Doctor Strange may have been looked upon as a gamble for Marvel. For one thing Doctor Strange isn’t quite the household name as some of the more popular superheroes, such as Spiderman, Captain America, Iron Man and Thor.

Doctor Strange was also considered by some as unfilmable. But “Wow!” Marvel have done it again!

Benedict Cumberbatch plays Dr. Stephen Strange a very successful, talented and arrogant neurosurgeon. Who has a massive superiority complex (lives in a luxury penthouse suite in Manhattan) and on the other hand entertains his surgery theatre team with his knowledge of old 70’s records. He will no doubt hit it off with Guardians of the Galaxy’s Star-Lord alias Peter Quill.

He is in a relationship with colleague Christine (Rachel McAdams) who does her best to keep his feet on the ground.

However, Stephen becomes a changed man (not by choice) following a horrific car crash that cripples his hands and all but destroys his life as he knows it.

Modern surgical teams cannot do anything for him. But Stephen hears of another casualty victim who was confined to a wheelchair but then had the ability to walk again after visiting a spiritual guidance temple in Kathmandu.

Strange sets off for Nepal to track down the temple and meets one of the teachers Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who takes him to see The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) to teach him the ways of the Mystical Arts.

Horror director Scott Derrickson has done a fantastic job of creating other worlds and dimensions where we witness beautifully choreographed fight and chase sequences in a landscape of folding skyscrapers and Jenga style buildings.

The films style and energy is a mixture of The Matrix and Inception with a pinch of Harry Potter and the trippy psychedelic imagery of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Cumberbatch looks so comfortable as Doctor Strange and appears to be having the time of his life. Despite his very Britishness as Sherlock, he does a remarkably good American accent but then again his is a very talented mimic.

As ever, there is always a bad guy who wants to take over the world and Mads Mikkelsen (TVs Hannibal) and his band of ninja warriors do their best to destroy the planet.

Fortunately, the trio of Doctor Strange, Mordo and temple librarian Wong (Benedict Wong – The Martian) are there to fight on the side of righteousness.

Marvel writers are very skilled and mixing pathos and comedy in all their movies which at times are laugh out loud moments. Cumberbatch delivers some wonderful one liners and these tongue in cheek moments are what differentiate Marvel from the rest of the studios…it never takes itself too seriously.

One of the lighter moments is the relationship Strange has with his cloak of Levitation. An almost organic ‘Potterish’ type of accessory!

A very stylish and a very different superhero soon to be seen in Avengers: Infinity War.

Surrey Comet:

In cinemas now