Not quite magical

Rating: 6/10 (13 March 2017)

Plot; When a brilliant but arrogant surgeon is severely injured in a car accident, his quest to be healed leads him to an ancient sorcerer who offers him much more.
Despite a lot of hype to the contrary, Doctor Strange is every inch a standard Marvel film. That's not a knock, just an observation. McDonalds may make more than just hamburgers, but even their chicken sandwiches taste like McDonalds, if you catch my meaning. Here we swap super serums and rocket-powered armor in favor of hocus pocus. There's a patina of difference, but nothing substantive.
With a connect the dots origin story and an extremely weak and undercooked villain, it's up to star Benedict Cumberbatch to carry the load, and thankfully he's up to the task. His Stephen Strange has more in common with Tony Stark than Steve Rogers, and his journey from arrogant, self serving doctor to hero is made believable thanks in large part to Cumberbatch. He's surrounded by a solid supporting cast and some dazzling visuals, but the whole affair reeks of been there, done that.