Marvel’s newest superhero is a time-bending, dimension-spiraling smart ass named “Doctor Strange”. The movie follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions from a mystic known as The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the universe from a devastating force. “Doctor Strange” is directed by Scott Derrickson, and is rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action throughout, and an intense crash sequence involving peril.

“Doctor Strange” is the 14th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and by now the fans are wise enough to catch onto any kind of scripts that feel tedious or repetitive with the other high caliber presentations that they have delivered on over the last eight years. So the name of the game is opposition here, even if it means going against the grain of everything that we have been pre-programed to expect. This newest offering from Derrickson certainly thrives on being anything but the typical superhero that we get every six months or so in this kind of day and age, and it does that by presenting these contrasting qualities that present a new spin to a rapidly overcrowded genre of films. As far as creative tone and visual spectacle goes, “Doctor Strange” is unlike anything that I have yet to see from the biggest studio in the world. It’s a technological achievement that proves not only how far superhero films have pushed the bar of effects work, but also how long this winding road down the highway of computer generated animation touches have really prepared us for the next generation of spinning reality.

The transformations scenes and effects backgrounds that trailer hounds have only gotten a taste of so far, dazzled me in their ever-changing rules in scenarios. There’s so much detail in what spins itself in, out and around of these sequences, and all of it always looks authentic in presentation, despite being opposite of anything that we see in our own three dimensional world. The green screen work and color here is very picturesque by further enhancing the kind of things that we have only seen so far in a film like Christopher Nolan’s “Inception”. This kind of quality offers tremendous replay value for fans of the film, as I can already imagine the kinds of hidden Easter eggs that grace the screen. I noticed a few myself, and refuse to spoil anything for the very thrill of the hunt for my readers. It’s easy to tell an audience how these spells and their rules work, but it our appreciation values so much more when we understand things in a visual capacity, and because of that, “Doctor Strange” is the right film made during the right time when effects work keeps pushing the envelope even further to lifting these fantasies from the pages of our childhood bedtime stories.

I caught this movie in a 3D capacity, and I have to say that this is one of those rare occurances where I will suggest you pay a little extra to get the full presentation. The 3D effects here don’t feel like a gimmick, where things pop out at you in the face, but instead uses their presence to tighten up the crisp cinematography that radiates from many of the gorgeous landscape shots that this movie presents us with. One of the valuable aspects to a story like Doctor Strange’s is that this movie never just takes place on one location, so the movie’s scenery conjures up a rich and luxurious quality to what pops before our very eyes. It proves that three-dimensional effects don’t always have to be predictable, as they can add a satisfying layer of appetizing color before the main course of non-stop action thrills.

The script is a little jaded to me, mostly in some aspects of storytelling that felt a little too rushed for my taste. I love the run time of 110 minutes here, but there are some scenes that I felt were good that could’ve been greater with a stronger emphasis on delivery and extending the scenes just a little bit further. I was quite surprised when some scenes would just end without further clarification, and it gave me a sense of impatience with some of the subplots that the film was trying to present. To me, the best part of the movie is the entire first act, where we get a taste of just how dramatic a Marvel movie can get. There’s an attempt to insert some unnecessary humor in this movie, and it doesn’t always enhance the scene’s underlying gripping message. More times than not, the humor felt distracting to me, taking away from what precious little time we had to learn the many rules within this world. I did laugh a couple of times, but I still feel that “Doctor Strange” should be that one Marvel movie that doesn’t have to open itself to light-hearted humor. It’s drama is what certifies this film as something different, and that’s reminded ever so bluntly in our central protagonist. I’ll get to the performances later, but it’s a credit to the four screenwriters here who really communicate the kind of nightmare scenario that Strange has awoken to now that he can no longer do the thing that he thrives at. That empathy toward even a millionaire is a difficult one to detail smoothly, but everything is lost so fast that it really serves as a heart-tugging reminder to the audience just how vulnerable our daily routines really are.

I had no real problems with the cast here, as every big name consciously delivered on holding up their end of the deal. If you have ever wondered what Dr Gregory House would be like with superpowers, feast your eyes on Cumberbatch’s Strange. What I love so much about this character is his humbling step-by-step paralysis that has him fearfully in the passenger seat of his new future. Cumberbatch is not only one of the best actors in the world, but also one of the most versatile in methodic character acting. The many voices that he brings to his characters color this guy as the chameleon of modern day structures, and there simply couldn’t be a better person to channel the many ranges in Steven Strange’s diaphragm. Tilda Swinton is also entrancing, firing back at the very doubters who labeled her just another example of Hollywood white-washing. Swinton’s confident and powerfully humbling demeanor presents one of the very few opportunities in the MCU that we get to see a central female character where a lot of the movie’s rules revolve around her, and I never could get enough when she graced the screen. Mads Mikkelsen makes the most of what little exposition the movie has for him, but unfortunately falls under the curse of the hollow Marvel antagonists. He even has the perfect name in character (Kaecilius) to be forgotten a week later. Mikkelsen and Cumberbatch have some intriguing exchanges, but Kaecilius is always one step below because these movies are never interested in presenting an equal story to any villain who isn’t named Loki. With another fifteen minutes, I could’ve used more development for Mikkelsen’s character, which otherwise feels like a great waste to a top notch actor.

Marvel’s newest adaptation is strange in every sense of the word, but it’s a beautiful kind of adjective that everything great about this offering. It’s a dazzling three-act painting that uses its art to enhance the story that can sometimes be lagging. What really wins out is Marvel’s committed determination to box something new and fresh for its audience. With that formula, the superhero genre won’t be going away anytime soon, and because of that “Doctor Strange” ushers in a new bar of Oscar worthy effects work that certainly won’t be topped for a long time.

8/10