“Doctor Strange” is absolutely wonderful, and I loved every single second of it. The Doctor, played impeccably by Benedict Cumberbatch (who knew the dude could be so sexy?), is a different kind of superhero. Yes, he can fight, but he uses the powers of mysticism to defeat his enemies instead of just brawn.
When we first meet the Dr. Strange, pre-superhero, it’s obvious that he is brilliant, and a complete insufferable narcissist. The dude has a major attitude and one that is not very appealing.
Well, it doesn’t take long before Strange finds his perfect, controlled world turned upside down. It comes in the form of a major car crash that Strange survives but at a very big price. His hands are so severly damaged that he may never operate again. The world Strange knows just might be gone forever. This sends the him into a downward spiral that even his girlfriend, Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) can’t get him out of.
After fruitlessly searching for a cure in traditional medicine, he meets a man named Pangborn (Benjamin Bratt), who broke his back, but somehow learned to heal himself. When Stange presses him for more information, Pangborn tells him to go to Kathmandu in Nepal.
Despite his intense scepticism, he takes Pangborn’s advice and heads to Tibet to find Kathmandu. It’s here that he meets Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who after turning him away, eventually winds up taking Strange to meet his master, The Ancient, played by the brilliant Tilda Swinton.
To say Strange thinks this whole thing is one big joke is an understatement, but to his credit, he doesn’t run away. Instead, he slowly lets go of all of his baggage and allows The Ancient to become his teacher. Through extraordinarily hard work, Strange finds himself on the physical and spiritual journey of his life. One that could mean the end of the earth and mankind as we know it.
For those familiar with the comic, I promise you won’t be disappointed and for those that aren’t, you will definitely NOT be disappointed.
“Dr. Strange,” directed by Scott Derrickson, who also co-wrote the film, is a feast for the eyes. I saw it in IMAX 3D and it was one visually wild ride. Cumberbatch’s Strange has perfect comic timing and his wit is sharp. Cumberbatch makes a perfect Dr. Strange.
I gave “Dr. Strange,” which opens in theaters Friday, November 5th, five bagels out of five. Don’t miss it.
