The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a house style that could be charitably summed up as fashionably bland. Its movies are filmed in a competent and coherent manner, but rarely contain images or standalone shots that one would describe as particularly memorable. Marvel's newest film sets out to rectify that lack of memorability and succeeds, blending brain-bending visuals with the franchise formula for a product that feels—
(wait for it)
—a little bit—
(hold on)
—weird.
(ouch he did NOT stick the landing and that will cost him with the judges)
Dr. Strange throws us into the deep end of the pool early on, kicking things off with a perspective-skewing fight between the wicked Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) and his acolytes and The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). We know he's wicked since he rips some pages out of a book (and beheads its minder) in his first few moments onscreen; we know she's good because she's trying to stop the man who defaces library books and de-faces librarians.
The martial and mystic arts combat takes place on the streets of London—streets that the sorcerers use their magic to move, gravity rotating as the buildings spin on an invisible axis. Building fronts jut out and fall back; sidewalks spin in kaleidoscopic patterns. Think of the hotel hallway fights in Inception then add a dose of lysergic acid and you'll have a decent idea of what you're in store for.
After Kaecilius escapes, we cut away to Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), all-star neurosurgeon with a "perfect record" who wants to go down in history as one of the greats in his field. A devastating car accident leaves his hands shattered and shaky, unable to perform the miraculous feats of healing he once made look routine. Confidence gone, he alienates his one-time lover Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) in a fit of self-pity-induced rage.
Strange undergoes surgery after surgery, desperate to regain the use of his hands. Nothing works. Out of money and out of options, he travels to a remote Nepalese village and falls under the sway of The Ancient One and her protégé Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Skeptical at first, Strange is sent on a spiritual voyage that strips him of his pride and leaves him open to the idea that there's more to man than flesh and blood and brain and bone. He sees the limitless dimensions secretly surrounding our own and chooses to utilize their powers to protect Earth from Kaecilius and the wicked Dormammu, a sort of cosmic death-dealer hoping to add Earth to his collection of ruined worlds.
The plot is rather standard Hero's Journey stuff. Strange must overcome his own demons and accept his fate as Earth's protector if he's to save the day. Thinking about the way Strange's magic works for more than a few moments will induce a headache; please, accept the mystery. The special effects are all quite nifty, as is their design, which calls to mind Steve Ditko's original, trippy conception of the Sorcerer Supreme. We also get some standard-issue Marvel physical humor in the form of the Cloak of Levitation, which Strange acquires about halfway through the picture. Wouldn't want to get too dour like those DC films, you know. Better add some yuks.
Swinton delivers the film's standout performance, adding little winks and twitches that give her Ancient One the sort of saucy humor required to keep her from being a crushing bore. There was much whinging about "whitewashing" when her casting was first announced, but anyone who criticizes her actual performance simply isn't paying attention to the work being done up on the screen.