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Ryan Hill (152 KP) rated Doctor Strange (2016) in Movies

May 11, 2019  
Doctor Strange (2016)
Doctor Strange (2016)
2016 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
7
7.8 (161 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Benedict cumberbatch as Doctor strange Tilda swinton as the ancient one Rest of the cast are good The trippy visuals The action sequences are cool (0 more)
Villains are underwhelming Plot can be a bit formulaic (0 more)
"Try me Beyoncé"
The 14th instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe marks the arrival of yet another avenger into the already crowded Marvel family while also bringing mystic arts & alternate dimensions into its ever-expanding universe. But even though it offers a kaleidoscopic journey through astral realms, infinite realities & spacetime contortions, it isn't entirely different from the norm.

Doctor Strange tells the story of Stephen Strange, a brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon who loses the use of his hands after a car accident, spends all his money on experimental surgeries to regain his abilities, and travels east for a last resort treatment where he meets a powerful sorcerer who teaches him ways to harness energy & shape realities through the mystic arts.

Co-written & directed by Scott Derrickson (best known for The Exorcism of Emily Rose & Sinister), Doctor Strange marks his first stint with comic book movies and while he succeeds in delivering a sufficiently entertaining blockbuster, his latest suffers from the same issues that marred his earlier works as Derrickson begins this story on a promising note but once again loses his grip in the middle.

The screenplay features a universe that's full of imaginations & possibilities yet beneath its parallel universes, time manipulation & astral projections lies the same generic storyline following the same predictable route that we all have seen many times before. What's interesting, however, is how the arc of the eponymous character is handled, for Stephen Strange remains an intriguing character at all times.

Production Design team chips in with set pieces that brim with mystical qualities while props such as ancient artefacts & antiquated relics provide added details to the desired spiritual environment. Camerawork is fine, Editing gets carried away by letting numerous CGI-infested moments overstay their welcome due to which it feels longer than it should. And Michael Giacchino contributes with a score that's fitting yet not enthralling.

Coming to the acting department, the film features a talented ensemble in Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen & Tilda Swinton. Cumberbatch as Strange is pitch-perfect casting and does total justice to his role by depicting his stubbornness, arrogance & ambition with precision while Swinton steals nearly every scene she's in. But the main highlight of this film is its shape-shifting & eye-popping visual effects.

On an overall scale, Doctor Strange does serve its purpose by delivering an entertaining, amusing & serviceable origin story but it isn't impressive enough to garner a spot amongst Marvel's finest features. Travelling a safe, risk-free route & sugarcoated with trippy, hallucinatory visuals, it is a typical fun-filled extravaganza that we've come to expect from Marvel Studios and is another enjoyable addition to their ever-inflating repertoire. Definitely worth a shot.