The impossibilties of this brilliant film are endless.

Rating: 8/10 (4 November 2016)

Marvel's Doctor Strange is as formulaic in plotting and execution as an origin story can become, but they still deliver thoroughly exciting and occasionally mind-bending entertainment. The plot follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Based in New York City's Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Marvel cinematic universe.The action shifts from New York to Kathmandu to multiverses to sanctums to Hong Kong and finally to the dark realms.The pace is slick and you will almost feel like you are on LSD or any other psychedelic drug if you will. The film revolves around magic and mysticism which transcend the bounds of time.If only the makers would have put in an effort to transcend their bounds yet we still have at our hands a superhero film unlike any other and this is Doctor Strange's biggest win. While comparisons to Inception are obvious, with cities bending and folding into themselves, this goes way beyond that. The colors, the upside-down, fight-on-the-wall, jump-to-this-dimension action; the way the mystical powers they use enhance everything even further, it all left me astounded by how awesome it was to watch on the big screen. I don't even know how they pulled it off, nor do I care, I was so caught up in what I was watching that I didn't even need to think about what filmmaking trickery they were using Benedict Cumberbatch owns this film totally immersing himself into the initially arrogant and egotistical Doctor(yeah shades of Sherlock) and later a gifted and mature sorcerer.Suave in dialogue delivery and brilliance in action scenes, he leaves a lasting impact. Chiwetel Ejiofor impresses as the strong-willed master sorcerer Modo & Tilda Swindon is brilliant cast as the complicated and seemingly immortal Sorcerer Supreme. Rachel McAdams leaves her mark in the similar capacity as did Pepper to Tony and Jane to Thor. Mads Mikkelson plays the primary antagonist Kaecilius playing the generic not-so-powerful Marvel villain and the role doesn't do justice to his talent. While Marvel fans got a taste of what to expect with the kaleidoscopic Quantum Realm at the end of Ant-Man, Derrickson's movie cranks that up at every opportunity, and it's honestly breathtaking. In an early sequence, The Ancient One rockets a skeptical Doctor Strange through a series of alternate dimensions, and as the Ancient One narrates through voice over the display of infinite universes, you can't help but be just as hypnotically stunned as the arrogant surgeon Clear inspiration is drawn from the beautiful work of Steve Ditko in the character's earliest comics, and it's brought to life in a stunning fashion with awesome visual effects that just weren't cinematically available up until now Much more than just portal-hopping, the film utilizes what is called "the Mirror Dimension" to create what is essentially a most surreal interpretation of the real world where cityscapes can be shifted and turned at will and gravity flipped (all of it imperceptible to the non-magically inclined). These sequences, along with a finale that utilizes time manipulation in amazing ways truly make Doctor Strange stand out as one of the most visually inventive and incredible films put out by Marvel Studios.. If there was ever a film that needed to be seen in 3D, it's certainly Doctor Strange. Marvel has stepped up their 3D game to no end, and while there's still elements that need a little more tweaking, the usage of the format really does carry this film out of this world, and into the next. Don't hesitate to book an IMAX 3D if you will, as the aspect ratio and sound tweaks in large format really do go well with this 3D masterwork. This a must watch (theatrical) for Marvel aficionados.Experiences and interpretations with this movie will be different for everyone, and casual movie goers might not connect with Strange's story as deeply as MCU followers would.Nevertheless, everyone is sure to be blown away by how totally stunning this vibrant, visual extravaganza is.