Review of Doctor Strange (2016) by Lewis C — 09 Apr 2018

Doctor Strange is one of the worst Marvel movies to date. The visuals of the film are spectacular and it is certainly one of the best looking Marvel movies, but that is about it. The story follows a surgeon named Stephen Strange, whose life changes dramatically following a fatal car crash.

He travels to the Far East for any hope of healing after Western practices fail him. Dr. Strange is a very arrogant and unlikeable character. Cumberbatch plays the role well capturing the arrogance and curiosity of the character, but Dr.

Strange is just not a likeable individual, especially when there are so many others in the MCU. The pacing is very slow and uneven in this film. The first act is boring and it takes a while to set up the character and it is not executed well.

When the training in the Far East finally begins, the pace picks up a little and the world is incredible to see due to the stunning visuals. There is not enough time spent on the training however, and the Third Act is also a major letdown.

The final sequence is very anticlimactic and goes against the traditional big fight sequence and showdown seen in almost every superhero movie. This decision does not pay off however and is a major letdown after a decent Second Act.

The villain is this movie, Kaecilius, is one of the worst Marvel villains yet. He is very one dimensional, hardly featured, and an overall forgettable character. The minor characters in this movie are hit and miss.

Some are interesting such as the Ancient One and Dr. Strange's love interest Christine, but they do not receive enough presence or backstory to really connect with. The same can be said with the other characters, but some are very bland and not relatable at all.

The humour is poor in the film too, with the jokes being very awkward and misplaced. Overall, Doctor Strange is a very forgettable and boring film. The visuals are stunning and Cumberbatch gives a solid performance, but his character is not very likeable and the pacing and story are very bland and disappointing.