‘Doctor Strange’ Excites Audiences At Early Screening

Early screenings of Marvel’s new superhero movie Doctor Strange were met with praise from fans and critics alike, who applauded the talent of star Benedict Cumberbatch.

FIRST SCREENING OF DOCTOR STRANGE LANDS

Cumberbatch, along with co-stars Rachel McAdams and Tilda Swinton, attended a screening in London on Monday. The film works as a standalone, but may fare slightly worse than it’s Marvel counterparts. “Which is not to say it isn’t good,” writes reviewer Rosie Fletcher. “Doctor Strange is a movie very much built up of other movies yet it still manages to keep its own identity.” Fletcher cites Harry Potter and Guardians of the Galaxy in this way.

Criticisms include a lack of heart, and perhaps caring a bit less than a viewer would like for the characters. There is also something left to be desired by the film’s villain Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen). And despite taking place in Kathmandu, there are a surprising number of white stars, replacing an Asian Ancient One in the comics with Swinton.

Cumberbatch, of course, shines as the Doctor, with a cool demeanor and humorous one-liners throughout.

And the visuals are stunning, as promised. “Inception, as discussed, is an obvious point of reference but this goes further still, whirling you though other dimensions, folding skyscapes against each other in impressively dizzying visuals,” says Fletcher.