Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange is the latest and 14th movie by the huge Marvel Studios as part of the ever growing Marvel Universe that seems to be never-ending at this point. It's been a mixed year for comic book movies this year with huge successes in Deadpool and Civil War, and huge disappointments (in my opinion) in movies like X-Men, Batman V Superman and even Suicide Squad. So where does Doctor Strange stand in this years comic book movies and where does it stand in it's own universe of movies by Disney/Marvel?
Doctor Strange definitely takes home the trophy for best visuals in a comic book movie for sure. I think above everything else in this movie the visuals are what really elevated this movie and separated it from any other Marvel Studios film that has been made yet. From trippy drug-trip like moments to inception-esque mind puzzling visuals to cool mystical effects, Doctor Strange always kept me interested to see what was going to happen next, and almost mesmerized and impressed by the cool visuals pulled off in this world. If Marvel is good at anything it's making every solo film feel different from the other. The movie does a great job of making you really feel how crazy and mystical the powers that are being used are, and does a good job at making you feel a part of the journey that Strange goes on. It left me wanting more, and I can't wait to see more Doctor Strange and what kind of crazy effects they will have in the next film.
As for Strange himself... Benedict Cumberbatch can add another great portrayal of an iconic character to his list alongside Sherlock and Khan. Cumberbatch does a great job at playing the egocentric Stephen Strange, doing a great job at showing his pain throughout the film of not being able to do what he is famous for. I also really enjoyed Tilda Swinton as the ancient one, she did a good job as she always does portraying the mysterious but wise character. As for the villain, played by Mads Mikkelsen... well he was an above average villain for the Marvel Universe. Most villains in marvel movies aren't great with little exceptions like Loki and Zemo, but I think Mads was a decent enough villain as his motives made sense enough and he really did seem like a threat.
So where does this movie rank among the rest of Marvel's hits? I'd say above the middle of the line. Overall it's not as good as Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, or Winter Soldier and Civil War. But it brings enough uniqueness to surpass most of the other sequel movies that they've made. Well since i'm talking about it I guess I should just rank them here anyway...
14. Iron Man 2
13. Iron Man 3
12. Thor
11. The Incredible Hulk
10. Thor 2: Dark World
9. Captain America
8. Age of Ultron
7. Ant Man
6. Doctor Strange
5. Avengers
4. Iron Man
3. Civil War
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
1. Winter Soldier
If you're a fan of Marvel movies or just comic book movies in general your'e probably going to watch this one anyway. BUT if your on the fence because maybe you are tired of them or just don't know much about Doctor Strange... Well go watch this one, it's a good time. The visuals alone really make this worthy of watching in the theater, and Benedict Cumberbatch will take care of the rest as he always does. Marvel doesn't look like they are slowing down anytime soon, and with this movie I think they proved that they really know what they are doing (as if they hadn't already).
Overall Grade: B+... Couple of things kept it from being an A: The okay villain, the romance side-plot felt like it didn't really matter at all, along with Rachel McAdams' character who seemed to just be there to have a love interest for Strange. Also introducing a pretty important character later on in the film, (you will know who) and not doing much with him.
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