What 'Doctor Strange (2007)' does really well is develop its central character, exploring what makes our initially somewhat 'unlikable' protagonist the way he is in an incredibly believable and nuanced way. This allows the piece to rise above lesser origin-story fare by essentially being a character-study first and a superhero story second. It still provides all the magic-based spectacle you'd expect but makes sure it's always supplementary to the character growth that essentially acts as its main narrative. I feel as though this flick has, or at least conveys, a deeper understanding of its hero than the live-action film. It makes him much easier to empathise with, mainly by by examining what makes him so standoffish and distant to begin with. It also puts him through his paces and gives him proper psychological boundaries to overcome, ones that aren't tied directly into his physical injury, while making his training period actually seem long and difficult. This, along with the fact that here he is one of the 'chosen few' who could become a sorcerer - and, by extension, is uniquely qualified to become the 'sorcerer supreme', means that it there is a solid reason why he is able to become a 'magician' and that, while his accident and his negative actions are still his own, the poor decisions he makes don't come from an entirely arrogant and self-inflicted place, instead they come from a place of pain that we fully-understand. Our hero's actions directly tie into the plot at every moment, too. He isn't passive in any way, even being more involved than expected during the set-up, which leads to a narrative brilliantly driven by the protagonist, as should always be the case. It allows for us to be engaged all the way through and is refreshing to see when so many stories of the kind often rely on a main character who only acts as a 'lens' for the audience, a tool for the screenwriters to cram in exposition in a way that seems 'natural'. In the end, we have a piece that perfectly understands its core players and uses them in an exciting adventure that also acts as an allegory for using personal, or spiritual, growth to overcome your pain. It is constantly entertaining and wonderfully animated, being a joy to watch from beginning to end. 7/10

Now Before People Start Saying "This Guy Is A F#ucking Nutcase What About Seventh Seal Or Das Boot Or..." Just Stop, Everyone Is Entitled To Their Opinion.Now I Found Enjoyment In This Which Is Unusual Because I Don't Really Enjoy Family Movies, The Character Of Stephen Strange Is Made Human In 73 Minutes, I Find That Near Amazing. If You Want My Opinion Dr. Strange Is The Best Superhero If All You Look Out For Is Power, This Is Exactly How I Would've Made The Film If I Was In Patrick Archibald, Jay Oliva, Dick Sebast Or Frank Paur's Shoes. All 4 Directors Pull Off The Movie Brilliantly. All In All I Highly Recommend A Viewing.

This is a very good animated version of Doctor Strange.I've often wondered when the Doctor would be given the chance to make his debut; and he does not disappoint.The animations are truly great which shows that anime is not dead.The plot is that after a crash, Doctor Strange loses his skills as a surgeon and seeks help from a group of sorcerers here he discovers things about himself.The film at certain points reminds me of Batman Begins; but all in all it is a good adaptation.Doctor Strange character grows throughout the movie and shows promises of a sequel hopefully.

Unfortunately this movie was a disappointment for this Dr. Strange fan. Long on unhelpful (and not per the original) back story and too short on actual story, the film failed to capture all of the wonder and "strange"ness of the original comic book series. I know because I collected them all. Realization of Strange's character is okay as far as it goes, which is not far, but the romance and the family backplot are unnecessary and consume far too much of the film. Dormammu is poorly realized and Mordo is one-dimensional (or two-dimensional in the case of this not-so-sophisticated animated comic book film). Dr. Gina Atwater is an unnecessary addition as well which to the best of my recollection, without referring to my series collection, was never an element of any importance whatsoever. Throughout the comic book series, Dr. Strange gave a much stronger impression of willful mastery of magic, yet here he is rather the reluctant hero, which was never present in the original. The Eye of Agamoto is misrepresented and other devices usurp its place in the Strange mythos. All in all, this Strange fan was sadly disappointed in a film which seems sloppily tossed-off without careful consideration for the original source as well as a rather Saturday morning effort on the part of the filmmakers towards the technical side of the film. In fact, this SHOULD have been a Saturday morning offering for the kiddies, and not a theatrical offering.