Doctor Strange review

Director: Scott Derrickson
Running time: 115 minutes

Ambitious, stunning, magical, but lacking depth

Doctor Strange is the fourteenth entry in the Marvel cinematic universe, and it's the first one in awhile that feels particularly separate from the others. Not just visually, but because it's also the onscreen introduction to a new superhero within the Marvel pantheon. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a brilliant if arrogant neurosurgeon who can't control the nerves in his hands after a car crash.

Unable to do the thing he loves, he struggles to find meaning to his life, so he heads to Kamar-Taj, on the advice of a man who recovered from a major life threatening spinal injury. On arrival he meets a sorcerer called 'The Ancient one' (Tilda Swinton), who teaches him the ways of the mystic arts. Where he will eventually have to stop Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelson), a student who betrayed her and stole the pages of a ritual from a forbidden book, that can open the Dark Dimension where time stands still.

Doctor Strange is visually stunning and colourful, the use of magic while limited in scope is wonderful to look at. Magic is often used as nothing more than a plot device in most fantasy films, but in Doctor Strange it has a purpose that is central to the plot and the character, which I really liked.

Much of the action scenes take place in the cityscapes of New York (and to a lesser extent London and Hong Kong) in an alternate dimension. Through the manipulation of magic, these cities bend and twist together creating jaw dropping visual effects. These action scenes are great to look at, but sometimes feel a little weightless because Strange seems to overcome his enemies relatively easily, there's also little tension because the villain, Kaecilius, isn't particularly interesting and has no real foreboding presence. And like other MCU villains, he isn't developed very much to really care about.

Benedict Cumberatch is perfectly cast as the lead, but the character's progression, much like the story, is rushed and contrived. He learns his powers far too quickly, taking away any potential character development that is sorely missing. Rachel McAdams is underused as the love interest, seeming to appear every time the plot requires her to show up. However, the chemistry between her and Cumberbatch works very well, their characters do come across as a believable couple.

Aside from the finale, the overall structure is typical of any superhero origin film, and doesn't deviate from anything that has already been done before. There are touching scenes between Strange and the 'The Ancient One' that bring a certain levity and philosophical identity that is absent from most of the other MCU films. There is also a thoughtful message about the need to look beyond our own materialistic needs and self greed, which was surprising for this kind of film.

Doctor Strange is an above average MCU film, with plenty of fun and entertainment. The ideas, ambition and the visuals are worth the ticket price alone. But I'm not sure if it's something that will be particularly well remembered in another five years or so.

Verdict: 7/10, B-
Recommended

  

Inferno Review

Director: Ron Howard
Running time: 121 minutes
certificate: 12A 

The previous movie adaptations of Dan Brown's best selling novels, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons were passable entertainment without being particularly memorable films. However, they were saved by interesting and topical subject matters, particularly The Da Vinci Code. Unfortunately, with a threadbare plot and unexciting action, the latest Robert Langdon thriller is the worst of the trilogy.

The story begins with Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) waking up in a hospital in Florence with bullet wounds to his head, he can't remember what has happened to him or how he ended up in the city. When an assassin tries to kill him he escapes with Dr. Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), when they get back to her apartment he finds a device among his belongings that shows a painting based on Dante's Inferno.

From there Langdon has to follow the clues to stop a virus created by bio-engineer Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster) from being unleashed on the world to prevent overpopulation.

Much like the books, the plot jumps from one place to the next as the characters explain everything to one another depending on where they are. This doesn't work well in a film where the characters are not overly interesting, and where there is little time to allow the story to breathe. While the topic of overpopulation is a worthy one, in this film it isn't much more than a plot device for the characters to react to.

The action scenes are okay, but because Robert Langdon isn't an action hero there's little excitement involved, there's nothing to really keep you on the edge of your seat. The finale is good but rather uninspiring and predictable. This could be all forgiven if the central mystery is gripping but it isn't, it just becomes boring quite quickly.

The performances don't particularly standout, Tom Hanks is well cast as Robert Langdon but Felicity Jones is a bit wooden as the female companion, the script doesn't much help. It isn't noticeably bad, it's just full of stiff dialogue that doesn't flesh out any of the characters or create any form of tension.

A number of twists and revelations spring up from nowhere, there was one particular twist that I didn't see coming, but it doesn't make up for a rather insipid film and cliched ending, which has been changed from the book rather unnecessarily.

Other positives? As with the previous Dan Brown adaptations, the locations are wonderfully shot and everything is visually rich and aesthetically nice to look at, it's always a pleasure when a film uses real locales. But there's nothing much here that is worth buying a ticket for, unless you're an avid Dan Brown fan, I can't recommend this film.

Wait for a rental.

Verdict: D
2.5/5  

Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children

Director: Tim Burton
Running time: 127 minutes
Certificate: 12A


Based on a book I haven't read but I am aware of, Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children is directed by Tim Burton, and without knowing the source material, Burton seems to be a good fit. Burton is one of the few directors who has a distinct creative style, which is why his best films are those of original source material, when he adapts other peoples work it usually ends up a mess (Alice in wonderland and Charlie and the chocolate factory to name but a few). But this adaptation is better than those, but it still has a lot of problems.

Jacob's (Asa Butterfield) grandfather (Terence Stamp) has always told him stories of monsters, and the peculiar children he met while living in an orphanage during the second world war. When he dies he leaves behind a book with a letter from a certain Alma Peregrine, which leads Jacob to go to the Island where the Children's orphanage is. On arrival he uncovers mysteries about himself, his grandfather, as well as the house itself.

The film is gorgeous, the locations and the visual effects are really impressive, there are little moments that really take your breath away. The characters are interesting, even if much of the supporting cast are just there in the background. And each of the peculiar powers of the children are effective enough so that the character's are humane and relatable, rather than just superhero caricatures.

Of the peculiar children, only Emma Bloom (Ella Purnell) is given much depth, she becomes a love interest to Jacob, and whose peculiarity is that she is as light as air. Eva Green is wonderfully cast as Miss Peregrine, she isn't the manic and over powerful character I had imagined her to be. But her role is much smaller than I expected, and she doesn't really do that much in the grand scheme of things.

Samuel Jackson pops up in the last third of the film as the villain, Mr Barron, who appears to come from an entirely different film altogether. Not only is the performance very by the numbers, the look of the character is bland compared with everything else. All in all, the character is forgettable.

It is also when the villain shows up that the film begins to fall by the wayside, serious plot points just happen and then rush along. Which is a shame because the first the two thirds of the film build along really well, with lots of exposition (something I really liked and found engaging). Some of the plot twists work, and there is real emotion to some of the characters, but it's really hard to care when most of them have little development, and when the plot begins to get muddled towards the end.

Another problem is the tone, while centred on a group of children and marketed as a children's story, there are a few moments that are genuinely shocking even for an adult, a scene with brought back to life baby dolls fighting with knives is one example. And there are a number of scares that might be too frightening for children below the age of seven or eight.

The film dances around important themes of age and belonging, but never really goes anywhere with anything. That's not to say that there aren't moments of real emotion that are thought provoking. But in the end it all feels weightless, and style over substance.

Verdict: I would just about recommend seeing the film, especially if you're a Tim Burton fan, but don't break your back over it.

3/5

C