Marvel Studios best since 'The Avengers'

Rating: 6/10 (2 November 2016)

To preface: I'm not a big MCU fan but, I've been a marvel comics and content fan since I was a kid. Id rank Doctor Strange behind The Avengers, Iron Man, and Ant-Man(close), as my favorite in the MCU.
Well the superhero origin movie has been done to death. As has been the chosen one or hero's journey. They can be pretty tedious and boring.
Doctor Strange looked to get around that, but not by being original rather, they just rushed Steven Strange's journey from Doctor to Sorcerer supreme
Now as an aside, I must say that Benedict Cumberbatch was solid in the role. I thought the filmmakers wrote the role for a Robert Downey Jr. type of performer which, is a disservice to Cumberbatch who, has a powerful and dramatic presence. The films humor was largely wasted on him and the movie. He excelled in the movies dramatic moments. Especially in the third act.
and from New York to Kamar Taj. About 20 minutes. That's the first act of the movie.
It leaving in question the whole backstory of the villain Kaecillius (a wasted Mads Mikkelson) and how he ties into the Ancient One (terrific performance by Tilda Swinton). And more importantly it starves Steven Strange of a real human connection with Christine Palmer ( Rachel Mcadams) and stunts his overall characterization. We don't see him suffer enough. Physically or emotionally.
Not to mention we don't know why HIM, and there's no sense of urgency to the TASK. They just train for a long time. And the bad guy disappears for 30-40 minutes until
In order to make up for the rushed first hour of the movie, in one of the worst scenes in the film, the filmmakers bring the first showdown between Strange and Kaecillius to a contrived standstill so the bad guy can spend 3 minutes (seemed like more) talking about himself and the universe etc etc Basically a huge exposition dump.
In the end, what really elevates Doctor Strange above the other post The Avengers films is that the third act. Basically the last 20 minutes of the film...
The movies end brings a sense of poetry and sacrifice to the hero. What any good heroes journey has which is a hero who must make a sacrifice willingly to be a hero. And stare mortality in the face. Doctor Strange does both with aplomb. The final few scenes between Strange and the Ancient One were, in my estimation, the best dramatic work in any Marvel movie. And the final showdown in which Doctor Strange saves the day is absolute eye-candy to Steve Ditko era fans and is pulled off with visual splendor. And a dash of very dry humor.
Overall, Doctor Strange is visual treat made for the theatrical experience that has a poor first hour marred by ineffective humor, a rushed story, and choppy character work. The last 20 minutes is when the action (which there's a lot of), stunning visuals, and story finally come together for a surprisingly satisfying resolution. Yes the stakes amount to very little but, the character's journey is satisfying and, that's what any good superhero origin story should do. Doctor Strange did not disappoint.
6/10