'Doctor Strange' review: A spectacularly mind-bending ride

Film: Doctor Strange
Director: Scott Derrickson
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen

What it's about

A brilliant yet terribly arrogant neurosurgeon Dr Strange (Cumberbatch) has a horrible accident that leaves him, in due course, with uncontrollable shaking in both hands, rendering him incapable of ever holding a scalpel again.He depletes his vast fortune, trying for a cure that could make him 'whole' again, but never really succeeds. That is until he finds out about a paralysed man who regains his normal life, making a recovery from an impossible fate. His search leads him next to Karmar-Taj in Kathmandu, Nepal, where, by and by, he meets Mordo (Ejiofor) who leads him to someone called the Ancient One (Swinton), who sees potential in him and decides to train him in the mystic arts and help him become a sorcerer and get some magic into his life, making him capable of doing things he never thought possible, but not before Strange realises the true extent of what he's getting into.

While Strange is a quick learner, it soon transpires that danger is afoot and that he will soon have to take sides in a battle of good versus evil -- said evil being a rogue sorcerer named Kaecilius (Mikkelsen).

What's hot

The mind-bendingly spectacular visual and special effects blow you away. And while some may complain that certain scenes are derivatives of films like Inception and Interstellar because of some similarities, they would do well to remember that it's never about who did it first, but who did it better. And that's what you're always going to remember. 

The casting is something of a rare joy. Ejiofor, Swinton and Cumberbatch are all extremely fine actors, yes. But then, so are Mads and Wong. The writing complements their characters and draws out personality traits one might otherwise miss solely as a comic book fan.  

There are moments during the film when you want to point out and go 'I know where this is headed'. And that's a good thing. Because it shows, that as a viewer, you're invested in the world Marvel is drawing you into. So much so, that by the time you reach the mid and end-credits (BTW, don't miss!), you're not so much at sea when the next Marvel film rolls around.

This is a film that will make you believe that simply told stories with complicated storylines adapted for the screen, needn't alienate the average viewer. It's as easy to enjoy an entertaining superhero film as it is to run down a mindless entertainer. Both do their jobs well and walk the same tightrope. And while Doctor Strange is all of those things and more, you can't miss the fact that it will resonate with a lot of viewers and at the same time, raise eyebrows. And that is to be expected.

Does it bore you? Not in the least. Does it make you an instant fan? Depends who you're talking to. Does it make sense? Well, I'd like to borrow an exchange between Strange and the Ancient One where he tells her, "This doesn't make any sense." Her reply is a telling one. "Not everything does. Not everything has to." And that, in the greater scheme of things, is what you need to get about the way (and why) the MCU works.

What's not

You remember those Mandrake comics you read as a child? Well, while this film amps up that premise on so many levels, it does remind you on some levels of the comic strip that preceded this Marvel character by at least three decades. And while that's not so much a grouse as much an observation, it does rile you that Mordo is reduced to a sidekick in the movie, while not originally being in that position.

And while Mordo's a bigger villain in the books than the one in this film (Kaecilius is a minor villain), the actors playing both characters have precious little to do in the film. I remember loving the end of this film in the way our hero faces off the film's main villain (telling you more would count as a spoiler), but not before you wonder, 'Can it be as simple and straightforward as that?' The answer comes in the many reactions running though your head after that.

What to do

It's unmissable, for sure. It has the style, the spectacle, a story with little to no twists, a penchant for gags and jokes we've now come to expect from the MCU and more. And its Cumberbatch-ness is definitely a big draw. And the fact that it knows its flaws and doesn't dwell on it. That you're going to love this one is an understatement. 

Rating: ****