Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Grimerlana Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

domtaylor The visuals are undoubtably fantastic, leading to some very unique action set-pieces that have enough style to set them apart from other superhero films, and its outstanding soundtrack is one of the best of the MCU. It's a shame, then, that the story and tone of 'Doctor Strange' drag it down to be one of the worst films of the Marvel cinematic universe. Stephen Strange is an unlikeable protagonist, one who we can never root for, and this means that the audience doesn't really have any reason to care about the story. Also, the narrative is very predictable and the film doesn't have a proper grasp on time; the 'training montage' is over very quickly and because there is no indication of how much time has passed, it seems as if Strange has gone from a nobody to the sorcerer supreme in mere days. Therefore, it feels entirely unbelievable that Strange can masterfully use his powers and save the world by the end of this film. Throughout the picture, Strange should have been struggling to use his powers, indicating to the audience that he is still learning and developing over time. Another big issue with the movie is its ham-fisted attempts at comedy. It is never funny, yet its 'humour' is always prevalent, even undermining serious moments on several occasions, and this becomes extremely annoying. Sure, a few comedic moments wouldn't have gone amiss, but since the character of 'Doctor Strange' isn't a funny one, this film should have had more of a focus on its serious elements and getting them to be successful. Without its superb visual elements and soundtrack, this could have been a disaster. 6/10

hecoxjus This movie has a couple problems, as most do. Most of them are quite minor, but there is one scene in particular, where Strange talks to that one girl who follows him around the movie while she treats his injuries, that will annoy most viewers.But this movie still wins you over solely through it's usage of CGI and special effects. This movie is drop dead gorgeous. Everything, EVERYTHING, in this movie, is absolutely beautiful. EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!And, while the climax may seem underwhelming at times, some scenes seem to exist to tick you off, and the origin story is... odd, it's worth it just for those visual effects. And the fight scene in the hospital. That's a great scene as well. My one thought, though, is how stupid this movie must have looked when it was first shot, before all the effects and greenscreens and such were added. It probably looked really dumb.

rikwierinckx This is yet an other solide marvel movie entry. the concept of how the movie starts id very different than the other superhero movies. we are used to a quiet sluggish start where we get to know the character and how it gains its superpowers, but in this one its nice and paints a good picture about his story. the story plot can be a bit confusing at times but the reasons behind the main hero is different than we have seen in other superhero moviesthe movie had great visuals, the color contrast works great. subbtle but good music.all in all good movie. one of the goods

gengar843 This film hates itself, and loves itself, much too much.Why hate? Stephen Strange of comics fame was arrogant but firm, not the childish whelp which is written for Benedict Cumberbatch, who amplifies the wiseass teen persona quite naturally, which is irritating, and I think the writers and director wanted that. There is an alienation in this version of DOCTOR STRANGE which says "Love it or be cast out!" I feel as if Iam being coerced into a cult of Cumberbatch, but Doctor Strange should need no such coercion. There is so much here to attract and potentially inspire, and yet we are subjected to acerbic banter rather than philosophy, and emotional band-aids rather than life lessons. I've said elsewhere the animated 2007 offering did it better. Sorcerer Supreme here is arbitrarily female, bald, with English accent, and a cheater in ways of magic; the animated version respected not only the original Sorcerer Supreme but also every ethos of Shamballa, Shangri-La, and other Tibetan adventure stories. Stephen Strange here is quite sarcastic for a man on a mission, unlike Tyrone Power in the wonderful LOST HORIZON, and more so for being out of his scientific element and such a klutz as a sorcerer until his miraculous transformation, which, honestly, must all be credited to the Cloak of Levitation. I don't buy this Mordo either, but happily I liked this Wong. As for villains, only Dormammu was worthy, the dark-side "Nazi-ish" Kaecilius really very feeble for all his expertise and stolen knowledge, as well as power from Dormammu. One more thing, did not like the generally-terrific Rachel McAdams in a wasted role full of snark and disbelief, an exaggerated version of Dana Scully. So in these fashions, I feel the film has a self-loathing, and perhaps a razor blade for the audience, giving us dregs of characters.Why love? The film dotes on its effects, from the casual walking through a magic doorway or membrane to the ultra-spectacular meeting with Dormammu. There is of course a necessity to overwhelm with these visual delights since the characters are basically paper-thin and the story so disjointed. There are inclinations of INCEPTION here on the FX, but I can honestly say DOCTOR STRANGE does it better in any case. The film is overlong at 1hr55 (counting credits and teasers) but there are enough different cinema tricks to keep you entertained. That's why I say the film loves itself too much - it could easily have done everything without losing any eye candy in about 1hr40. The Dormammu confrontation was pretty clever, with the time loop, although more exposition of how that is accomplished should've been forthcoming. Honestly, the comic books are MUCH better at information than are most Marvel movies, and I don't particularly enjoy having to suspend my disbelief when I know the answers are on page 14 of issue 37 or whatever.I was also happy that Mordo turns out to be evil, which is correct for the character, but the explanation here, that the Ancient One had broken a rule to save the universe, and Strange to save Earth, is just a bite too much for me to swallow. I really liked the animated version reasoning better - Mordo is just not a guy who accepts second fiddle.