Cast adds class to sometimes silly 'Doctor Strange'

• Critic's rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Four words you don't expect in a row: Tilda Swinton, action hero.

They’re only slightly odder than Benedict Cumberbatch, action hero.

Weird, right? Or, more accurately, strange.

As in “Doctor Strange,” the latest entry in the Marvel Universe, and a good one. That’s due in large part to the presence of Cumberbatch as the title character, a surgeon searching for a miracle cure and instead finding himself, becoming a world-saving sorcerer in the process. But just as crucial is Scott Derrickson’s mind-bending direction, which is vital in a movie in which characters bend space and time. “What’s in that tea?” Strange asks after a particularly trippy moment, and you might wonder the same thing about the popcorn at your local multiplex.

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Strange is a neurosurgeon whose talent is exceeded only by his ego, but a car accident leaves him with nerve damage in his precious hands. Fellow doctor and sometime lover Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) tries to offer solace but Strange will have none of it. Instead he embarks for Kathmandu (like the Bob Seger song, Palmer wonders of the classic-rock-loving doctor?), where he trains with the Ancient One (Swinton), for whom the laws of physics seem more like customs. Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Wong (Benedict Wong) assist her in training the stubborn Strange, who shows an unusual gift for mystical arts but little of the humility it takes to master them.

He must learn on the job, however, because Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), a former gifted student, has gone rogue and has big plans to introduce the dark world (or something) to our planet, which is not, in case you were wondering, a good thing. A word of advice: Do not get too caught up trying to make sense of everything.

Instead revel in the actors, all of whom seem to be having fun. Remember when “Iron Man” came out and everyone thought, "Hey, cool, Robert Downey Jr., a real actor in a superhero movie?" This is way beyond that. This is like the Royal Shakespeare Company doing Stan Lee.

That alone elevates some of the silliness. A recurring bit involves Strange’s name. At one point he and Kaecilius are having one of their occasional battles to the death and the doctor screams of his identity, “It’s Strange!” Kaecilius pauses for a beat and says, in his Danish accent, “Maybe. Who am I to judge?” It’s stupid and obvious, but thanks to Mikkelsen, it's the best line in the movie.

Derrickson, who directed the surprisingly scary “Sinister,” aims to go a little deeper than the typical Marvel film, though some elements are required (be sure to check the title of the book Lee is reading in his traditional cameo). There are familiar elements of many superhero stories  — arrogant genius gets his comeuppance, broken man heads East for healing, New York City turns in on itself and sideways and cars creep over impossible angles looking like Salvador Dali’s clocks in “The Persistence of Memory” and Hong Kong is un-destroyed.

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Well, maybe not that last part, which really is unique. Derrickson’s use of computer-generated action is a strength instead of a strain, and it’s not just showing off; in the context of the film, the bizarre images make sense.

Bizarre images? Make that Strange, and be glad of it.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: twitter.com/goodyk.

'Doctor Strange,' 3.5 stars

Director: Scott Derrickson.

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams.

Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action throughout, and an intense crash sequence.

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