So Im not a Comic-Con guy but I do love marvel movies and particularly the first phase, which felt more grounded in reality. Ok there are heroes with superpowers but they existed in a frame of reference that we understood - earth! Even the first Guardians linked back to Earth via Peter Quill (plus that film was awesome as the character chemistry just worked!) with the latest Doctor Strange, unfortunately we are now off into a different dimension every 5 minutes, with virtually no time for world building and just a series of fan-pleasing cameos and unexplored plot twists. There is one big scene in the movie where half a dozen major characters are introduced and then taken out in the space of literally 20 minutes. There is no emotional connection to the loss and it sort of just passes you by.

The film isn't all bad - effects are incredible and the new America character is quite cool. Cumberbatch is immensely watchable as ever and Benedict Wong is given much more airtime which is only a good thing!

My worry is with this film, Shang Chi, Wandavision and Loki that Marvel have opened Pandora's box and can't now go back - the multiverse is here to stay and the threats are just going to get bigger, more intergalactic and fantasy based. I'm sure this is great for the diehard comic fans but for the more casual fans like me it's a bit of a turn-off.

This is the first Marvel movie we didn't watch at the cinema and unfortunately, looks like the first of many...