The first reviews for Doctor Strange have been released - and they are kind enough to convince the audiences to flock to theaters to see the latest MCU offering. While it can again be said that Marvel and Disney are following a formula, why should they change it? It works, the critics give the movies much love, and the box office returns speak for themselves.
Check out a few snippets from the latest Doctor Strange reviews:
Uproxx: It’s obvious why they hired a big time star like Cumberbatch, because Doctor Strange is here to guide us through the next decade of Marvel movies, just like Downey did in the last decade. Doctor Strange is basically a reboot of Iron Man, only with a lot more prettier things to look at while you’re stoned. It’s a good strategy. And it works.
The Wrap: Casts a few impressive spells of its own, not the least of which is the redemption of the visual-effects extravaganza. This funny, freaky adventure reminds us of how effective VFX can be when they’ve got some imagination behind them.
Cinema Blend: There are certainly shades of Iron Man and Thor, but what the film brings to the table to balance out its familiar elements is some of the most bombastic, exciting, and beautiful action sequences we’ve seen in modern blockbusters.
Den of Geek: The acting, the visual fireworks and Michael Giacchino‘s distinctive, Eastern-influenced score all go a long way toward disguising the fact that we are once again watching an origin story, and one that seems even a bit more perfunctory than usual.
IGN: What really ends up making Doctor Strange an entertaining film are the actors and the visuals.
THR: Provoking all this time-and-space jumping about is the theft by a certain Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) of some key pages from The Ancient One’s most holy text relating to entry into the Dark Dimension, something we’re to take on good authority is not advisable. To his credit, director Scott Derrickson (Deliver Us from Evil, Sinister, and, lest we forget, the ill-advised The Day the Earth Stood Still remake) navigates through different zones with a fair degree of actual coherence, and delivers the entire package with evident ease and some flair.
Variety: Yes, this new project shares the same look and fancy corporate sheen as the rest of Marvel’s rapidly expanding Avengers portfolio, but it also boasts an underlying originality and freshness missing from the increasingly cookie-cutter comic-book realm of late.
The Playlist: A visual wonder…but you still feel the formula straining.
