The latest in Marvel's ever-expanding film universe, Doctor Strange explores the magical side of the Marvel universe. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a gifted surgeon, but has an attitude on par with someone like Dr. Gregory House. His only concern is maintaining his own renown in medicine and keeping up with his lavish lifestyle. After his hands are badly damaged in a car accident, Strange is forced to search for alternatives to medicine to cure his ailment. This search leads him to Nepal, where he learn the secrets of magic and mysticism under a mysterious woman known as The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). Meanwhile, Keacilius (Mads Mikkelsen), a former student of The Ancient One, has discovered forbidden knowledge and is acting on it in the most dangerous way. Together with his teachers, and some clever manipulation of time and space, Doctor Strange must fight the forces of chaos in order to protect the Earth from the destructive entity known as Dormammu.
For comics fans and newcomers alike, Doctor Strange is a great entry in the Marvel filmography. The story follows the fairly traditional path of classic Samurai films, with a bit of the fantastic added to the mix. The plot may feel familiar to some, but it's so well done, only the most jaded of movie fans will feel bored by it. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Doctor Strange very well. Over the course of the film, we see him change from arrogant to angry, and finally to a man in command and control of himself. His personal transformation is believable, and it's what drives this film forward. In particular, his scenes with Rachel McAdams (as love interest Christine Palmer) illustrate this change of character fully. During the scenes of Strange's training, Tilda Swinton also has some good moments as the wise master figure.
This film has a lot of very cleverly done visuals. The 3D effects are particularly well executed, with many kaleidoscopic transformations of ordinary settings. I'm not certain how well these effects translate to non-3D, but they were impressive in the format I saw them in. One of the things I appreciated most as a comics fan was the film's depiction of Dormammu and his chaotic dimension. They are shown in an abstract way, yet the evil they represent is made very clear.
Doctor Strange is a breath of fresh air for the Marvel movies, showing the audience something a little different than the usual super-science or simple fist-fighting heroes. It will be interesting to see how Doctor Strange will fit into a team setting, although one of the post-credits scenes hints at a possible ally. If you're a fan of the comics, or just bored with traditional superhero films, Doctor Strange is a great way to see a new side of the superhero genre.
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