Doctor Strange

For a while it looks like an advanced version of Batman Begins, followed by a certain touch of Inception, and it ends very awkwardly, like every Marvel flick where the world is saved, at least until the sequel. Thumbs up that this time they are not destroying skyscrapers, or even entire cities, and are doing it smartly, through casual humour. One cannot but praise the casting and the dynamic music of Giacchino, who has done these fast-paced compositions quite successfully a few times before. The juiciest, however, is definitely Benedict Cumberbatch's character. I don't mean the slightly clichéd transformation into a saviour, but especially in the first half his arrogant and self-centred doctor is very entertaining and wholesome. An alternative, lighter, less bellicose addition to the comic universe, something similar to what Ant Man attempted. (19/02/2017)

Strange. I mean strange and great. An excellent origin, focused on a simple, but gripping story of how an arrogant atheist drops a comb, travels to Nepal and begins to save the human race as the most powerful sorcerer in the universe. What helped him was his photographic memory. Everything of course is terribly fast, so the two or so hours are over before you know it. Maybe it’s also because the main theme is time, my favorite guide. Those keeping track know that the stone that controls time that Thanos needs in his glove had not been introduced yet, but Scott Derrickson dealt with that problem excellently. It doesn’t turn it into a MacGuffin, but simply another instrument in Dr Strange’s trembling hands. Benedict Cumberbatch put on a solid performance, slightly different than from how we are used to him and almost unexpectedly pleasant. Don’t forget that he plays a greedy, self-centered bastard. The supporting characters apart from the terrifying Tilda Swinton were not given much room. Mordo makes just a fleeting appearance, Wong is here for fun and the lack of room for another villain is made up for a little by the best side-kick in the entire Marvel universe – a smart red cloak that everyone would like to have. It’s also a cracker visually, especially thanks to Nolan’s Inception and Interstellar, whose tricks were upgraded by Derrickson to create several more universes inside the… ehm … multi-universe, à la Pink Floyd LSD trip, heavily supported by Giacchino’s music. Even Dormammu turned out right. – And who are you, sir... - Doctor. – Doctor…? - Strange. – It seems strange to me too. (27/10/2016)

Maybe I was radiating excessive expectations about this comic book movie that is trying to be different at first sight. What a disappointment it was to me when I realized that not even Benedict Cumberbatch can save a comic book movie that is an absolutely standard comic book movie and that on top of that calls for some pretty strange animations, which were evidently borrowed from the movie Inception. But where I saw the bending of the plane as an original intention, here I see that everything is just a sad effect that is trying to turn the movie into something more than it actually is. It’s a pity. He could have been a unique superhero who has the best catchphrases. But, unfortunately, even Iron Man is cooler than Doctor Strange. (08/02/2017)

The refuted skepticism that this cinematic sect has nothing more to offer doesn't make me scream with excitement. This is because the Doctor becomes a magician as if by a magic wand being used, and he also loses a lot in contact fights (despite Adkins' presence), and the villains didn’t have to be so generic. Yet there hasn't been a comic book movie this light-footed in years. It made do with a focused creator and a willingness to come up with a novel protagonist who, once integrated into the team-up game, for whom I don't predict a brighter future, even if Cumberbatch pulls charisma in from every dimension. (31/10/2016)

So much information, so much magic – and so little time. It is clear from every scene how much Scott Derrickson (and ultimately, all of Marvel Studios) love the new addition to their universe and happily immerse themselves in all the magical gadgets, spaces, and twists. However, they could have given us more time in this gold mine because two hours can be desperately little at times. I had a great time, and Benedict Cumberbatch was born for the role of Strange, but in order to reach the highest rating (which is not far away), I will have to devour the entire adventure several more times and finally become acquainted with the source material, which I have been putting off for some time. (06/11/2016)