If you want to know if you will like Dr. Strange, here is the question you need to ask yourself: Did you like Inception, the movie from director extraordinare Chris Nolan. If the answer is yes, then you will like Dr. Strange, the newest in the Marvel Studios franchise. If you answered no, them it’s best you find another movie.

While the two movies share nothing in plot, they do in visuals. The twins, my wife and I went to see Dr. Strange this afternoon and the vote was three to one with only my wife not liking the premise, claiming to be too scifi for her tastes.

Benedict Cumberbatch is fantastic as Dr. Stephen Strange, a doctor who goes in search alternatives to standard medicine when his surgeon hands are injured beyond repair from a car accident. Rachael McAdams, one of my favorite Hollywood actresses, is fine if under used. I wish her part had been larger.

The movie has also taken some flack for whitewashing one of the other main characters, The Ancient One, by having the traditionally Asian character filled by Tilda Swinton. I can understand the reasons for the complaints, but Swinton does yet another excellent job and it’s hard to argue with her acting chops.

Add in Chiwetel Ejiofor as Strange’s mentor and right hand man and Mads Mikkelson as the main bad guy and you have quite the acting ensemble for a Marvel movie.

I won’t go into great plot detail, but will say this is more of a thinking person’s movie. Time manipulation and reality bending will make you feel like you are on a hippie trip from the 60s, but the film is visually stunning. The way reality is bent is much like some of the scenes in Inception and I hope you aren’t  prone to motion sickness.

All in all, I give the movie a 4 out of 5 stars. There is talk that going forward, Dr. Strange will fill the void in the Marvel Universe going forward with a soon to be retiring Robert Downey Jr. leaving his Iron Man suit behind. There are two after movie credits, one halfway through which will set up the next Marvel movie and an end credit which will set up the next Dr. Strange movie. Enjoy.