Average Marvel film.

Rating: 5/10 (8 November 2016)

The latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe aims to introduce a new character into the mix of thunder gods and talking raccoon's. Doctor Strange is the MCUs first extra-dimensional sorcerer, and, portrayed by the great Benedict Cumberbatch, this character really is brought to us in an engaging way.
The film is in the same vein as the other films of this universe. It has the same color palette, and this was great to see. I really like the way it felt like a Marvel film, it made the experience relatable, and helped to keep me engaged throughout the film.
However, while I do look at this as a good thing, I feel like the film sort of plays safe the entire time. It is a very generic superhero origin story, and at the very core of the piece, it plays out in a very old-fashioned way.
The story tries to explore dimensions which are not of our own, and it does so in a way that makes this concept the center of the entire production. The only problem is, it's still just a Marvel movie, and, operating within the Marvel framework, it is very difficult to see it as anything more than a fun blockbuster.
I'm not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing, but I do feel like I was not as blown as I thought I'd be after seeing the trailers released a few months ago. Behind the otherworldly aspects, this is a story no different from any other superhero origin story I've seen. It's all the same thing. A man living a fairly normal life undergoes a certain experience which leads to them discovering that they have changed in some sort of way. Slowly they learn that they have abilities that aren't normal, and over time they learn to use the abilities to defeat a villain. It's all very cliché.
On a positive note, this film is visually dazzling and I would recommend it mainly for this reason. Even if the story is cliché, it is still beautiful to watch. The actors all gave great performances and I do think that there are some really cool lines to be heard in the movie.
It is definitely not a bad film, but it really didn't blow me away like I thought it would.