The MCU started off avoiding magic, as they thought it would alienate viewers. In Thor, the thunder god says 'Your Ancestors Called it Magic, but You Call it Science. I Come From a Land Where They Are One and the Same.' and that went through all the films, even the first Dr Strange. Kevin Feige talked a lot about how that was based on quantum physics, and they even had a university professor - Adam Frank - as scientific consultant. This film feels like it's destroyed all that for zombies and demons.

Cumberbatchs Dr Strange is practically the last grown up Avenger left, and as such has big responsibilities to the world. Here he's trying to protect a young, um, powered - for all we know, the MCU may class her as a mutant, given they now they have access to those characters - being, who is being chased down by demons for her powers. And that is the problem with this film; we all know that mutants, Fantastic Four, Deadpool and all the other former Fox properties are coming, and the multiverse gives an in universe way to get them there. It's a pretty big issue having the Illuminati - Patrick Stewart, Hayley Atwell, Anson Mount, Lashana Lynch, John Krasinski - in the film, because they couldn't all be there together before. They're just not the main characters, and like every other MCU solo movie title, it's that titular character whose job it is to be the closer.

As with every MCU film, the graphics are on the grand scale; from Kamar Taj to alien planets, to a montage of multiverse travel, it's all become expected. The soundtrack allows Danny Elfman to show his abilities, especially with one noticeable battle.

It's a Marvel film and you will likely see it for that reason. Comparing it to the original, this is a hot mess.