10 Worst Performances In Otherwise Awesome 2016 Movies

Marvel’s Doctor Strange was one of last year’s biggest box office hits and arrived in cinemas accompanied by a wave of glowing reviews. Hailed as the trippiest superhero movie to date, the movie has quite rightfully received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects for its psychedelic aesthetic.

Benedict Cumberbatch gives a great performance as the titular doctor-turned-Sorcerer Supreme, ditching his posh British accent for a convincing American twang. Tilda Swinton is excellent too as the doctor’s mentor the Ancient One, despite the furore around the whitewashing of her role, as are supporting cast members Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Benedict Wong.

Then there’s Mads Mikkelsen’s underwhelming antagonist Kaecilius, a former pupil of the Ancient One gone rogue and a generic Bad Guy™ whose character reads like a stereotypical villain’s checklist. Dodgy goth makeup? Check. A suitably menacing voice? Check. A megalomaniac on a mission? Check.

Now, we all know that Mikkelsen is a mighty fine actor and he’s proved himself more than capable in villainous roles as the titular cannibal in NBC’s Hannibal – a tough act to follow considering Anthony Hopkins iconic take on the psychiatrist turned serial killer.

In the case of Doctor Strange, it’s more that Mikkelsen isn’t very much to work with other than a cardboard cut-out vanilla villain. What a waste of his talents.