Doctor Strange is another win for Marvel.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) gets knocked for being an assembly line whose only goal is to promote the next film down the line.  To a certain extent, I would agree with that statement.  However, the most recent entrees to the MCU (Guardians Of The Galaxy, Ant-Man, and now Doctor Strange) have all felt fresh and exciting.  I think it's perhaps because they are so far down the totem pole of superhero hierarchy, these movies can afford to experiment.  From the quirkiness of Guardians, to the humor of Ant-Man, each of the recent MCU films have a distinct voice while still fitting into the larger storyline.

Doctor Strange is no different.  Aside from a brief reference to The Avengers early in the film (and during the required post-credit scenes), you don't even think about the larger MCU during this film, which is quite refreshing.

Doctor Strange tells the story of how a brilliant surgeon (Strange) becomes the earth's mightiest sorcerer.  Stephen Strange is a surgeon without equal.  He's also a hot shot that believes his own hype, and picks and chooses his patients in order to keep his surgical record perfect.  Shortly after he rescues a patient from a bullet to the brain he loses the ability to use his hand in a car crash (don't text and drive kiddos!).  It is at this moment that Strange seeks a miracle cure that leads him to a far away land.  Here, he meets the Sorcerer Supreme (controversially played by Tilda Swinton) and learns the power of mysticism.  I highly enjoyed his training sequences, which were filled with humor stunning visuals.

Doctor Strange is at its strongest when it flexes its visual muscle.  That is not to say that the film only succeeds because of its visuals.  Quite the opposite, actually.  Benedict Cumberbatch is equal parts wit and (spiritual) muscle.  He shines with the most charisma this side of Tony Stark.  But, at the end of the day, this is a big blockbuster and the visuals do not disappoint.  By playing in different realms and spaces, Doctor Strange's visuals have to be seen to be believed.  I would describe parts of this movie as Inception meets Labyrinth.  It's like an M.C. Escher painting on steroids.  It does struggle with plot at times, but I was always glad that I was along for the ride.  Hopefully, future MCU films are allowed to have as much creative freedom as Doctor Strange... especially with these individual films.

There are some flaws in this movie.  The talented Rachel McAdams is pretty much cast to the side as a former flame of Stephen Strange, and the plot tends to get a little convoluted at times while the characters are talking about mysticism and alternate reality.  I do hope that McAdams gets more screen time in future Strange films because the chemistry between her character and Cumberbatch's was quite strong.  The few scenes they shared were some of the strongest in the film.  The final, and most controversial, flaw in this film was the decision to cast Tilda Swinton as the Sorcerer Supreme.  This isn't a knock on her performance, as it was quite strong, but rather it's Hollywood's umpteenth example of unnecessary whitewashing.  The director has lived up to it in recent statements, but it's still an unfortunate blemish on an otherwise superb entry into the MCU.

Overall, I would give Doctor Strange 3 out of 4 stars.  It's another excellent addition to the MCU, and opens the door for fun and exciting sequels.  Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent in the title role, and the supporting cast (whitewashing controversy aside) is excellent.