Marvel keep telling - showing - us that they're not one dimensional and they can offer us a bit of everything. The origin story may not be original anymore, but it sure never gets boring. We've had comedy, super-squads, squad break-ups, parodies, TV, big, small, intergalactic and now...Strange. Very strange. With mind-blowing sequences that go bigger and bolder than Inception on steroids, Doctor Strange delivers an other-worldly, satisfying fascination.

In a world far, far away - New York City - there lives a very rich, egotistical and extremely clever man. Nope, not Tony Stark, but a surgeon who will definitely not let you forget there's a "Doctor" in his name. "Doctor Who?" you ask.  (I could make this joke and then after the film explain the Benedict Cumberbatch -> Steven Moffat -> Doctor Who / Timey wimey stuff connections but that'd be revealing my inner geekiness too much so let's not go there at all..) Introducing Doctor Stephen Strange.

After an accident leaves Strange badly injured, and doesn't this sound all too familiar, he seeks recovery in an unexpected, spiritual form that defies physical logic. I'm not even going to delve too much into the astral plane or other dimensions, but let's just say it's sorcery, magic portals, magic sparky hand gestures that become weapons, and flying capes - but the power comes from within. This is what every self-help book should begin with really. Long story short, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is trained by The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) in the kinda-hidden Kamar-Taj sorcerer academy in Nepal. He conveniently stumbles across this solution that can save his hands and is almost immediately exposed to this strange new world...I'm amazed at how this isn't common knowledge in their universe - The Avengers would have doubled in size by now. The journey takes us from Nepal to New York to London to Hong Kong, in no particular order because you can simply create a portal and jump straight to it. How easy would holidays be?! These sorcerers are in the wrong business.

Of course, like most Marvel plots, there's a big bad wolf. Here, he's Kaecilius played by Mads Mikkelsen who you'll recognise as a James Bond villain. With an evil gleam in his eye, he was once trained by The Ancient One (who really doesn't have a name but I imagine it used to be something like Sally), but he betrays her in a quest for immortality and power. A little like the first Kung Fu Panda film but this traitor has sparkly eye paint or something like that, plus it involves even bigger badder wolves. Rounding up the diverse pack of leading characters are Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), Wong (Benedict Wong) and Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). [Side note: so many Oscar nominees in this cast, am I right!?] Wong gets a relatively low-key but crucial role, injecting humour without being the token funny guy. Mordo is one to watch, as the moral compass and a solid sidekick. The complexity within his character is an intriguing one to unwrap.

And of course we have Tilda Swinton and Benedict Cumberbatch, both sought after by the Marvel bosses even though one had an insanely packed schedule leading to the entire project adapting, and one is supposed to be male and Asian...according to the comics. I have to say Marvel were right to stand by these choices, though it has to be said that Hollywood does currently have a huge issue with Asian stereotypes and casting - and this barrier needs to be broken. But given the Swinton situation, it somehow works. Her character comes across wise, ninja-esque, but also surprisingly nice. Also, their compromise between Asian man and Ancient One 2.0 is to make her bald. And then there's Benedict. Sometimes not cocky enough to pull off Tony Stark one liners, but brings the Sherlock arrogance and genius to the table with a just-about-forgiveable American accent. You can tell he really cares about doing this role justice, and he shines in so many ways that his Cumberhuman fans will be beaming from ear to ear throughout. When he finally steps into the super-sorcerer shoes, his screen presence is a sheer magical moment to behold.

The stellar actors still aren't the highlight though. A further dimension - and world - allows for some very creative effects and for the creators to run wild. The visual effects are outstanding, taking the dreamworlds from Inception but amping it up quite a bit. It's beyond trippy and kaleidoscopic, with more moving stairs than Harry Potter and a world where you can drive someone up the wall. You know what it is, it's a cinematic experience. I'd really recommend seeing it in IMAX if you can to bring it to life even more.


There's a lot to get your head around. With the more straightforward plot devices and characters, however, this is where Marvel falls short. Take the love interest, for example. Christine Palmer is a smart fellow surgeon and we know Rachel McAdams is a fantastic actress with superb Oscar-nominated skills. Unfortunately, we don't get to see much of this at all. Instead of the typical damsel in distress role, we don't get distress - or anything - at all, which is a shame. The one moving moment she's involved in doesn't even feature her on camera. More McAdams please! Similarly, Kaecilius is bad, but his evil potential is far greater than what we see.

Whereas we've accepted everyday superpowers in the "real world" Avengers universe, it's slightly harder to comprehend here when you have things like the mirror dimension within shards of glass, spirits coming out of bodies like Just Like Heaven, time tricks a la Edge of Tomorrow and an upgraded Bernard's Watch. But stick with it - and it will reward you in return. Little rewards like quips and Beyonce shout-outs, and big rewards like big budget sequences, mystical martial arts and things you'd probably hate on paper but will fall in love with on-screen.

The plot itself is hardly mind-bending but the full scale of everything will blow you away. There's some cheating involved - but isn't using magic cheating anyway? It's intriguing and makes you long for a bit more...which *spoiler alert* we definitely get in the post-credits scene. You know the drill by now, watch the (supremely hilarious and surprising) mid-credits scene but don't forget to wait some more. Doctor Strange lives up to his name in a film that is fantastically nuts and sufficiently strange with an added splash of wisdom and enough turning points to form a maze. And you'll be amazed too.

Doctor Strange is in cinemas now.