Many superheroes have joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe over time, and the latest is the sorcerer known as Doctor Strange. This film takes on the necessary task of telling his origin story, and does it well, albeit not spectacularly.
The plot's essentially similar to some of the other MCU origin stories- a hero acquires power and after learning how to use it, must defeat a foe who started out similarly but went down a dark path. As a result of this, it spends a lot of time on the hero training and undergoing Character Development, resulting in a relatively slow pace in the early to middle film.
This film nicely expands on the MCU by exploring the concept of magic and the existence of the multiverse. It's clear that Strange and his fellow sorcerers occupy a different sphere and deal with different threats than the Avengers, but it's clear that the two groups will likely end up interacting later on in the franchise, which should be interesting to see.
One unfortunate part, though, is that Strange himself is unlikable for much of the story. He starts out as a Jerk Ass who lashes out at those trying to help him after a disaster that he brought upon himself, and initially chooses to learn magic for fairly selfish reasons. He does ultimately change for the better, but it comes off as a bit forced. He does have a knack for good one-liners and snarky quips, though, which does help make him entertaining to watch.
The special effects are quite impressive, and do a good job of depicting sights from modern cityscapes that are spatially twisted and folded to alien universes like the Dark Dimension. The fights aren't all that impressive to watch, but it's quite nice to see Strange win with brilliant plans rather than raw power.
All in all, I'd recommend Dr. Strange to anyone who's enjoyed the MCU thus far, but if you're not too fond of the franchise or the formula for its origin stories, don't expect it to change your mind.
Good, but not impressive, MCU origin story
Many superheroes have joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe over time, and the latest is the sorcerer known as Doctor Strange. This film takes on the necessary task of telling his origin story, and does it well, albeit not spectacularly.
The plot's essentially similar to some of the other MCU origin stories- a hero acquires power and after learning how to use it, must defeat a foe who started out similarly but went down a dark path. As a result of this, it spends a lot of time on the hero training and undergoing Character Development, resulting in a relatively slow pace in the early to middle film.
This film nicely expands on the MCU by exploring the concept of magic and the existence of the multiverse. It's clear that Strange and his fellow sorcerers occupy a different sphere and deal with different threats than the Avengers, but it's clear that the two groups will likely end up interacting later on in the franchise, which should be interesting to see.
One unfortunate part, though, is that Strange himself is unlikable for much of the story. He starts out as a Jerk Ass who lashes out at those trying to help him after a disaster that he brought upon himself, and initially chooses to learn magic for fairly selfish reasons. He does ultimately change for the better, but it comes off as a bit forced. He does have a knack for good one-liners and snarky quips, though, which does help make him entertaining to watch.
The special effects are quite impressive, and do a good job of depicting sights from modern cityscapes that are spatially twisted and folded to alien universes like the Dark Dimension. The fights aren't all that impressive to watch, but it's quite nice to see Strange win with brilliant plans rather than raw power.
All in all, I'd recommend Dr. Strange to anyone who's enjoyed the MCU thus far, but if you're not too fond of the franchise or the formula for its origin stories, don't expect it to change your mind.