Fresher than most

Rating: 7/10 (21 April 2019)

The latest Marvel superhero origin tale, this explores the character of Stephen Strange, a neurosurgeon who loses his dexterity in a horrific car accident. He travels to Kathmandu in order to train spiritually in an attempt to fix his broken body, but instead he finds himself joining an order of mystic monks in their battle against a renegade. DOCTOR STRANGE stands out from the overcrowded market thanks to the emphasis on astral projection and spirituality, which I found generally interesting. Cumberbatch is a likeable hero and the supporting cast much better than usual for this kind of film, with Mads Mikkelsen standing out as villain. The film is inevitably dominated by CGI action but it feels fresher here than most, and it generally stays character-focused to keep the viewer involved.