Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler are FINALLY reunited! Sort of

Rating: 8/10 (26 October 2016)

Benedict Cumberbatch (best known as Sherlock Holmes in the TV series Sherlock) and Rachel McAdams (Irene Adler in the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movies) play exes, Dr. Stephen Strange and Dr. Christine Palmer, who work at the same hospital. He's a successful neurosurgeon; she's a trauma doctor specializing in thoracic surgery. Cumberbatch isn't straying too far from his Sherlock role here, as his Strange is just as stubborn, arrogant and cocky as Holmes...though thankfully doesn't indulge in quite so much speed-talking. Palmer is far more likable a character, as she only wants what's best for Stephen, but after he's in a car accident that robs him of the loss of his hands (the movie's end credits include a driving safety message), she can only take so much of his crap attitude/treatment of her before she's had enough. We haven't seen her like in a female lead throughout the MCU before. She's supportive, but not a pushover, she's firm/tells it like it is, but wouldn't (nor shouldn't) ever be classed as "whiny/bitchy". McAdams balances the right amount of strength and warmth that the character requires to ensure the audience is on her side during her 'fight' with Strange post-accident. McAdams also has good comic timing, and her reactions to Stephen later in the film are great. She and Cumberbatch have a nice chemistry, their characters have a very 'grounded/believable' relationship (which contrasts nicely with the later craziness), though they aren't playing out some 'typical MCU love story', it's quite different to what's come before.
Like with his Sherlock, Cumberbatch's Stephen is not someone you are immediately meant to like. He does have a fondness/vast knowledge of music (too bad The Doors' 'People Are Strange' wasn't included), and he can toss out a quip or two, but on the whole he's kind of a jerk. However, what separates him from certain other jerky MCU characters is that his cockiness makes sense given how skilled a surgeon he is, and his stubbornness almost ruins his relationship with Christine, but he goes on a character journey that teaches him humility, patience and to think of others instead of himself. We already know Cumberbatch can play an egotistical jerk to perfection, but throughout the course of the movie his Stephen actually manages to become more likable (moreso than his Sherlock is) and he learns about self-sacrifice (his solution for defeating the film's 'big bad', Dormammu, is quite ingenious). Aiding him in becoming a sorcerer and losing that arrogance is Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One. Her performance seems so effortless, playing this ancient being. She gives off this serene vibe, always so calm and at times frustratingly so (for Stephen especially), but there's more to her than is first presented. She and Cumberbatch play well off each other, sharing some memorable scenes.
Also helping out is Chiwetel Ejiofor's Mordo and Benedict Wong as Wong. Mordo is a curious character, as he seems on the side of good, but oddly enough his most intriguing/important scene comes post-credits, suggesting he's not what we once thought. There seems to be a running theme of the characters not being quite as they first appear, as Wong seems like the humourless sort who protects the books/spells and doesn't get Stephen's jokes/pop culture references (of which the film could have done with far fewer of, I thought, as they rather overdid it), but by film's end is seeing the humour in things and proves Stephen's closest ally against the Ancient One's former pupil turned adversary, Kaecilius. Mads Mikkelsen, who was so great as Hannibal Lecter and Le Chiffre, doesn't have a whole lot to work with here. He gets maybe one or two amusing lines, but on the whole, like the majority of MCU villains, doesn't leave much of a lasting impression (though at least he uses henchwomen for a change). His fights with the good guys, though, are very memorable. It's the effects on display (which the 3D definitely enhances here, rather than being just a money grab) that are the real stand-outs of the film. Yes, there's been comparisons to Inception, but that was hardly the first movie to feature moving cityscapes (Dark City, anyone?). The mind-bending effects and sheer trippiness of the film is what stands out most, as is Strange's Cloak of Levitation aka THE BEST CLOAK EVER since the Invisibility Cloak from the Harry Potter movies. This one's even better, as it keeps him from harm, helps him find the most appropriate weapons for fighting, wipes away tears from his face and, best of all, kicks the arses of bad guys all by itself.
Like with Ant-Man, this film may feel so 'different' to what's come before that those who have grown comfortable with the MCU movies to date might feel this one's a little *too* different, but I liked the fact that there are still new ways of telling these movies and giving us something we haven't seen before in the MCU. There are two credits sequences, the post-credits one as mentioned earlier (it's worth waiting for, plus you get to hear 'The Master of the Mystic End Credits' tune, which is pretty neat, although the film's score overall does have some sense of familiarity about it), and one mid-credits (my favourite of the two) featuring an amusing cameo from Thor. It's great to see Stephen interacting with another Avenger already (and even better that it's one of the one's I actually *like*). It's the more entertaining of the two credits sequences, and promises some interesting stuff to come whilst raising questions about the next Thor film and what's happened since the last one. He may have started as a jerk, but by the movie's end I'm fully on board with seeing Doctor Strange in further films.