Very strange indeed!

If the new supernatural spectacle from the self contained world of Marvel Comics were to be described in one word, it would have to be 'strange'. If we stretch it as the film does its spindly wiry spiraling narrative that goes effortlessly onward with its dazzling display of alternate reality to another word then it would be 'strange and stirring'.

The film lays out an elaborate supernatural plan for its surgeon-hero, a plan so steeped in mythology and esotericism that it takes ‘Doctor Strange’ all the way from London to Kathmandu with a stopover in places that are not on any map.

The film has some heart-stopping narrative points where time does the opposite of stopping still. Events move simultaneously in the real and an alternate world to show how the healing of the body and the mind can be achieved through a transcendental transposition of the consciousness to a dimension beyond the physical.

Director Scott Derrickson, who specialises in supernatural sagas ('The Exorcism Of Emily Rose', 'The Day The Earth Stood Still'), unravels the mysteries of the universe accompanied by a growing sense of wonderment.

The imaging of the visuals where ground-reality clashes with an otherworldly reality is so splendid as to freeze all skepticism about the future of Hollywood's large-screen spectacles that seems jeopardized in 2016 after a series of crippling failures in the genre.

The action-adventure dazzles but never to deceive. Its visual opulence is never over-stated. The special effects generate a kind of implosive illumination that lights up the film's theme of travel, knowledge and wisdom.

A lot of the narrative's ongoing effectuality depends on Benedict Cumberbatch's central performance. He conveys the character's exploratory curiosity with a magnetic blend of confidence and curiosity. No matter how extravagant the excursion into the unknown, Cumberbatch looks like a man in charge.

And even when he is swept into a reality that has no connection to the real world he looks like man in control of his destiny. It's a confident performance where tenets of existence and beliefs of continuity in the cosmic chaos are constantly shaken and questioned. It all adds up to an experience that is more satisfying than most of the recent screen adaptations of comic books.

Film Name : Doctor Strange
Cast : Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Tilda Swinton
Direction : Scott Derrickson
Genre : Adventure-Fantasy
Likes : Cumberbatch performances and cinematography
Dislikes : Lackluster villain and no good theme music

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Movie Review: Doctor Strange