Doctor Strange - Spoiler free review

Doctor Strange - Spoiler free review 

People these days are far too negative. We are extremely lucky to be witnessing, in my opinion, the most incredible cinematic universe that has ever existed. Not only do the movies function as terrific solo movies, the way that Marvel Studios have woven this world of characters together is genuinely amazing. And the universe is continuing to grow and expand. This leads people to question how far Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios can push this series. After all this is the 14th entry in the MCU, and despite a near bullet proof record, there have been glimpses (The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 3) that the universe might draw to a close. I'm pleased to announce though, that for now its still intact because Doctor Strange is incredible.

The film follows the story of Stephen Strange, a neurosurgeon who is extremely skilled in his occupation and has the giant ego to match. However, when a horrific car accident takes the use of his hands, he is forced into a spiral of despair, pushing away the very few people he was ever close to. When western medicine fails him, he travels east in search of answers. There he meets 'The Ancient One', the sorcerer supreme. She opens Strange's eye to an entirely different plain of being that he could never have dreamt of. During his quest to heal himself an return to his old life, he becomes aware of a mystical threat that could wipe out our entire universe, and must team up with Mordo, a loyal yet sceptical subject, to save our world from peril.

From a visual standpoint this movie is, and I'm not exaggerating when I say this, the most incredible thing I've ever seen. In the build up to this movie, Feige referred to his goal of taking the imagery from the comic books and bringing them to the big screen. He has absolutely succeeded. You can tell where the graphics have been literally ripped from the pages and exploded into a real world scenario and it absolutely works. Whilst still feeling grounded in the real world, watching wizards and sorcerers reshape our realities is a feat to behold.  Witnessing the streets of London and New York folding and collapsing in on themselves, the psychedelic nature of Strange's initial exposure to magic and even the images of the low level spells are all on point and I don't think I shut my mouth during the entire movie due the sheer amazement I was feeling. Once the movie was done (be sure to stay for the 2 end credit scenes) I had to retrieve my socks from the other side of the theatre after they were quite literally blown off.

I would never recommend seeing a movie based on its visuals alone. These days, we are constantly having 'Transformers' and 'Pacific Rim' movies that look fantastic but in fact feature boring and uninspired stories and a whole host of dreadful acting (looking at you Shia La Beouf). Yet what makes the visual elements of this movie so incredible is the story and performances holding the whole framework up. Benedict Cumberbatch is of course amazing, giving a charismatic and charming portrayal. His arrogance and ego is massive, and yet he's humorous and charming and is genuinely likeable, much like the first time we saw Iron Man. In fact the whole cast are great. Tilda Swinton and Rachel Mcadams especially. Even the B list characters, such as Wong, the librarian in the sanctuary, are fantastic. One fairly evident criticism of the MCU so far would be that most of the villains have been fairly weak. This is not the case. Mads Mickelson's Kaecilius is a great villain and a perfect match for Strange. The audience is able to sympathise with him and his ideals at times, yet for the most part he's menacing and a real bastard, making it all the more entertaining seeing Strange go against him. Some of the best casting for a whole movie we've seen yet.

The action is still amazing. The blend of gritty hand to hand combat and fire whips and magic shields is seamless and achieves the goal of introducing magic into a real world situation. 

In many ways, this movie is feels like a throwback to the early days of the MCU. As I mentioned, there a very noticeable similarities to Iron Man, leading me to belief than when Robert Downey Jr steps away, Strange which take over his role, which based on this movie will absolutely work. But on the whole, this feels very similar to Captain America:The First Avenger or Iron Man. There are still plenty of hints towards the wider universe, yet for the most part this movie is a tight story of Strange's origins, setting him up as likeable and intriguing character before letting him interact with the rest of the MCU in later films.

Marvel have done it again. They've taken yet another B-list comic book character , that doesn't have the draw of a Spider Man or Superman and that nobody cared about and transformed him into a household name. The MCU is going from strength to strength. Following up there best work yet in Civil War, they've produced a exceptional movie with great performances from the cast and in my opinion the most breath taking visuals that have been put to screen in a movie. Ever.

4/5 Stars