Doctor Strange

It still surprises me that, after 12 films, paying cinema-goers would leave before the two after-credit stingers in Marvel films. Rest assured, Doctor Strange has two of these bad boys and, unlike some of the more trivial stingers in the past, both are mightily viable to the future of the MCU so stick around!

The film itself is another change of scenery for Marvel; we're in origin-movie territory again but, this time, in the realms of high fantasy. After straight action (The Winter Soldier), and sci-fi (Guardians...) this is rather a breath of fresh air but be warned; those impervious to talk of sorcerers, 'ancients' and spells could be put off by this psychedelic thriller.

It feels, at this stage, like we may be totting off to the cinema to watch the MCU for the rest of time and, sure enough, Doctor Strange ain't gonna fudge with a winning formula. For me, as a fan, that means the first half drags because we're, yet again, setting up a new character but, as soon as actual Doctor (well, Neurosurgeon) Steven Strange damages his nerves in his fingers after a car accident and travels to Nepal in search of a cure, the proverbial flying stuff hits the fan.

We're treated to a LSD trip of an entry into the Marvel 'multi-verse' with Tilda Swinton's Ancient One screwing with Strange's mind and so begins his journey into learning this particular strand of time-bending, energy-wielding, gravity-defying magic.

The effects are baffling but wonderful. Marvel's CGI team have hit a massive home run here with Inception-esque folding cityscapes, funky rune-style 'force shields' and an incredible sequence involving a big fist fight whilst everything in the background travels back in time.

Marvel third-acts are generally the cause of the most vitriol from most critics and cinema-goers ('another city being destroyed? Really!' etc.) but Strange subverts the formula; instead rebuilding a city after it's been levelled.

As to be expected, we've got some great performances to comment on: Tilda Swinton steals the show with her deadpan leader, Benedict Cumberbatch is snarky, funny but ultimately heroic as the new hero (in an odd irony, he's vaguely reminiscent of Robert Downey-Jr's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes.) Mads Mikkelson and Rachel McAdams get nothing to do but do it well and Chiwetel Ejiofor will return as SPOILER good-guy-gone-bad Baron Mordo (stay for the end of the credits.)

Positivity-aside for a moment and we're lumbered, of course, with some gaping plot holes. The issue with introducing unexplainable magic of this type is that you're never really sure what a character can or can't do and what level of threat to expect, an encounter with an 'all-powerful' world destroyer is conveniently 'bargained with' and bringing time travel into the MCU generally could cause some gaping issues further down the line.

However, for now, this stands as another example of Marvel's incredible ability at genre-bending and another exercise in how to make a superhero movie. It's relatively lightweight in the grand scheme of the MCU (much like Ant-Man) but sets up another strand for the future.

Another Marvel treat, and second only to Ant-Man as far as origin movies go.

4 stars ****