Effects to be wowed by. A compelling story. A character done right.

Rating: 8/10 (5 November 2016)

'Doctor Strange', as I anticipated, met my expectations well. Marvel has forever done such a strong job at creating stories and investing ones at that. As an introduction film, 'Doctor Strange' ranks among the top for me, sitting only behind 'Iron Man' and 'Captain America: The First Avenger'. As I previously said, we witness a Marvel story that strays away from what we are used to. We are introduced to magic and spirit instead of genetically altered beings and high-tech suits... First and foremost, this was one of the most appealing-to-the-eye films Marvel has made. It is the best 3D movie I have ever watched in theaters and I would highly recommend to view in this format but of course, a standard viewing will satisfy as well. To my friends and myself, we each made reference to 'Inception', and 'Doctor Strange' surely gives off that feel, yet better. A wild trip for any viewer... I believe that Benedict Cumberbatch was made for this role. His suave charisma and witty intelligence carries the film with his every appearance on screen. Easily the star of the show, as if you would not have guessed that as is... From start to finish, 'Doctor Strange' was simply a wild and insanely appealing film to watch.
Now, this part is for the viewers who want negative points on Marvel films and believe it or not, there are some. Within 'Doctor Strange' I found the comedy (which is something many anti-Marvel viewers criticize frequently) a bit too much at times. There would be moments where it felt unnecessary and could have just been done without. Regardless of being too much at times, the comedy was still funny and initiated a laugh out of me but I can not silence my opinion of thinking it could have been done without... The dialogue in moments seemed drawn out. Seconds could have been shed off if certain parts were not so dialogue heavy and the story just continued with a natural flow. Again though, not movie breaking, but minor moments existed where I noted it... I had a point where I found an issue, personally, with Steven's discovery of the awareness of Kamar-Taj. While this a spoiler if I were to delve deeper, if you wish to know, feel free to get in touch... Lastly, Miss Rachel McAdams. While I adore Rachel in most of her films, she just felt like an extra in this film. The unnecessary love interest that could have been done without and no one would have even realized she went missing. Might be just me, but you be the judge.
Bottom line: Sorry for the long review, and I appreciate you if you have read this far in its entirety. Bottom line is that I highly recommend a view or two of 'Doctor Strange'. It is such a mind-blowing trip to view through its use of special effects. All actors and actresses bring their characters alive. It is fun entertainment for all kinds of viewers and is simply a show unlike any Marvel flick we are so used to.
--Oberrated--