Doctor Strange

First things first - I liked Doctor Strange before he was cool. I mean he's never been uncool, just under appreciated, not as accessible as thunder gods, teenagers in onesies or genius billionaire playboy philanthropists. It seemed to me that he was always destined to remain locked within the comics from whence he came. So you'll appreciate how excited I was when going into the theatre.

I'll warn you in advance I've come at this like a child on Christmas morning. I think I'm going to have chocolate for breakfast.

As a quick preface to the main review, if you've seen and enjoyed the 13 previous instalments in the Marvel cinematic universe you'll have some idea of what to expect here and you'll like what you'll see. If you've worried that its going to be another Thor: The Dark World don't be, the ball has not been dropped and is in fact being flung about with incredible acrobatic grace, a true wonder to behold and quite the spectacle!

The story follows the titular Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) who through an accident born of his own hubris finds his hands crippled and life as he knew it at an end. One large existential crisis later and Strange is down to his last dollar with those closest to him pushed aside. He has but one hope left - the mysterious and cryptic Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) who presents before the man of science a new world, a world of magic! Cumberbatch shines in this role, endearing us to the unlikeable Strange while maintaining an aloof arrogance that defines the character; his accent may grate at first but there is nobody better cast in the role as Cumberbatch nails it. On the subject of casting Strange has to be one to be reckoned with, drawn from a hefty pedigree he knows when to ham it up and when to take things seriously.

Swinton as the Ancient One is as magnificent as always, Chiwetel Ejiofor's Mordo brings an appropriate dramatic edge that helps to ground the more fantastical elements (of which there are many) and Benedict Wong is always a delight to behold, his portrayal taking a more 21st century approach which comes off far better than the indentured stereotypical manservant from the comics. Feeling somewhat wasted are Rachel McAdams and Mads Mikkelsen who in their roles as Strange's Love interest Dr Christine Palmer and the villain Kaecillius find themselves with little time to establish themselves to their fullest, yet perform admirably nonetheless. The issue here is pandemic within the Marvel movies where romantic interests are secondary and the villains as two dimensional as the pages they come from.

Otherwise the film is a bombastic romp, a visual spectacle that delights with its interesting action sequences, quirky humour and intelligent script. Input from Rick and Morty's Dan Harmon is apparent from the tone in places ,and director Scott Derrickson pulls together an impressive mix that both pleases and stimulates the mind through kaleidoscopic visual set pieces and just plain good storytelling. The score is memorable for a Marvel movie, benefits from the small flashes of progressive rock but ultimately feels too similar to composers Giacchino's previous work on the rebooted Star Trek franchise. The track for the final credits, however, shows where this music can lead, and I only hope that the inevitable sequel capitalises on this.

Doctor Strange has the capacity this year to be overlooked but I would advice against it as you'd be missing one of this years most innovative and intelligent blockbusters. Doctor Strange is clearly one to watch.