Movie review: The Current War

In one corner, Doctor Strange - assisted by Spider-Man - is preparing for battle.

And in the other, General Zod plots his counterattack with X-Men's Beast.

Okay, so this does not exactly happen in historical drama The Current War.

But when the subject matter is as dry as direct current versus alternating current, you may find yourself wishing for a detour into Marvel-DC land.

The story of the "war of the currents" - with visionary inventors Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) overseeing competing electric power transmission systems in the late 19th century - is already a hard sell.

The film does its best to spark energy and dramatic tension with the score, editing and performances from a superhero-powered cast, but the light bulb moments are few and far between.

Cumberbatch plays Edison like he did Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Strange - the arrogant, socially awkward, smartest guy in the room. It is also a waste, as Tom Holland as Edison's sidekick and Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla do not have much to do.

SCORE: 2/5

FILM: The Current War

RATING: PG