Edited by Robert Beach
My favorite thing about Marvel studios is even amid all the formula-driven plots and studio-mandated storytelling, there’s still a creative spark and vibrance for the material at the heart of these movies. Every time I’m feeling a little burnt out on the Marvel product something new pops up to drag me back in. When Thor: The Dark World and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. exhausted me, Captain America: Winter Soldier brought me back to life. I liked Age of Ultron, but it was still a frustrating mess. Then Ant-Man and Jessica Jones washed all that away.
My favorite thing about Marvel studios is even amid all the formula-driven plots and studio-mandated storytelling, there’s still a creative spark and vibrance for the material at the heart of these movies. Every time I’m feeling a little burnt out on the Marvel product something new pops up to drag me back in. When Thor: The Dark World and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. exhausted me, Captain America: Winter Soldier brought me back to life. I liked Age of Ultron, but it was still a frustrating mess. Then Ant-Man and Jessica Jones washed all that away.
A lot of that has to do with tone and style. Marvel’s simply
at their best when they aren’t actively trying to make blockbuster hits, but are
more trying to experiment with genre and visuals. And now we have Dr.
Strange, Marvel’s latest “experimental risk” in a long line of experiments
that proved to be not that risky. But is there a better film to be found in this first trailer, poster,
and set photos or are we on track to another well-intended disappointment in
the vein of Incredible Hulk.




