'Doctor Strange' continues Marvel's unprecedented winning streak

I had no real knowledge of the Doctor Strange character prior to today, when I saw the new Marvel film based on the comic book. And I think that actually helped me because it was one of the few of the assembly line's films which I entered totally blind.

I knew the reviews were good and that there was some (warranted) grumbling about the fact that Tilda Swinton was cast in a role that was originally conceived for a character of Asian descent.

For the record, Swinton is sensational in the film, but there was no need to whitewash the role.

Doctor Strange is easily one of the most visually audacious Marvel films to date. It takes those mind-bending, time-folding images from Inception to even new heights. Although his American accent is somewhat distracting at first, Cumberbatch makes a likable, funny and engaging hero. And the film's origin story is far more engrossing than many of the other recent superhero offerings I've seen.

I'm not quite sure how this character will fit into the larger Marvel universe -- and after Civil War, I wonder if there is a danger of there being too many characters to sustain a cohesive story. That said, these films are starting to feel less formulaic and that's a great thing.

Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange

This one is definitely a trippy addition to the filmography, and there were times where, I must admit, I lost the thread of the plot a bit. If you're a fantasy lover, which I genuinely am not, this will be an entry that will be of interest to you.

For me I was buoyed by the performances and the possibilities the premise presented. This is the only superhero film where spirituality comes into play, as well as time travel and metaphysical realms.

As with every Marvel creation, Strange will now show up in other character's films and maybe even an Avengers behemoth, but he also has a lot of potential for more stories of his own -- as the end credits sequence strongly suggests.

The thing that honestly impresses me about this movie is simply how impressive it is -- it takes an incredibly bizarre idea -- a man who learns how to create weapons and traverse time through the power of his mind's eye -- and makes it not only seem somewhat plausible but wildly entertaining.

Now if only DC Comics could get their act together so we can have a real cinematic rivalry on our hands.