Review Doctor Strange Is 2 Hours of Visual Nonsense and Nothing Else
- Feb 1, 2017
- 2 min read
Can Marvel bring something new to their massive franchise. Can magic and sorcery spice up a world of armoured suits and super soldiers? Isn't this what Thor tried to do?
Dr Strange is Iron Man with magic. That's it. You've heard it all before. The arrogant Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a neurosurgeon that's really good at what he does, and he won't waste anytime in reminding everyone of the fact. But, after an accident that should have been fatal, he finds himself without the proper use of his hands. In a desperate attempt to reclaim his old life he sets out to find a mystical cure and in doing so becomes embroiled in a sinister plot.
Okay, so maybe it's not exactly the same as Iron Man but Strange and Stark share so many similarities they're basically interchangeable. The only difference is that Strange s wholly unlikable for the first part of the film and does nothing to redeem himself, despite the fact that everyone acts like he has.
Dr Strange is 90% effects and 10% character and plot and the visuals, while interesting to look at, aren't all that well done. The spells, looking like condensed sparks floating in the air, are very cool but between confusing mirror dimensions and digital doubles that looked like they where from the Matrix sequels, it all feels a bit flat.
As for the characters and plot, it's the standard Marvel fair. There's a weak villain who never does anything of note, a bunch of less than funny jokes that slow the film down and yet another jarring Stan Lee cameo (Seriously, they need to stop). The acting is good but between cliches characters and meaningless motivations, there's really no reason to care about any of it, especially when time can be manipulated to resurrect the dead.
Dr Strange is another increasingly formulaic Marvel film. It's not that it's bad, more that it's kind of pointless, a setup for a film that's not out yet and packed with the standard shortcomings that are all to common these days. Say what you might about the other comic book universes, at least they try to mix things up from time to time. Watch if you want but don't expect much.
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