LogFAQs > #950561972

TomNook
While many might call Dr. Stephen Strange a Tony Stark knockoff, I don't think that's exactly a bad thing. Yeah, he feels like a less interesting version most times, but he's still good in his own right, and since the plot of the story is way different, it makes up for it. This is the most fantasy of all the MCU films, but I think it works out. It adds important elements to future storylines, and is entertaining while doing so. The duel against Dormammu is probably one of the cooler moments in the MCU series.

Cybat
To be honest, I was skeptical when they announced the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch. Not because I thought he was a bad actor, but because I was worried he was too much of an A-list star for the franchise to be able to keep him long-term. I know hes not on the level of Tom Hanks or anything but I think that hes the highest-profile star they have cast, at the time of their casting. Rationally I know Disney probably has ironclad contracts, especially after Terrence Howard and Ed Norton, but still.
Of course, he is great in this movie, although the character hes playing does admittedly feel a little familiar. The special effects are really treated as the star of the show, and they dont disappoint, although they do get a little Inception-y sometimes. My favorite thing about the movie, though, and the main reason it got this high, is the creativity of the ending sequence. First, the battle throughout a setting moving backwards through time is really unique and fun to watch (and here they do beat Nolan to an idea and do it much better to boot. Man, what happened with Tenet?). Then, the final confrontation with Dormammu is another big highlight, subverting expectations of a big action set piece, showcasing Stranges intelligence and resourcefulness, and also being funny and memeable.

Maniac64
Benedict is a great Dr Strange and Benedict is a great sidekick as Wong. Sorry, I couldn't resist. This movie was trippy in the best way. The action was so different from the rest of the MCU and really brought a new element into it. I'm not big on time stuff but the way of beating Dormamu by trapping him in a loop was really clever, a great way of beating an unbeatable enemy.

Raka Putra
I can't believe it's been about 5 years since the movie. At first the character of Strange felt like a retread of Tony Stark - an arrogant rich genius, but his powers (and thus, the movie) are so strange and clad in mysticism and the bald, very talented, and very white Tilda Swinton that they set the movie apart. Also I'm most looking forward to this movie sequel.

Sheep007
I think this is a really interesting branch of the MCU, and one I would love to see more of, but as a movie its just pretty good with some unique elements. First of all, I adore time shenanigans of any sort, I think the ending is such a good way of dealing with a villain, I think the visuals in the trippy sequences are gorgeous and I like the settings and the aesthetic all around: pretty much every movie at this point or above has a clear, non-bland look to it, and a likeable one. Im a sucker for the whole jerk with a heart of gold trope, so I like Stephen Strange, and Benedict Cumberbatch is an incredibly talented actor. Tilda Swinton is also amazing, and I really like both her performance and character Im a sucker for that sort of incredibly wise but still fallible mentor, too (blame Yoda for that one). The side characters are all fine, the humour is clever enough without being too silly, and the concept of the mystic arts is just interesting to me (and creates some of the best set-pieces possible. They can do a lot more here, and this sort of superpower is just cooler than most other MCU ones). Unfortunately, the villain is still fairly weak, the character arc is brushed over, and it ends up mostly being a character origin story. Its a very good origin story, but the emotional resonance, themes and characters just arent there to push it from being an interesting and enjoyable movie into a very good one.

Illuminatusbubu
The story might not be as mind-bending as they would like but the visual spectacle is there. Benedict Cumberbatch really carries this film as he owns the character.

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