ever seen in IMAX. Beautiful. Wish they would show it again. One of the few movies that I would go to the theater more than once.

Amazing Special Effects but that's it.

[RachelUndercover · 6/10 · 30 May 2019]

This film is incredibly pleasing to look at but not so much to watch. Whilst Benedict is an amazing actor it is just not shown here. The villain is weak, script is poor and some of the attempted humour is just not funny.

visually mind-blowing

[mortimerdiego · 8/10 · 11 February 2017]

In terms of the quality of the film as a whole, I would give Doctor Strange a 7, but because of its visual effects and implications for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I am totally giving it an 8. Let me explain.

Watching this in theaters with the sometimes too-loud sound, seeing the buildings and streets give way and rotate and otherwise bend themselves completely to a person's whim, immediately made me think of Inception. But this was even more hectic. This wasn't imaginary, this was real.

Another thing. Finally in the MCU we have some sorcery, direct utilization of magical energy for combat. Discussion of other dimensions; even traveling between them at will. Doctor Strange's final outfit is just wicked cool. If you know the character from the Marvel comics, then you'll know that he's pretty damn powerful. Unfortunately this is an origins film, that is, it reveals how Doctor Strange became Doctor Strange the Sorcerer Supreme; the real deal will come in the third Avengers film hopefully.

As a follower of the MCU who's seen basically all of the released films to date, I was eagerly awaiting this one, and I was not dissatisfied. The music was riveting as usual per a Marvel film (Giacchino), the fight sequences intense, the otherworldly conflicts enormous. I'm so glad this guy's joining the Avengers in their imminent battle with Thanos, or at least I'm pretty sure he is. Now all that being said, Doctor Strange wouldn't fall in my top 5 MCU films; Captain America, Avengers 2, for example were much better, but it's part of the MCU, and therefore is a must-see for any MCU fan.

I also noticed a lot more wit and almost off-character humor in this film than in other MCU films. And of course, as all the MCU films are taking place chronologically within the same universe (or multiverse?), there are several references to the bigger pictures, i.e. the Avengers.

Visual effects that spoil the eye and Scott's good direction, this film makes us enchanted with beauty.

[Mysterygeneration · 7/10 · 23 December 2021]

Marvel Studios' "Doctor Strange" offers very few insights into the childhood of its main character. It's safe to assume it wasn't easy growing up with a name like Stephen Strange. Perhaps that explains the complex that has driven Strange to become such an arrogant neurosurgeon.

The studio has created a thrilling existential dilemma in which its flawed hero's personal search for purpose dovetails beautifully with forays into the occult New Age realm of magic and sorcery where Doctor Strange ultimately finds his calling.

Marvel movies are all starting to look and sound the same, boasting bright primary colors and magic-hour lighting. Like the original pulp comics, they're printed with a standard four-color process that permitted a very limited palette. Feige deserves credit for bringing a master plan to Marvel's big-screen slate.

Director Scott Derrickson's film follows "Spider-Man" helmer Sam Raimi from the world of schlock horror. IMAX audiences will benefit from more than an hour of footage captured on Sony's large-format digital cameras.

The film is one of the best Marvel films to date, with an in-on-the-joke script that navigates major plot potholes.

Trippy, Weird, Amazing and Jawdropping!

[gangstah_vino · 9/10 · 21 October 2016]

I was lucky enough to be among the press-junket last Wednesday to witness this movie! I usually rate movies by different aspects, but i'll also answer some questions my friends had about this film which I also had myself!

Acting (10/10): This cast is amazing! They embody their characters instead of trying to act like the character. Benedict as Dr. Strange was a portrayal right out of the comics! Tilda as the ancient one killed it!

Action (10/10): Wow! I could argue the action in this movie being on par with the scenes in civil war. It was so incredible watching this scenes with million pieces moving yet focus sing on the main characters. Wide angles, long shots and great choreography. what else do you want?

Story(8/10) : This movie had a solid story and you believed what, how and why things were going on! Villain was good and actually a memorable one for once(stab, you're welcome dc fans). It was not flawless though. The pace kind of slows down before the final act which was unnecessary!

Cinematography/VFX 10/10: The images in this film blew my mind! There is a scene in the beginning where the ancient one shows Dr strange "the magic" and it is great! Some serious mind-bending stuff combined with great visuals to let it manifest itself to the audience. Most artistic movie yet of marvel.

Overall, i'd give this movie an 8.5. Though this isn't THE best marvel movie, it is truly one of best out there. After the disappointing Jason borne, jack reach er etc. we finally have a movie that lives up to the hype! GO Watch this movie in Max 3d if possible, because it is worth it for once!

Some questions that my friends asked:

"Is this better than civil war?" - Well visual-wise on par, but story-wise civil war is better for many reasons including the fact that civil war had a lot of background information to work with. This was more of a standardized origin film.

"Is there a post-credit scene?" - Ah yes sir! Apparently there are two, but we got to see only 1.

"Is this the most mind-boggling thing you've ever seen on screen?" - Ehm yes and no. Yes, because the effects were amazing and things I've never seen before. No, nothing was so mind-blowing that it made me think different of the world or something.

The Protectors of the Mystic World

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 12 February 2017]

In New York, the arrogant Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a talented neurosurgeon with a huge ego. After a car accident, Dr. Strange damages his fingers and loses control of his hands. The surgeon Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), who was his lover, tries to help him. But Dr. Strange unsuccessfully spends his savings searching an experimental treatment for his fingers. When Dr. Strange learns that the paraplegic Jonathan Pangborn (Benjamin Bratt) walked again, he seeks him out and he says he was healed in Kamar-taj. Dr. Strange travels to Katmandu where he meets the sorcerer Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and is introduced to The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). She discloses the astral plan and other dimensions to him and explains that Earth is protected in the mystical plan by three Sanctums (in New York, in London and In Hong Kong). However, her former protégé Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) has summoned the powerful demon Dormammu, from the Dark Dimension, and wants to destroy the three Sanctums with his minions to let the Dark Dimension, where time does not exist and anyone can live forever, to rule the world. Will The Ancient One, Dr. Strange and Mordo save the world?

"Doctor Strange" is another entertaining film with another Marvel non- popular hero. The witty story is well developed, presenting Doctor Strange to the audience. The scene where Mordo delivers a piece of paper to Dr. Strange with the wi-fi password is hilarious. The cast is also excellent. But the top-notch special effects are amazing. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Doutor Estranho" ("Doctor Strange")

People are so hard to impress

[icheckcheckers · 10/10 · 30 November 2016]

I know everyone is entitled to their opinion but damn, really 1 star on this movie. This movie did not deserve one star. Its hard to impress people. I do basic video editing and i really have a genuine appreciation for the people who work on video editing and effects. The people worked on dr strange really did something special with the visuals and i find it amazing what they created. Some of the people giving this movie 1 star i would like to see them create these visuals or take up video editing and special effects and see how easy it is to create this stuff. Even if you don't like the story i think just off visuals this movie at least deserved a 6. Its sad, to be in an artform like this because everyone is a critic and desensitized. Some movies i go to learn something from, some i go to because i want a good story, and some i go to for pure eye candy and fun. This movie is an eye candy movie. Yes there are other super hero movies with better stories but before going into doctor strange, i went for the visuals to see what they can do based on visuals i seen in the comics and to me they achieved the fantasy reality. I had pure fun watching this and im sorry i didn't see it in 3d because this is one of those types of movies you have to see in 3d. Sorry to the people who worked hard on this film. Its just not right that people gave it a 1 star. Its a 10 for me on visuals so im giving it a 10

One of the most action packed films of the MCU.

[gricey_sandgrounder · 7/10 · 25 October 2016]

2016 has been a mixed bag on the whole for the superhero genre.

Despite the noticeable potential, both DC blockbusters 'Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice' and 'Suicide Squad' did not seem to live up to the hype with the majority. As for Marvel, it's been pretty good. It started back in February where Deadpool became more of a success then anyone could ever have imagined. It is now high up in many peoples films of the year lists. Then we had 'Captain America: Civil War', which was another very good installment from not just the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the Captain America franchise. Then in the summer we had 'X-Men: Apocalypse'. It had mixed reviews, with the majority being satisfied with it.

Now we go into new territory for Marvel Studios with Doctor Strange. The last time they went for source material that sounded pretty odd on paper was Guardians Of The Galaxy, and director James Gunn and his team gave us one of the best reviewed and most loved films within the genre.

The stellar cast and marketing certainly had many people thinking this had potential to be up there with the best. It certainly is one of the most entertaining and is a welcomed addition to the MCU.

The one element that people were most nervous about is that would the mythology work on screen to fit into other Marvel movies. Yes there is a lot of mythology, and I certainly got swept away with it. I understood it by the end of it, it got me excited when certain things were happening and it made me think how the other Marvel superheroes would cope with the mystical power of Doctor Strange.

With the film going into magic effectively, it will be hard for some people to take it seriously. I can confidently say that the cast and crew certainly knew when to take it seriously and inject some fun into it. That will be a big reason for this to be a big success in the box office and with the critics.

The cast is probably the most high-calibre Marvel have ever conjured up, and they did a good job. Benedict Cumberbatch was the perfect choice for Dr. Stephen Strange. You believed his origin story and transformation. He IS Dr. Strange. Tilda Swinton was terrific was The Ancient One. I am big fan of her work and she definitely brought it in this one. Sadly, there were moments where I was confused as to why her character was not there. But that is the fault in the departments. Chiwitel Ejiofor and Rachel McAdams were serviceable as the main supporting roles. Benedict Wong also had great comedic relief when needed. The big question in any Marvel movie recently, is if the villain will be a memorable one. While Mads Mikkelsen's character was certainly not the worst, it still was not a strong one.

The strongest parts of the film for me were the action and the visual effects. The action is certainly some of the best in the MCU and in all of Marvel's films. They make great use of the abilities are characters had, and it had moments that even Christopher Nolan would have liked to have used in Inception. I loved those moments as I consider that film to be perfect. The imagery that the visual effects used was mind-blowing and really messed with your mind at times. The fantastic opening scene and use of visual effects will certainly give you a taste of what is to come.

The only stopping me from giving a very good rating is the writing and story development. While it is perfectly fine and serviceable, it is nothing exceptional. The writing was nothing to shout about, and the story development felt the standard Marvel structure that I have seen with many of their features.

That being said, there is lots to enjoy and I had a lot of fun with this. The action and visual effects is some of the best from this studio. A lot of the acting was great and helped the source material make sense to the mainstream audience. Another thing that worked like all Marvel films do, is the comedy. There are some good laugh- out- loud moments that are all well executed, and never felt forced or out of place.

Another usual thing with Marvel films is the credits scenes. In this particular one, there is both a mid and post credits scene. The mid- credits scene is a cool idea, but I felt the execution of it pretty much felt like an spoon-feeding moment to tell everyone what is coming up next. The post-credits scene was better executed and was a nice tease to see which path the next Doctor Strange installment might go down.

Rating: 7/10

Strange movie

[paulofigueiredo2580 · 5/10 · 1 November 2016]

I had fun seeing this movie. It's an overall good popcorn flick. But if you are, as i'am, a little demanding about movies, you'll feel in the end that they gave a great amount of attention to the digital/special effects aspect of the movie and very little to the screenplay. In the end, if you're one of those weirdos who stay and watch the credits out of respect for the crew who made the movie possible, you'll notice that digital, cgi and special effects have huge teams of dozens of computer geeks who master an art that fills 90% of today's action movies. That's saying a whole lot of the movies industry these days.

The movie has a relaxed tone to it, almost like Green Lantern. The protagonist is egocentric and stubborn. His confidence is often mistaken for arrogance. The jokes are of bad taste. The dialogues are light and deprived of any seriousness. Even in the event of an eminent apocalypse, Dr. Strange manages to throw his puns and bad jokes. The multiverse of presented almost as a gratuitous event, a mundane truth accessible to anyone of travels to Kathmandu. There's no secret, no effort to achieve it. You only need to knock at their door, and the Ancient One will teach you right away the secrets of the astral plane. There's no sense of urgency, like for instance the urgency that drives Neo to find the truth about the Matrix and his decision to swallow the red pill.

This plot is old and recycled. It takes the Hero's Journey myth and put it to practice. And we've seen it a thousand before: Talented yet self centered person is set to trial and loses his talent/strength. Seeking redemption, finds a tutor. The tutor teaches humility and new found power. An enemy emerges. Tutor dies in fight. Apprentice seeks revenge, wins battle, takes the tutor's position. More or less, this formula is old and we all know it.This movie is academic in this sense. But it somehow works. It's light mood dialogues and absence of seriousness makes it digestible.

Well... at least until the last battle. Dormammu (one of my favorite marvel villains) is so poorly portrayed. Worst only Galactus in Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer. And the battle, the solution found by Dr.Strange to defeat Dormammu makes absolutely no sense. The Eye of Agamoto controls time in a dimension where time exists, but the the Dark Dimension of Dormammu there's no such thing as Time. So, how could the Eye even work in a dimension where the concept of time does not exist. How did even Dormammu succumbed to a concept to which he was not captive of of? Did the Eye of Agamoto invented time in the Dark Dimension? Of course not. It's just a bad plot decision. It's simply lazy writing.

The way they confuse so many time the realm of metaphysics with hard science like quantum mechanics, is astonishing. Like they were trying to mask the comic book nature of Dr. Strange (a sorcerer who is able to travel between dimensions with his magical powers) with quantum physics Wikipedia vocabulary. The confusing and unnecessary discussion between Strange and the Ancient One about the nature of the Multiverse, shows an attempt to minimize the "magic" of movie and make it sound more ... "scientific". Dr. Strange, in the book, is a magical entity. His powers are far beyond known science as he can do things modern science finds impossible. So the attempt to rationalize such character is in my opinion a big mistake.

Overall, is an entertaining movie, with cool special effects, pleasant acting and light atmosphere. Good Saturday evening flick. Don't expect lots of brains in it.

A fantastic, excellent and glamorous movie with everything. A class act

[ibynadat · 10/10 · 20 October 2016]

Without giving away too much, Benedict Cumberbatch just kills it. He is one class actor. Cumberbatch rocks as Strange and pulls it off with ease. The impressions his portrayal gives us is that he was born to play the role of the ex-neurosurgeon turned Sorcerer Supreme. Such is the talent of the lead cast, that it represents just how good the movie was overall. Every normal movie watcher will love the action, humour, adventure and fantasy throughout the film.

A solid new character introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with loads of potential. Cumberbatch solidifies and anchors his role in the MCU as Stephen Strange in a similar fashion to RDJ doing so with Tony Stark.

A must watch! Enjoy!