The story is run-of-the-mill but the visuals are first-class

Rating: 7/10 (16 December 2017)

Scott Derrickson's 'Doctor Strange' plays it safe most of the time by adhering to the familiar comic-book movie format (origin story, followed by training, followed by a battle with the villain). But as the saying goes: if it isn't broken, don't fix it. While the narrative side of 'Doctor Strange' doesn't offer anything new, the visuals are pretty exceptional in at least a few segments. Marvel have been outperforming their rivals for at least the last few years when it comes to cinematography and design, but in this film I'd argue that the visuals surpass even other recent films from the same studio such as 'Deadpool' and 'Captain America: Civil War'. If aesthetics rank highly on your list of qualities to look for in a film, look no further.