Doctor Strange (2016)

IMDb plot summary: A former neurosurgeon embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts.
Directed by Scott Derrickson. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, and Benedict Wong.

Benedict Cumberbatch is one of my favorite actors, so I'd been looking forward to this movie for awhile, despite knowing very little about Dr. Strange or his origins. Like most of the Marvel standalone movies, this is pretty solid. Strange is an interesting hero, and Cumberbatch plays him well. The muddling of magic and science gets a little silly at times, but the movie isn't afraid to treat it as such, and so it's easy to go along for the ride.

Where the movie really shines, however, is in its creative visuals. It draws comparisons to something like Inception, where entire cities are folding and being destroyed and being rebuilt around the major action sequences. I saw it in 2D, and that was impressive enough, but I can definitely seeing this being the kind of movie that would be incredible in 3D as well. The story, the dialogue, and the acting all makes for a fun autumn blockbuster, but it's the visuals that elevate it further. Nicely done.

4 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Doctor Strange > Blow Out
Doctor Strange > The Artist
Doctor Strange < The Beaver
Doctor Strange < The Goodbye Girl (2004)
Doctor Strange > Widow's Peak
Doctor Strange < Solaris (2002)
Doctor Strange > Face/Off
Doctor Strange > Contagion
Doctor Strange < The Karate Kid (1984)
Doctor Strange > The Producers (2005)
Doctor Strange > Date Night
Final spot: #519 out of 2532.