This movie might remind many of the first Iron Man film, mostly due to several similar character traits of protagonists of each films. Stephen Strange, once an egoistic neurosurgeon sees the light in mystic arts, after losing the use of his hands. The protagonist is perfectly portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. From the American accent, to the witty humour of Stephen Strange as portrayed in comics, Benedict Cumberbatch perfectly nails the role. He's arguably the best ever live action adaptation of a superhero/comic character, above likes of Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.
Now Strange seeks a cure to his problems and ends up at what he calls a cult (and regrets later) of sorcery. The supporting cast includes great sorcerers, with overall a good impact on the film (except the unnecessary diversity). Tilda Swinton does a decent job as The Ancient One but the stand-outs have to be Benedict Wong as Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo (who by the way, is a more important character than one would think). We also have Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, an ER Doc, who also shares a number of great moments with Strange.
Strange becomes a nerd of mystic arts, by continuously reading and learning about it. He soon masters a lot and is well aware of the threats that might come sooner. Mads Mikkelson plays Kaecilius, a treacherous former disciple of the Ancient One, who's not much different to most of the typical, crazy, pawn-like MCU villains. While I think Kaecilius is greatly used in the story, and is a fun character, but wasting someone as good as Mads Mikkelson is a letdown - perhaps the only letdown of this film.
We live in a time where it's rare not to have a cliche action ending in superhero films, but Doctor Strange manages to provide a splendid climax, that is on par with Guardians of the Galaxy. The end credits scene is marvelous, as it establishes this franchise better, instead of rushing it up. It makes the climax even stronger. Worry not, for there is one astounding scene that bridges Strange with other hero/heroes of the MCU. It might not be what one may expect, but it's worth it.
Altogether, what makes this movie an amazing cinematic experience is the character development Stephen Strange gets. He starts from the bottom, all lost and then he rises up a legend - stronger, wiser. He gets as much development in this single film as Tony Stark and Steve Rogers got during the second phase of Marvel Cinematic Universe. Supporting characters like Wong and Mordo are also very well developed by the end of the film (take notes Snyder). The visuals are brilliant, period. It ends up as one of the best ever films, visually. They're like Inception meets Matrix ft. Windows 98 screen-savers. Highly recommended in 3D. it is also among the very few MCU films with great scores and theme, though the main theme might remind you of Star Trek at times.
The movie balances the mythos of Doctor Strange comics with a bit of the MCU blockbuster formula, and that is what makes it a hit out of the park. The humour is very well put, and accurate to the source material, and so are the complicated dimensions that you better go explore now, in this piece of great film-making.
+ Stunning Visuals
+ Engaging Protagonist
+ Supporting Cast
+ Decent Score
+ Climax
+ Epilogue/End Credits
- Mads Mikkelson Wasted
