Doctor Strange (2016)

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Mads Mikkelsen, & Rachel McAdams

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

At this point anything with the name Marvel attached to it, is box office gold, as is evident by their latest film, Doctor Strange. The Doctor is perhaps one of the least known out of all of their characters, yet he is still pulling in huge numbers. The big question is whether or not the film lives up to the hype, and I can honestly say, I'm not really sure. Dr. Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a world renowned surgeon, who is badly injured in a car accident. When modern medicine fails him, Strange starts looking for alternative treatments and finds a bizarre ancient group, that claims they can teach him how to heal himself, and do a whole lot more. The big appeal of this movie, at least for me was the special effects. I knew the effects would be good, but Marvel really out did themselves this time. I watch close to three hundred films a year, and I'm not often impressed by special effects, but the effects in this movie really blew me away. That being said, this is just one of those film you have to shell out the extra money to see in 3D. It's a completely different experience in 3D and you really will be amazed by some of the things they can do. As for the story, it really is the same thing that Marvel keeps doing over and over again. I've really enjoyed the Marvel films and while they are all unique in their own way, the underlying theme always seems to be the same. Someone gets hurt, they lose the girl they love, they find someone or a group of someones who help make them extraordinary, then they fight the bad guys and in the process get the girl. It's a formula that is in every single one of their films and it's getting a little tiresome. The bottom line, Doctor Strange is pure Marvel. What I mean by that is, it's the expected story, with unique traits specific to this character, a Stan Lee cameo, a cast full of superstars, two scenes after the credits, and perhaps the best special effects you'll ever see. If you're a fan of these films, you won't be disappointed by Doctor Strange.